How to Target Your Audience in Content Distribution

A hidden shift is transforming LinkedIn. 83% of users haven't noticed it THE END OF BROADCAST CONTENT For years, LinkedIn success meant one thing: broadcasting content to as many people as possible. Grow your network. Maximize reach. Chase viral posts That era is ending THE DATA SIGNALS Over the past 6 months, I've tracked metrics across 50+ LinkedIn accounts (combined following: 1.2M+) The pattern is clear • Broadcast content: Declining engagement (-32% YoY) • Narrowcast content: Rising engagement (+47% YoY) This shift reveals a fundamental evolution in how the platform works WHAT IS NARROWCASTING? Narrowcasting means creating content for a specific, well-defined segment of your audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone The broadcast approach says: "How can I reach the most people?" The narrowcast approach asks: "How can I reach exactly the right people?" WHY THIS MATTERS NOW Three forces are accelerating this shift: (1) Algorithm Evolution - LinkedIn now prioritizes "meaningful interactions" over pure engagement volume. Content that generates deep engagement from a relevant audience outperforms content with shallow engagement from a broad audience (2) Content Saturation - Users see 5,300+ monthly posts (up 41% since 2023). Generic content gets lost in this flood (3) Attention Fragmentation - Decision-makers have developed better filters. General business advice no longer breaks through THE NARROWCASTING FRAMEWORK To implement narrowcasting on LinkedIn: (1) Audience Segmentation - Divide your audience into specific sub-groups based on industry, role, challenges, or business model (2) Segment Selection - Choose ONE segment to address in each piece of content (3) Specificity Optimization - Use language, examples, and data points that only resonate with your chosen segment (4) Intentional Exclusion - Deliberately exclude other segments through your framing. Ex. For SaaS founders only: A retention strategy that doesn't work for ecommerce (5) Depth Over Breadth - Explore one specific challenge/solution deeply rather than covering multiple topics superficially REAL-WORLD RESULTS Clients implementing this approach are seeing: • 3.2× higher comment-to-view ratio • 4.7× increase in relevant inbound messages • 68% higher conversion rate from connection to conversation All with SMALLER reach numbers THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE When someone feels content was created specifically for them, they're more likely to engage. Narrowcasting triggers the "this is for me" response in your ideal audience PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION In your next LinkedIn post: • Name your specific audience in the first line • Address one specific challenge they face • Use industry terms only they would understand • Include metrics/examples relevant only to their context • Ask questions only they can answer The future LinkedIn winners will have smaller, more engaged audiences They'll trade vanity metrics for meaningful connections What do you think?

Are you speaking to the right buying committee member in your marketing and sales content? Recently, Hassan S. Ali asked me about different content touchpoints and WHO each should target. Here's my take for sales-led B2B companies: Your website homepage → Target your Champion Make it crystal clear how you solve their daily pain points. Give them the ammunition they need to sell internally. Top of funnel content → Champion territory Blog posts, guides, social content––all should speak directly to your champion's challenges and aspirations. This is where you build trust. Product pages → Focus on Champion + Users Champions need clear benefits they can communicate upward. Users need to see exactly how it'll make their life easier. Support articles → User focus Keep it practical and actionable. Users want clear steps and quick solutions, not marketing speak. Pricing page → Speak to Champion + Executive Champions want value-based pricing. Executives need clear ROI justification. Case studies → Tailor for Champion + Executive Skip the feature talk. Show the business impact in real numbers. Make it impossible to ignore the transformation. Live demos → Champion + Users This is where you prove it all works. Show champions the strategic value. Show users how simple it is to use. QBRs → Executive attention Focus on performance insights and business impact. This is where you plant expansion seeds. The key? Every touchpoint needs a clear primary audience. Don't try to make every piece of content work for everyone. It's better to be incredibly relevant to one persona than slightly relevant to all. What would you change about this list?

my competitor and i launched identical linkedin campaigns. same budget, same audience, same product category. i crushed him 8:1 on deal conversion. he was confident going into the test. better product. stronger brand recognition. more funding. bigger team. we both targeted VPs of sales at 500+ person companies. same demographic criteria. same ad creative quality. $10K budget each. month one results: me: 47 deals closed. him: 6 deals closed. he was convinced i got lucky with better prospects. "let me see your targeting strategy," he asked. i pulled up my dashboard. "i don't target demographics at all." "what do you mean? you're running linkedin ads." "i target behaviors." i showed him my approach: instead of job titles, i track content consumption. instead of company size, i monitor website journeys. instead of industry filters, i watch engagement patterns. "i built an audience of people who've consumed competitor content in the last 30 days. downloaded sales automation guides. attended webinars about pipeline management. visited pricing pages of tools like ours." my "audience" wasn't demographic. it was behavioral. "linkedin lets you upload custom audiences," i explained. "i upload lists of people who've shown buying behavior. then i target those lists with ads." he was targeting people who might need our product. i was targeting people actively shopping for our product. "how do you identify buying behavior?" he asked. "third-party intent data. website pixel tracking. content engagement scoring. competitor analysis tools." i showed him my process: week 1: identify companies researching sales tools. week 2: find individuals at those companies consuming content. week 3: build custom audiences from behavioral data. week 4: launch ads to pre-qualified prospects. "demographics tell you who someone is," i said. "behavior tells you what they're doing." he was advertising to VPs of sales. i was advertising to VPs of sales currently shopping for solutions. same title, completely different mindset. my prospects were already in buying mode. his were just scrolling linkedin. the conversion difference made perfect sense. he rebuilt his entire approach: behavioral targeting instead of demographic filtering. intent data instead of job title assumptions. shopping behavior instead of profile characteristics. next month's results for him: 52 deals closed. 9x improvement over his original campaign. the lesson was clear: demographics describe who people are. behavior reveals what people need. target the behavior.

‼️If you’re posting content on LinkedIn to drive attention for your B2B brand, you’re doing it wrong. Here’s why—content doesn’t generate attention. Engagement does. Most B2B marketers focus on what to post, but the real question is: Where should you engage? Add to that - Who should you engage with? And what should you say? A targeted engagement strategy isn’t about random commenting or mass DMs—it’s about being intentional with where you show up and how. Here’s how to decide what to do: ▫️Define Your Engagement Zones Not all conversations are worth your time. Identify where your ideal audience is already active—specific influencers, niche industry discussions, or customer pain-point posts. A simple way? Search your target industry’s hashtags and filter by ‘Recent’ to find where real conversations are happening right now. ▫️Reverse Engineer Your Buyer’s Journey Ask yourself: What does my ideal client see before they find me? Are they following specific thought leaders? Engaging in certain industry debates? Complaining about a common problem? Track these patterns—then position yourself in those conversations before they need you. ▫️Set an Engagement Priority List Engagement isn’t a free-for-all. Rank your targets: 🔸Tier 1: Potential customers 🔸Tier 2: Industry influencers 🔸Tier 3: Key referral partners Allocate time accordingly. Your Tier 1 audience should get direct interactions, while Tier 2 & 3 should see regular touchpoints to build long-term visibility. The goal? Be seen in the right places, by the right people, at the right time. Strategy isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what actually moves the needle. Your thoughts?

Most marketers get this wrong: they think they should have one target audience. They shouldn’t. Take Peloton. Who is their audience? "People who want to work out at home"? Too broad. "Fitness enthusiasts"? Not specific enough. Peloton doesn’t have one target audience. Because the best marketers think in 5 levels of audience, depending on the need. Here’s how each one works for Peloton: 1. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. This informs the direction of your long-term strategy, shaping product development, expansion plans, and brand positioning. For Peloton, for example, this is the entire at-home fitness market, which informs decisions such as expanding beyond bikes into treadmills, rowing machines, and even strength training. 2. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫. This defines your value proposition and the choices you make to deliver it. It influences features, pricing, and the overall experience. For Peloton, these are high-income professionals who value convenience and community, which leads to value prop components that include live and in-store classes, premium hardware, and a strong brand image. 3. 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭. This determines how you talk about your product. It tailors messaging to different customer needs and objections. For Peloton, this means crafting different messages for busy executives (workout efficiency), new parents (flexibility), and ex-gym-goers (competitive training), all within that high-income professional market. 4. 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧. This dictates where you invest in attention. It prioritizes channels, placements, and creative strategies. For Peloton, this is people actively searching for "best home exercise bike", rather than just general fitness enthusiasts. 5. 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭. This decides when and how you engage. It helps match content to the right moment: brand-building for early-stage buyers, conversion-focused ads for those ready to purchase. For Peloton, this means running educational content for people researching and direct-response ads for those closer to buying. Most companies fail because they collapse these layers into one. The best brands don’t speak to just one audience. They layer these targets to control the narrative and own the market. If your marketing isn’t working, the problem might not be a message problem but a targeting problem.

The Perfect Ad Creative Framework 8-Figure Brands Are Using in 2025... Our proprietary methodology - tested across dozens of D2C brands with millions in spend→ The 6Layer Creative Methodology: 1. Start With Audience (The Who) Beyond demographics, understand: • Market awareness level (Unaware → Problem Aware → Solution Aware → Product Aware → Most Aware) • Market sophistication (solutions they've tried before) • Psychographics, behaviors and funnel stage Best sources: Customer reviews, forums, direct conversations with customers. → Example: A skincare brand targets differently based on how many acne solutions the customer has tried before - awareness and sophistication determine messaging. 2. Define Your Core Offer (The What) Position your product based on their awareness: • Match their sophistication level • Focus on transformation, not features • Bridge the gap between current and desired state → For unaware customers: Educational bundles that introduce your solution → For sophisticated customers: Advanced products with unique differentiation 3. Determine Your Emotional Angle (The Why) There are 10 core buying emotions that drive most purchases - identify which 2-3 matter most for your specific audience, here are a few: • Feeling Security   • Feeling Belonging • Self-Actualizing Pair the desired emotion with your offer to naturally create an angle that shows your audience why it matters to them. The emotional angle connects your offer to deeper motivations - it's why someone truly buys. → Example: Premium cookware sells pride of mastery and joy of providing, not just pots. 4. Develop Your Creative Concept (How the Angle is Communicated) This is where you wrap your emotional angle in a compelling package that: → Creates pattern interrupt without confusing the audience → Delivers your emotional angle with clarity → Makes your offer feel inevitable Your concept must captivate while maintaining clarity. → Example: Dollar Shave Club's "Our Blades Are F***ing Great" concept. This triggers the male target's desired emotion of achievement and pride, granting them the opportunity to realize it through a purchase of the razor. 5. Tap Into Cultural Moments (The When) Connect your message to what's happening in your audience's world: • Seasonality relevant to your product • Social narratives your audience cares about • Cultural conversations they're already having This amplifies relevance by making your message feel timely and important. It's also a great way to reuse old offers and angles—just pair it with a new moment. 6. Production Quality & Style (The Wrapping Paper) Finally, decide on execution quality that reinforces your positioning: • Format: Video, photo, carousel, animation? • Quality level: High-production, UGC, in-house? • Aesthetic: Minimal, bold, authentic, premium? Each layer builds on and strengthens the previous one. When campaigns underperform, analyze which layer disconnected rather than starting over.

Founder: “Why is no one paying attention to my content?” Me: “Because you're not playing to how people actually think.” Grabbing attention isn’t about just throwing facts at people. It’s about understanding how their brains are wired. And it all comes down to 8 mental shortcuts people take: 1. Primacy Effect: The first thing they see sticks like a bad haircut. If you don’t hook them at the start, forget about the rest. Start strong, or don’t bother starting at all. Example: Kick off with a statement that makes them sit up: “Most businesses fail because they miss this one critical strategy.” 2. Anchoring Bias: The first piece of info sets the tone. Everything else gets compared to it. Give them a stat or a fact that’s so bold it’s impossible to ignore. Example: “The average response rate to cold emails is 2%. But we hit 30%. Here’s how.” 3. Scarcity Effect: If it’s rare, it’s valuable. Tell people there’s only a few spots left, and they’ll knock down the door to get in. Example: “This offer is only available to the first 10 people—don’t miss out!” 4. Social Proof: People are sheep. If they see others doing it, they’ll follow. Show them everyone’s on board, and they’ll want in. Example: “Join 10,000+ others who’ve already mastered this technique.” 5. Loss Aversion: People hate losing more than they love winning. Make them feel like they’re about to miss something critical. Example: “Without this, you’re leaving money on the table—guaranteed.” 6. Curiosity Gap: Tease them just enough to leave them craving more. It’s like showing a kid a wrapped present and telling them they can’t open it. Example: “What’s the one thing top performers do that you’re not?” 7. Framing Effect: It’s all in how you spin it. Make your solution the hero of the story, and they’ll eat it up. Example: “Struggling with low engagement? Here’s how top brands are crushing it.” 8. Authority Bias: Drop a big name or a trusted source, and people will take notice. Everyone loves a recommendation from the top. Example: “As recommended by Justin Welsh…” So, how do you weave all these into your content? Simple: - Make the first sentence a knockout punch to grab attention - Lead with a bold claim that makes them think twice - Highlight your offer's scarcity - Share quantified, concrete case studies for FOMO. - Piggyback off experts' authority to back your point of view. The outcome? - More eyeballs on your posts. - More followers. - More engagement. - More deals closed. - More money in your pocket. When in doubt, remember your audience consists of humans.

Struggling to get results from your content? Many marketers waste resources on multiple channels. Remember: Marketing is not about the channels. It's about understanding your audience! Here's how to make the shift: 1. Prioritize Your Audience: The audience is the key to success, not the channel. Example: Instead of just posting on every social media platform, identify where your audience spends their time. 2. Create Relevant Content: Develop content that caters to their needs and interests. Example: If your audience is interested in DIY projects, create how-to videos or guides that resonate with them. 3. Analyze Behavior: Use data to understand their preferences. Example: Check which blog posts get the most views and engagement, and create more content around those topics. 4. Nurture Relationships: Focus on delivering value and building connections. Example: Engage with your audience by responding to comments and asking for feedback on your content. 5. Use Channels as Tools: Remember, channels are just tools for reaching your audience. Example: Use email marketing to share exclusive content with your most engaged followers. Stop wasting resources on channels that aren't working. Shift your focus to your audience, and watch your marketing efforts flourish! By putting your audience first, you’ll improve engagement and drive conversions. What are your audience-centric marketing tips? Share in the comments! 👇

Even award-winning packaging fails to convert. Think, Tropicana redesign in 2009 that cost them 30-million in sales in 2 months. 🤯 Why do some 'great' packaging designs fail, while others—often seen as less impressive—become iconic? The key is... 👉 Psychological triggers. This 3-part series breaks down our core approach to packaging design that not only wins awards but delivers actual sales. ---- ⚡️ Part 1: Do you really know your target consumer? 🎯 ---- Whether you're designing for a niche brand or a large-scale enterprise, the first step to creating impactful packaging is truly understanding your audience. It’s more than demographics; it's about tapping into who they are at their core—their lifestyle, values, and purchasing drivers. Many overlook this step or avoid asking the hard questions, but if you want your design to succeed, this is where it all begins. Here’s how to use your target audience as your north star for brand and packaging design: 👉 Demographics: - Age range: Are we designing for Gen Z, Millennials, or Baby Boomers? Different generations respond to different visual cues. - Identity/Gender: How does your consumer identify, and how does that shape their product choices? - Location: Are they based in urban centers, suburban areas, or rural communities? This impacts both design and distribution. - Income level & Education: These factors influence their purchasing power and how they perceive value. 👉 Psychographics: - Values & Beliefs: What are the principles they hold close? Sustainability, inclusivity, luxury—these can drive decision-making. - Hobbies & Interests: What are their passions? Fitness, gaming, wellness, art, etc.? - Media Consumption: Where do they spend time—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, Reddit? - Communication Preferences: Do they prefer learning about new products through influencers, direct emails, or social recommendations? 👉 Cultural and Social Trends: - Cultural Movements: Is your audience driven by movements like sustainability, diversity, or mental health awareness? - Community Engagement: What communities or social causes are they passionate about? Does your brand authentically resonate with those values? 🤔 Wait! This post didn't even talk about design!? And that's the reality: ✅ Great design starts with understanding and insight ❌ Not color pallet and form factor. Understanding the “who,” “where,” and “why” of your audience gives what you will design the best chance at successfully converting. 🔥 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into how to gain an advantage over your competitors. #PackagingDesign #BrandStrategy #Design #Retail #MarketingTips

I've said this to 3 founders this morning alone: Don't be afraid to go narrow. To gain early traction, going broad to many personas + multiple use cases doesn't work—except in very rare cases. How do you go narrow with a marketing "wedge"? 1. 🧀 Find your "wedge": Find audience segments and/or use cases where your product delivers a 10x better experience. Focus most of your marketing efforts on this—even if your product is horizontal. 2. 🕵♂️ Identify all of your prospects in this wedge: Get as many accounts as possible into your CRM, and systematically try to get in front of them. With a narrowed down TAM and modern tools, this is fairly easy. 3. 🎓 Become a subject matter expert–or find subject matter experts you can lean on: Create “fuel” (aka content) that’s specific to your wedge—think templates, no-code tools, or good old-fashioned thought leadership and enablement content. 4. 🎯 Reach your wedge in targeted ways: • Outbound: Send thoughtful, targeted outbound with value-add content that speaks to the specific pain. • Inbound: With highly-relevant, researched content it’s much easier to attract an audience to your website and convert these visitors. • Ecosystem: With a clear wedge, It’s easier to find communities, service providers, integration partners, etc. who have 1:many relationships with your audience. 5. 📈 Tailor your website, sales enablement content, onboarding, in-product experience to your wedge. Your conversion rates should be higher than they would be with a horizontal GTM approach. 6. 🏁 Expand from your initial wedge—and don’t wait too long: As you're targeting your initial audience segment and use cases, be careful not to get stuck. Without losing focus on your starting point, be planning your next move(s)—and how you'll leverage your initial wedge to get to your next segment. —— 💬 Using a wedge marketing strategy? Would love to hear about it in the comments. ⬇ For more on the wedge marketing strategy, check out last week's MKT1 newsletter, link in comments. ❓ Also - for our next newsletter, we are running an AI survey, link in comments to take the survey!