They love you, so why aren’t they buying?

So, people are talking about your brand.

They’re tagging you, dropping glowing comments, maybe even hyping you in reviews and group chats. Love that for you. But then why are your sales are flat-lining harder than a 2016 meme?

If people love you but aren’t buying you, or worse, not encouraging others to buy either, you don’t have a marketing problem. You’ve got a consumer experience problem. Your brand promise is working, but the reality? Not so much.

Let’s diagnose where the disconnect may be happening, and what to do about it.

1. Word-of-Mouth ≠ willingness to buy 

Just because someone talks about you doesn’t mean they’re ready to swipe their card. There are many instances me and my sisters have gushed over the latest lip stain, only to never even bother to look it up once.

Maybe your WOM campaign is too scripted. Maybe it’s being carried by paid creators who don’t even use the product. Or maybe your brand is a vibe, but the buying experience is a total buzzkill.

Fix it: WOM has to feel like an invitation, not an ad. Make sure your advocates are real consumers with genuine affinity. And ensure the next step after seeing the hype is seamless, not jarring.

2. Your website or store is the real problem 

People click through… and then… nothing. A confusing layout. Cold UX. Or a tone shift that feels like you’re suddenly talking to a procurement officer, not a human. They were vibing. And now they’re ghosting.

Fix it: Your site and store need to feel like an extension of your brand voice. If your social is fun and irreverent but your checkout experience feels like filing taxes, you’ve lost them.

3. You're selling like it's 2013 

Too many brands still market like consumers are purely logical buyers. Discount code here. Feature list there. Yawn.

But today, purchase decisions are deeply social, emotional, and identity driven. If your marketing leads with price and ignores why people buy beyond function, you’re missing the cultural pulse.

Fix it: Elevate the purchase from transactional to transformational. Make people feel like buying from you says something about them.

4. Your CX and marketing aren’t speaking the same language 

Great storytelling brings people in. Great experiences seal the deal. But if your brand narrative doesn’t translate into how someone shops with you, it all unravels.

Imagine hyping a product as luxury, but the site feels like a dropship graveyard. Or calling your brand “community-led” but offering zero support or connection post-purchase.

Fix it: Get marketing and product/ops in the same room. Map your brand promises to every touchpoint: from first click to unboxing to customer support.

5. You’re chasing virality, not loyalty 

You paid for the hype. Influencers posted. Views rolled in. But then... crickets. Virality is a sugar high. What you really want is sustainable, self-replicating word-of-mouth. Where people buy, then share, because the product and experience deliver.

Fix it: Put more money into customer experience than creators. Make the product share-worthy. Word-of-mouth isn’t built in the feed. It’s built in how your brand makes people feel after they buy.

TL;DR: If you’ve got buzz but no buy, the problem isn’t awareness. It’s alignment. Your marketing is bringing people to the door. But what they find on the other side? It’s not quite what was promised.

Remember, every click is a chance to bounce. So your job isn’t just to make noise. It’s to make every moment count.

-Sophie Randell, Writer