Still Struggling to Create Clear Content? You Might Not Know Who You’re Talking To

We've explored one of the most common reasons B2C marketing efforts fall flat: a lack of clarity in your content. When your message isn’t clear, it doesn’t matter how often you post or how many people see it; your audience won’t engage, and your offers won’t convert.

But clarity in content doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

It starts with something much more fundamental: clarity about your customer.

One of the most overlooked, yet super important, elements in any marketing strategy is knowing exactly who you're speaking to. And I don’t just mean having a rough idea of your “target market” or a generic customer profile buried in a brand doc. I’m talking about truly understanding your customer. Knowing what they care about, what they’re struggling with, and why they’d choose your offer over any other option out there.

And when that piece is missing? Your marketing gets stuck. Your content becomes vague. Your offers lose impact.

However, this doesn't mean you’re failing; you’re just trying to connect with someone you haven’t clearly defined yet.

Let’s fix that.

Why Understanding Your Customer Is the First Step Toward Clearer Content

Imagine trying to write a birthday card to someone you’ve never met. You don’t know what they like, how old they are, what they’re celebrating, or how they feel about birthdays in general. You’ll probably end up writing something safe, generic, and, if we’re honest, a little forgettable.

That’s exactly what happens when we try to create content without a clear picture of who it’s for.

When you know your customer inside out, your message becomes focused, relevant, and intentional. You're not just shouting into the void; you’re speaking directly to the person who needs to hear it most. That’s when content starts to resonate. That’s when it becomes effective.

What Happens When You Don’t Really Know Who You’re Speaking To?

If your audience feels vague, your content will follow suit. And even though your offer might be excellent, it won't reach the people who actually need it.

Here are some of the most common signs that your customer understanding needs work:

• Your content sounds generic or inconsistent from one post to the next

• You struggle to write captions or web copy that feels “right”

• You attract leads who aren’t a good fit or who ghost after the first inquiry

• You default to listing features because you're not sure what benefits really matter

• You’re unsure how to position your product because the value isn’t crystal clear

  
  

Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Defining Their Ideal Customer

Many business owners assume they already know their ideal customer. After all, you know who’s bought from you, right? But there’s a big difference between knowing someone bought from you and understanding why they did.

Some common missteps I see when working with small businesses include:

Defining customers only by demographics

Age, gender, and location might help you segment ads, but they won’t tell you what truly motivates someone to buy. Two women in their 30s living in Dublin could be worlds apart in what they value and how they make decisions.

Trying to appeal to everyone

If your message tries to speak to “anyone who might need X”, it won’t feel specific or relevant to anyone in particular. It’s far more effective to speak directly to one type of person and let others self-select in.

Assuming there’s only one ideal customer

Even if you offer one product or service, your customers might buy it for different reasons. A first-time buyer and a loyal repeat customer could be solving completely different problems. If you try to group them together, you risk speaking to neither effectively.

Guessing instead of asking

This is the big one. Too often, businesses build entire campaigns based on what they think their audience cares about, without actually talking to them. The best insights usually come from real conversations, past inquiries, feedback forms, and reviews.

How to Get Clearer on Your Ideal Customer

So, how do you move from a vague audience profile to a deep, practical understanding of the people you’re trying to reach? You can start by looking at your business from two angles: the problem you solve and the people who already buy from you.

Start with the transformation

Forget features for a second. What outcome do you create for your customers? Do you help them save time, feel confident, get organised, improve their health, or simplify their life? When you know the “after” someone’s aiming for, you can work backwards to figure out who’s most likely to need that transformation.

Look at your best-fit past customers

Instead of trying to define your audience based on who could buy, start with who has bought and had a great experience. What made them say yes? What language did they use? What were they dealing with when they came to you? Those patterns are your goldmine.

Segment by motivation

This one’s subtle but powerful. If you’ve ever had more than one type of customer love the same product, it’s likely they were solving different problems. Maybe one customer wanted convenience, another wanted a trusted expert, and another just liked your vibe. That doesn’t mean you need separate offers, but it does mean you might need to tweak your messaging depending on which audience you’re speaking to.

Don’t forget the emotional side

Logic helps people justify decisions, but emotion drives them. Are your customers feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, unsure, or stuck before they find you? Do they want to feel confident, proud, relaxed, or excited afterwards? Those feelings are what your content needs to tap into.

Want to Hear How This Looks in Practice?

I recently worked with a client who was struggling to attract high-quality leads. We didn’t overhaul their whole funnel; we simply got clearer on who they were speaking to, what mattered to those customers, and how to shift the message accordingly.

The result? Higher lead volume, better fit customers, and way more alignment across their marketing efforts.

Want the full story? I’m breaking it all down in this week’s podcast: The Methodical Marketer’s Guide to Greatness. Follow on Spotify

Final Thought

If your content still feels a bit fuzzy… if your audience isn’t biting… if your message just isn’t landing the way you’d hoped, it might be time to revisit the foundation.

Who are you actually speaking to?

What are they really dealing with?

And how can you show them that you understand what they need?

Because when you know who you’re talking to, everything else (your content, your offers, your results) starts to get a whole lot clearer.