Stop Posting for Everyone: How Understanding Your Audience Leads to Better Content

If your content feels scattered, it’s probably not a content problem; it’s a clarity problem.

When you try to speak to everyone, your message ends up connecting with no one. As small business owners, we often juggle multiple audiences:

B2B Business to Business

• Potential clients 
• Clients 
• Referral partners/connectors
• Peers/collaborators 
• Vendors

B2C Business to Consumer

• Buyers – Clients and Potential Clients
• Community Builders – Fans – Followers 
• Advocates – Referral Partners – Vendors  

Non-Profits 

• Donors – Current and Potential 
• Volunteers – Ambassadors – Members
• Benefactors – Those you serve
• Partners – Collaborators 
• General Public – Future supporters 

The secret to creating content that resonates isn’t trying to reach them all at once. It’s knowing who you’re talking to right now and tailoring your message so it feels personal, relevant, and authentic.

Start with Who You’re Talking To

Your target audience is not “everyone who might need my service.” It’s a specific group of people who are most likely to connect with what you offer and how you deliver it. It feels like there isn’t anything unique or revolutionary anymore….so what makes what you do or offer different? What is the differentiating factor that separates you from all the other businesses?

Each audience you serve has unique goals, frustrations, and motivations. When you identify who you’re writing or speaking to, your content begins to sound like a conversation instead of a broadcast.

And if you serve multiple audiences? That’s completely normal, and ideal! The key is to focus on one audience at a time. A post written for your customers will sound different than one written for your referral partners or donors. The more specific your message, the stronger your connection.

Then Decide What You’re Talking About

Once you know who you’re speaking to, the next step is defining what you want to say.

These become your content pillars, the main themes or talking points that define your message and guide everything you post or add to your digital content like your website or newsletter.

Your content pillars act as the structure behind your marketing, keeping your message clear and consistent. Instead of asking “What should I post today?”, you’ll be asking “Which pillar am I focusing on this week?”

It’s a simple shift that changes everything about how you create content.

Why This Matters

When your audience focus and content pillars align, your marketing becomes more than just a to-do list; it becomes intentional, more authentic, and more welcoming.

You stop guessing what to say.
You stop chasing trends that don’t fit your brand.
You start communicating with purpose.

The result? Better engagement, stronger relationships, and more sales that come from genuine connection.

Take the Next Step

If this approach sounds like the structure you’ve been missing, my Back to Basics Course walks you through it step-by-step. You’ll identify your target audience, define your content pillars, and learn how to create messaging that connects and converts, without the stress of overthinking what to post next.

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If you’d like support putting this framework into action, you don’t have to do it alone. Inside the Small Biz Marketing Collective, I provide step-by-step guidance, live workshops, and a supportive community to help you create messaging that connects and marketing that works. It’s the ongoing support system many solopreneurs and small business owners are missing.

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Small business success isn’t built on clever pitches or aggressive sales tactics. It’s built on relationships. When people feel understood, cared for, and valued, they buy…and they keep buying.

So the next time you meet with a customer, remember: listen first, connect second, and follow up always. Focus on the relationship, and you’ll discover that sales aren’t something you have to chase. They’re the natural outcome of trust.