I thought I had a brilliant business idea.
Back when I was an estate agent, I launched this side hustle of an online platform connecting people with accountability buddies.
Someone to keep you on track with your goals.
The first few signups were exactly what I’d imagined.
Business owners wanting to scale.
People working on self-development.
Then something really weird happened.
We got flooded, and I mean absolutely flooded with applications from grown adults addicted to My Little Pony.
The cartoon show. Made for little girls. About horses.
They all wanted accountability buddies to help them beat their addiction.
I’m not making this up.
Our platform, which I’d envisioned as this hub for ambitious people, had somehow become the unofficial support group for ‘Bronies’ (The official name for them) trying to quit.
Here’s what happened:
When I looked back at our marketing, I realised we’d made the fatal mistake.
We’d said our service was “for everyone.”
We didn’t specify who we actually wanted to help. We cast the widest possible net, thinking more people meant more customers.
Instead, we attracted… well, exactly the wrong people.
Here’s the brutal truth about your content right now:
You’re probably making the same mistake I did.
You’re trying to speak to everyone, so you end up speaking to no one.
Or worse, you attract people who’ll never buy from you, never refer you, never become the clients that make your business thrive.
Every time you sit down to post on social media, you face these choices:
- Write something generic that could apply to anyone
- Write something so specific that your ideal client thinks, “This is exactly what I needed to hear today.”
Most people choose generic.
Because specific feels scary.
What if you alienate someone? What if you narrow your audience too much?
Think about it.
When you go to the doctor with a broken arm, do you want to see a “general wellness practitioner who helps everyone with everything”?
Or do you want the orthopaedic surgeon who fixes broken bones all day long?
Before you write your next post, do this:
Picture one actual person.
Give them a name in your head. Sarah. Marcus. Whatever.
But make them real.
- What’s their biggest frustration right now?
- What keeps them up at 2am scrolling their phone instead of sleeping?
- What have they already tried that didn’t work?
Now create for that person. Only that person.
Will it resonate with others? Absolutely. Because your “Sarah” isn’t unique, there are thousands of Sarahs out there with the same problem.
But when you write to everyone, you’re writing to no one.
Before you post anything this week, name your ideal client. Out loud if you need to.
Then ask yourself:
“Is this speaking to [name]?
Would [name] stop scrolling for this?”
If the answer is no, redo it..
This quick task will revolutionise your content moving forward
Talk soon
Chris