When Eyes Glaze Over: How to Engage a Disengaged Audience
By Rowena Morais
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to capture and hold an audience’s attention, don’t you agree? Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, teaching a class, creating digital content, or something else entirely, you may be met with blank stares, wandering attention spans , fidgety behaviour, or worse, complete silence.
But the question is: Is disengagement the same as disinterest? Not necessarily. Disengagement does not always mean that the audience does not care. Sometimes, the message just isn’t landing as intended. Sometimes, it’s simply not connecting.
That’s why I reached out to fellow communication professionals to learn more about how they handle disengaged audiences. Here’s what they had to say.
Don't think about 'you' and what your organisation wants
Look at where your disengaged audience is getting their information. And go there. You must respect the platform they’re using too. So, for example, if it’s TikTok, make sure you don’t try to convince them to watch a clunky government video. Spend time absorbing the content they consume so you understand what works.
Also, consider why they’re disengaged. For example, when I worked on the NSW bushfires, it was clear a particular community was disengaged. It became very clear they were traumatised and wanted nothing to do with authorities. They refused to come to the information centre we’d set up and weren’t responding to our requests.
I decided to take another approach. Instead of demanding they communicate with us using the channels we insisted they use, I looked at what they were using. They had all turned to existing Facebook community groups which they trusted. So, I contacted the people who ran those groups. I invited them to the information centres and took them through so they understood the process. I then arranged for us to go to the community, rather than insisting they come to us.
In another case, there was a man who had tried to get help at the information centre but had to repeat his story every time he spoke to a new government representative or charity. He was so traumatised that he left.
I got the representatives of key organisations together in one room. The man came back to the centre and he told them his story just once and then everyone worked together to help him.
I think that especially in government, it’s so easy to just broadcast one-way communication but it doesn’t work if you want real engagement.
It’s also very old fashioned. It’s been nearly 20 years since I first worked in digital. It allowed people to respond to news, to comment, to share. This scared a lot of people, but to me, it was like talkback radio.
Years before, I’d gone from working at SBS News to working at 2GB, which is a conservative talk radio station in Sydney. It was an ordeal by fire. It was so confronting to hear people’s opinions, especially when they weren’t views I shared. However, I quickly learned which subjects would make the switchboard light up and which subjects meant it stayed dark.
In my view, you can’t make people care about an issue because they SHOULD. The ‘shoulds’ are a little like the idea of eating unprocessed bran for breakfast. You know it’s good for you. You do. But it is literally like eating cardboard. You should eat it. But you won’t. You’re not going to eat it unless it’s disguised as something more appealing.
Essentially, you have to give people what they want. Which means listening. And empathy.
When I worked in radio news, hours could go by without any of us going outside. So it was not uncommon to warn listeners there was ‘the chance of a shower’ when in fact it had been teeming down for the past two hours.
Sometimes, you have to get out from behind your desk to see if it’s actually raining outside.
Kylie Johnson is a Churchill Fellow, Director of Bright Sparks Consulting and a board member of IABC Canberra.
It's not enough to just broadcast updates
Re-engaging disengaged employees starts with understanding both the message and the messenger. It’s not enough to just broadcast updates —the delivery channel and the source matter. Employees are often more likely to tune in to trusted figures within their teams, like line managers or respected peers, rather than senior execs.
Internal comms can tap into these informal networks and amplify the messages from senior leadership through voices people actually listen to. Just as important is tailoring the message itself—too many employees tune out because they’re bombarded with content that feels irrelevant. Segmenting communications by role, team, or location helps ensure people are hearing what matters to them.
Disengagement often goes deeper than disinterest. It might stem from message fatigue, broken trust, or a history of poor communication.
Rebuilding the connection takes more than polished messaging—it requires transparency, consistency, and authenticity. Employees don’t want corporate spin; they want honest updates, clear context, and a sense that they’re being respected, not managed. Just as important as the message going out is what comes back in.
Creating genuine feedback loops—through surveys, informal check-ins, or listening sessions—signals that employees’ voices matter. But that’s only half the equation. Closing the loop by acting on feedback and changing the way communications are delivered builds trust and reaffirms that employees are part of the process, not just passive recipients.
Katrina Tite is founder of Purple Kite, a workforce design and strategic communications consultancy, and is a board member of IABC Canberra.
Understand why they are disengaged
I think, first and foremost, we need to understand why they are disengaged and if they are getting what they need from other channels or resources. Also, life events and needs of the audience change — we need to cater to the lifecycle of content absorption.
Most times, people will, while gazing around, stop at the information that connects with them.
So understanding the type of audience one intends to keep engaged if we put relevant relatable content out there, it’ll keep them engaged. A lot of it depends on knowing your audience and their expected user experience to keep them engaged.
A board member of IABC Canberra, Pallavi Dutt Singh is a motivated communication professional with 20+ years of experience across international markets and Australia in public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Disengagement is feedback
Often, when we talk about disengaged audiences, we talk about “hard to reach” communities or young people. We think about who they are, not why they are disengaged with our messages. As communicators, our job is to understand our audience deeply. If they are disengaged, it is because we don’t have the channel, message or spokesperson right. We need to go back to the drawing board and try to more deeply understand their motivations and drivers, where they get information from and who they listen to.
Rather than seeing them as ‘hard to reach’, we need to consider why we are hardly reaching them.
Disengagement is feedback. It’s a signal that what we’re doing isn’t working — not a flaw in the audience, it’s a problem we need to solve. Instead of doubling down on the same tactics, we need to shift our perspective, do more research, test new approaches, and listen more than we talk.
Melanie Gibbons, Director of Elm Communications and former President of IABC Canberra is a passionate communications professional with over 20 years of experience, who is deeply committed to demonstrating the value of communications to an organisation.
Perception research offers a lens to review
The first step is to understand why your audience isn’t engaged.
There could be lots of reasons for this and it will vary across different audiences. Perhaps your content isn’t interesting or relevant. You might be wasting time on the wrong social media channels or media outlets. Maybe your messaging isn’t pitched right, or it’s working well for some groups but not others. You could have operational priorities which mean it’s preferable to stay quiet for a while at the expense of disengagement.
Often, companies and organisations can focus inwards on everything they are trying to achieve and lose sight of their audiences’ priorities.
Faced with this problem in the past, I’ve helped clients by talking to people in their target audiences to understand what is and isn’t working. Perception research like this offers a lens to review and redirect communications efforts to where they can have the biggest impact. Conducted by an external advisor, it can be an easier way to surface negative feedback which, while uncomfortable in the short term, is highly valuable to help retune messaging, content and communications strategy more broadly.
For one client, my research surfaced that its brand simply wasn’t known among key audiences in an important market, and in fact, they were confusing it with another organisation. Another client was weighed down by legacy issues relating to a prior management team: the market hadn’t grasped that the company’s business had substantially changed. In both cases, fresh audience insights spurred recalibrated approaches to their communications, leading to improved engagement.
A member of IABC Sydney and an IABC Canberra Mentor, Jackie Range specialises in strategic communications for business, finance, technology and international development. She brings international experience as a communications consultant and journalist, drawing on roles with the World Bank Group, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
Write simply and drop the jargon
It’s so easy getting bogged down in messaging and ‘org speak’ as communicators.
Conveying complex information this way won’t ‘cut it’ as it can confuse others and lead to serious consequences, such as errors, fines and poor health outcomes.
So, how can we do better? Write simply and drop the jargon. You’re here to bring diverse people with you and give them what they need, not alienate audiences with large words and fluffy, irrelevant content.
Use the appropriate tone and format for the task: creative writing, chunked text, dot points, infographics, videos and/or resources in key community languages.
And build from there.
Vicki Burkitt is a corporate communicator and storyteller, with experience across publishing, public, not-for-profit, higher education and research sectors.
When did engagement become the only metric of success?
I couldn’t help but wonder… what if not everyone wants to be engaged – and that’s actually okay?
As communicators, we’re told to chase engagement like it’s the Holy Grail. We pivot, we research, we reframe. We become amateur anthropologists, chasing the elusive “hard-to-reach” like they’re a mythical beast hiding behind the TikTok algorithm or under a pile of outdated intranet posts.
But what if someone doesn’t want to be reached?
I once spent hours crafting the perfect response to a known online troll – nuanced, empathetic, evidence-based. I thought I was opening a door. But it turned out I was boxing shadows. No interest in a dialogue. No question asked. Just noise and projection. The truth is, not every reader is a reader.
Not every disengaged person is waiting to be enlightened. Some have already decided. Others just want to provoke, not participate. And maybe, just maybe, our energy is better spent somewhere else. On the quietly curious. The neutral. The on-the-fence people who haven’t slammed the door, they’ve just cracked the window. Those are the people who might lean in – if you offer them something meaningful.
So here’s to being brave enough not to chase every comment. To listen for real signals, not just reacting to volume. And remember: engagement is a two-way street, not a one-person show.
Susan Blain is a seasoned communications and engagement strategist with over 30 years’ experience spanning the legal sector, academic research, and the not-for-profit space. As Director of Susan Blain Consulting and former Head of Engagement at ANU Enterprise, she specialises in positioning complex ideas for impact and enabling strategic growth through purposeful engagement.
Let's be honest —your audience is bored. And that stings, doesn't it?
We have all experienced it, sometimes the hard way. You’ve been doing this for years. Your content used to work. Your approach was solid. But now? Things have changed. Here’s the hard truth: it’s not them, it’s not you either. Well, both in most cases. Changes or adjustments should be in place to solve it.
First, accept the reality (even when it hurts)
The first step is admitting that what worked before isn’t working anymore. This hit me hard when I was working with rural communities in Cambodia. A campaign I rolled out in one village went well, but in another, nothing happened. Dead silence. What works for one group doesn’t automatically work for another, even when they seem similar on paper.
Sometimes, it is because your audience has changed, or their priorities have shifted. Their attention span may have evolved. And you? You kept doing the same thing, expecting different results. Well, it happens regularly though. That’s why we need to always keep ourselves on edge everyday.
Get brutally honest about what’s broken
It’s time for an audit but not the gentle kind because if it reaches this stage, it means your strategy and approach is in a bad way. Put on your harshest critic hat and tear your strategy apart. Look at every detail — your messaging, timing, channels, and even, your tone. Be mean to yourself here because sugar-coating won’t fix anything. Here’s what most people miss: don’t just audit your content. Audit your understanding of your audience. Who do you think they are versus who they actually are right now? I learned this lesson the hard way in Cambodia. Communities I thought I knew inside out had changed while I wasn’t paying attention.
Talk to your field team — the people face-to-face with your audience. They’ll tell you things your data never will. They see your audiences directly through their eyes, hear the real conversations, and feel the room’s energy. Use those insights. It won’t hurt your pride to ask about things you don’t clearly know. Accept that they might know about your audiences more than you even if they don’t come from the same industry.
Step back and reorganise
Sometimes you need to hit pause and ask: why are they disengaging? Is it because they’ve changed, or because you’ve gotten stale? Usually, it’s both. And please, don’t rely only on statistics. People are messy, complex, and contradictory. Your data might say they want one thing, but their behavior tells a different story. Mix your numbers with real human insights — surveys, conversations, observations. The magic happens when quantitative and qualitative data align.
Back to basics (because it works)
When all else fails, return to the fundamentals:
- Know who you’re talking to (really know them, not just their demographics)
- Know what you want to say (and why it matters to them, not you)
- Know what channels reach them (where they are, not where you think they should be)
- Know what response you want (be specific—awareness? action? engagement?)
- Know what keeps them coming back (what’s their “why” for staying connected?)
The truth is, engagement isn’t rocket science. It’s about genuine connection. When you truly understand your audience and speak to what matters most to them, they’ll listen. When you don’t, they’ll tune out. Your move!
Danhsipo An is a strategic communications professional with over eight years of experience across international organisations. He holds a Master of Communication (Marketing) from the University of Canberra, where he achieved multiple High Distinctions and was awarded the prestigious Australian Awards Scholarship by DFAT.
Sipo has led impactful communication campaigns and digital transformation projects for organisations including VVOB, CARE International, ActionAid, and BBC Media Action. His expertise spans multimedia content creation, stakeholder engagement, policy development support, and cross-cultural communication. He is passionate about using strategic communication to drive positive community outcomes and improve service accessibility through innovative approaches.
Begin at the end
Presentations
The best presenters I’ve come across have one thing in common – they go above and beyond to include the audience in their performance. And yes, I use the term performance, because let’s be honest – when done right, a presentation is a performance. It takes considerable thought, planning, research and practice to effortlessly deliver the goods. It’s always best to know your audience so you can tailor your presentation. However, sometimes understanding the needs of your audience isn’t fully possible until you’re in the room with them. Being flexible in approach (for example, injecting anecdotes relevant to your audience) is what sets great presenters apart.
Be relatable
Initially, it’s about drawing the audience in and having them lower their guard. Injecting humour can work a treat. Most times, it’s as simple as showing your audience who you are and explaining why you care about this topic. Being authentic is the key. If you know from the outset that the audience is in a state of disengagement, then acknowledging this can turn them towards you rather than further away.
For example, “I appreciate how difficult change within an organisation can be because I’ve been through several organisational changes throughout my career. I’ve experienced the emotional and mental challenges of this type of environment. I appreciate you turning up today, to listen, to engage with me, and to leave with an understanding of why this change is necessary.”
Set the expectation
How do you want your audience to be involved? Let them know you’ll be asking questions and you’re keen to hear their thoughts. Positive reinforcement can work well. For example, “That’s such a great question” or “That’s an interesting perspective, do others agree?”
For longer presentations like workshops, providing treats or having a gift voucher for the audience member that provides the most thoughtful insights (not the most talkative person) can keep your audience coming back for more.
Begin at the end
The crux of the presentation is where audiences often become disengaged. They may arrive willing to engage but if the structure of the presentation doesn’t keep them captivated, this is where it becomes undone.
So, start with the end in mind:
1.Why should the audience care? Provide the take-away first. Does this involve a new skill, process or knowledge? How will this make their life better?
2. What must the audience know? Think about how you’ll bring the learning to life through stories. Undertaking an activity, whether it’s talking to the person beside them, or thinking about a question raised and then asking for insight – are ways to reinforce learning.
3. Reiterate the knowledge the audience has acquired. Ensure your audience is clear about what they’ve learned. You could run a quiz. Include key take-aways at the beginning and end of the presentation.
Finally, when your audience shows-up, be grateful. A great performance is a two way process of engagement between the presenter and the audience. Thank them for their participation.
Barb Corapi is a communications specialist who loves to write. She works at the Australian National University where she collaborates with researchers, educators and students to create content that celebrates their achievements. She is also passionate about mental wellbeing, volunteering with and advocating for older adults.
Why did you lose them?
Understand the disengagement. Consider: was the audience engaged once? Why did you lose them? Was there an external impact? What else might be taking their attention? How do you know they are disengaged and what does this look like? What are the impacts? What are the impacts if you can’t re-engage?
Be clear on purpose and what’s in it for your audience. Why are you engaging this audience? Why does that purpose matter? Why does it matter to your audience? What’s in it for them? Is your purpose clear and how do you know?
Walk in their shoes, and keep walking until you’re running. From their shoe size to stride length to knee pain – you need to really know your audience and what it’s like to walk in their shoes. What motivates your audience? What matters to them? What do they prioritise and why? What are their challenges? What are their biases and blind spots?
Critically analyse your engagement approach. Are your messages clear? Are you reinforcing with consistency? Have you considered different audience member needs? Have you used all engagement avenues? What else can you try (e.g. something novel or something more traditional that could be dusted off)? Do you have the timing right and what else might be crowding in or saturating?
Be creative and not stop trying. If what you’ve tried hasn’t worked, try something new. Every new attempt — a success or failure — is an opportunity to learn something new about your audience. If your engagement is important and you’re clear on your purpose (as above), stay focused on this goal. It may take time, but it will be worth it in the end.
Sarah Gibbons is a dedicated and passionate communication and engagement professional, with wide-ranging expertise leading communication initiatives across the Australian Public Service.
Don't be afraid to break patterns
To engage a disengaged audience, begin by understanding why they’ve tuned out. It could be message fatigue, irrelevant content, poor timing, or simply too much noise. Take the time to listen through feedback, data or direct conversations. Then, refine your message. Keep it clear, direct and focused on what matters to them. Segment your audience and personalise your approach, not just by name, but by what they care about. Meet them where they are, not where you want to be — it’s important that you choose the right channels. Make sure your strategy is evidence based, which makes groundwork a must.
Once you have done that, don’t be afraid to break patterns. Sometimes you have to follow the unconventional way. Don’t be shy about testing. Sometimes, switching things up helps such as replacing polished content with a raw, unfiltered voice. Use real stories, visuals, or case studies to build authenticity and trust. Invite participation for co-designed events. Make space for two-way conversations through comments, polls, or honest Q&As. People engage more when they feel heard. Keep testing different formats and track what works.
Engagement won’t return overnight but when you stay consistent and human in your approach, trust and attention will follow.
As a marketing and communications professional, Anjali Srivastava has extensive experience building and scaling effective marketing programs within leading tech organisations, spanning semiconductor, SaaS, open-source, and location data domains.
Throughout her corporate journey, she spearheaded numerous strategic inbound and outbound marketing initiatives including creating and implementing strategies to optimise ROI, drive demand generation, and elevate corporate profiles.
Create the environment for meaningful dialogue
I love this question! It’s a genuine dilemma that we grapple with from time to time. And it’s not limited to those of us in marketing and communication alone —- anyone, regardless of industry, role or seniority, can face a disengaged audience. It’s also an issue of rising importance in today’s increasingly distracted world.
So, what’s the answer? Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix. Disengagement can stem from many different causes, which means we need to stay open, present and curious in order to understand how best to engage our audience every single time.
As a communicator, I believe it’s my responsibility to be intentional about both my message and my audience. I must consider not just what I deliver but how I do so. I must be willing to make the effort and stay committed. It’s easy to focus on the communication activity itself at times, it may feel good to tick those boxes. But outcomes are the end goal. Am I achieving what I set out to do? Am I getting the results I’m aiming for? Am I willing to adapt or adjust? Am I giving this the time and space it needs?
Stepping into the shoes of my audience, seeing things from their perspective, and considering the broader implications of their views — this takes time, effort, and real determination.
I’m not simply broadcasting a message; I am looking for dialogue, and to do this, I need to create the right environment — one that encourages open, meaningful conversation. This means considering time (and other) constraints, levels of interest, potential distractions, and the resources I have available. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. I have to be agile and responsive — and, above all, open and curious about what truly matters to my audience. There’s the conversation we’re having, and then there’s the unspoken dynamic in the room — both can shift the narrative. I cannot be blinkered.
Communication is hardly ever easy. Even with the best of intentions and effort, there’s a risk that efforts to influence expectation, outcome, decisions or more may not succeed. But I also know that if I remain committed to the desired outcomes, stay open to engagement, and am willing to adapt my approach to suit the audience and context, there’s a possibility that I can make a real impact. Ultimately, it comes down to how I define success here.
President of the IABC Canberra Chapter, Rowena Morais is a brand positioning and communication specialist. The Founder and Managing Director of Digital Confluence, she helps small business owners identify and position their business’s unique value with clarity and confidence. In addition to taking on work as a Fractional Chief Content Officer, Rowena is a legal writer and an employability trainer and assessor.
Connection before content
When eyes glaze over, it’s rarely because the content is weak—it’s because the human connection is missing. I’m passionate about the H2H (human-to-human) approach that treats connection not as a ‘nice to have’ but as a core leadership value. When people feel seen, heard and genuinely cared for, curiosity returns, energy lifts, and performance follows.
Whether it’s a team navigating change, a leader delivering tough news, or a group stuck in silos, starting with “connection before content” matters. A quick moment of curiosity, personal reflection, or shared vulnerability can shift the emotional climate of a room. The science is simple: oxytocin rises, psychological safety expands, and engagement reignites. In practice, it reminds us that caring isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic one that drives trust, motivation and long-term results.
Across the many teams I’ve worked with—whether in private, government, or not-for-profit settings—the most consistent feedback is never just about the tools or frameworks. It’s about the moment someone felt seen. In fact, after countless workshops and leadership sessions, the most common highlights are the same: “I loved hearing other people’s stories,” “It reminded me I’m not alone,” “I finally spoke to someone from another team.” In one session with a cross-functional leadership group in Canberra, I ran a short “connection before content” activity asking participants to share one challenge they were currently navigating. What began as a quick warm-up turned into a powerful reminder of shared humanity—people discovered common struggles, offered support, and even set up follow-up coffees. One participant said, “This was the first time I’ve felt like I’m part of a real leadership team, not just a role in a hierarchy.”
The takeaway? When we create space for curiosity and authentic connection, we don’t just break silos—we build trust, engagement, and belonging. And that’s the foundation for any meaningful workplace transformation.
Mariana Marcano Franco is an award-winning employee change management and leadership development consultant with over 17 years of experience across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. She has partnered with leading organisations such as Amazon, BHP Group, Coles, and Commonwealth Bank, as well as Australian Government departments including Defence, Attorney-General’s, Social Services, and the Electoral Commission to drive meaningful transformation.
With a Level 2 organisational coaching certification (IECL), and recognition as Entrepreneur of the Year 2025, Mariana helps leaders and teams navigate complex transitions with clarity and confidence. Her human-centred approach fosters trust, engagement, and long-term success in dynamic environments.
Let your narrative guide content delivery
Engaging with a disengaged audience starts by understanding what no longer captures their attention. However, in today’s world of information overload, capturing attention is no longer enough; you must also create emotional connections. Reigniting engagement begins with a clear concept and powerful narrative that is emotionally resonant, simple, and memorable. That shapes how your audience perceives and remembers your brand or company.
Emotions are crucial for engagement, as they drive actions such as sharing and commenting. Remember that if your audience doesn’t feel something, they are less likely to become engaged with your service or product. Your narrative should guide your content delivery.
Consider the best format to evoke emotions—whether it’s a short video, infographic, or meme—and ensure that the message remains cohesive across platforms.
Lastly, monitor engagement and refine your messaging and platforms as needed. Effective campaigns require a deep understanding of your audience. What resonates in one location or community may not in another, so cultural sensitivity is vital. Your campaign should evolve and grow with the communities it aims to serve.
Carmin Romero is a marketing and communications professional with over 15 years of experience. She specialises in digital strategy, brand positioning, reputation management and storytelling, with a strong focus on market insights, process optimisation, and customer-centric strategies.
Carmin is experienced in visual storytelling, with a background in multimedia content, web series, and film production. A film she produced has received international recognition and was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival.