Content for everyone? You mean content for no one.

As a marketer I hear it all the time.

We’re discussing new content ideas with business partners and subject matter experts, and I ask a simple question: “who is this content primarily intended for?”

Then comes the dreaded answer: “everyone.”

Because the simple truth is that when you try to aim for everything, you’re unlikely to hit anything. (See my full marketing archery analogy.)

Different audiences have different baseline knowledge, different pain points, and use different vocabulary. The most effective salespeople understand this instinctively, adapting their message to whomever they’re speaking to. Yet many organizations abandon that understanding when discussing marketing content.

A conversation with an individual investor may cover balancing risk and reward. The same general discussion with an advisor may focus on standard deviation and up/down capture over a 10-20 year time horizon. With an analyst that discussion may be about max drawdown in certain market conditions over multiple decades.

That doesn’t even begin to cover regional differences and the importance of localization -not just translation.

Just as you would never record a sales conversation with an individual investor and play it for an analyst expecting it to hit home, content must also be tailored to draw the audience in to a deeper level of engagement.

Where to begin: Clarify the audience and intent.

While there may be opportunities to target additional audiences, start by thoroughly mapping one.

·      If you could only target one audience segment, who would it be?

·      Why is that audience the most important to reach?

·      What do you want to achieve from an internal perspective? (Bonus: how would this outcome help drive the larger business goals for the year.)

·      What is the pain point or need that we’re helping the target audience address and why do they/should they care?

·      What is the one key takeaway you want them to get from this content? If they’re telling a colleague about it, what would you hope they say?

·      Once they engage, what’s the next thing you want them to do?

·      Based on the compliance approvals, are there any restrictions on the promotional channels we can use? (For example, a piece approved for financial professionals only may not be permitted to appear on an ungated website or social channel.)

Once these questions are answered, marketing can make an informed recommendation on content format(s) and promotional channels for the content, as well as any keywords or phrases to support traditional search and AI-driven discoverability.

Because even great content fails if it never reaches the audience.

Where to go next: Expanding to additional audiences

Once you’ve calibrated for your primary target, explore what adjustments could make the content work for more.

·      Are there different compliance considerations for this audience? The standards and disclosure requirements for a financial professional audience may be very different than an individual investor audience.

·      Is the primary point the same? If not, that audience probably needs a different piece of content.

·      Are the proof points still relevant and persuasive?

·      Do you need to use different data sets to make the same case?

·      Do you need to adjust the tone, terminology, or level of detail?

·      Are the promotional channels different for this audience?

These adjustments may seem minor, but they can dramatically improve how the content resonates with the audience.

The goal isn’t just to create more content. It’s to create meaningful, relevant pieces that entice your clients and prospects to take action. When a clearly defined audience drives your content strategy, decisions around messaging, format, and distribution become easier—and the content itself becomes far more likely to achieve its intended outcome.

So, the next time someone suggests a piece of content for “everyone”, challenge them to start with just one audience. Pick your target, select the right arrow, and aim for a bullseye.