Trying to reach everyone on social media

Key takeaways

Targeting everyone on social media is a mistake because posts written for everyone are specific to no one, so the people who could buy scroll past. A small business does better writing every post for one named type of buyer and one problem they pay to solve. The audience is smaller, but more of it buys.

• 1 buyer per post makes the post feel written for them.
• Broad posts gather likes from people outside your area or market.
• Narrow posts still reach others; they just convert the right ones.
• Write the buyer down in one sentence before planning content.

Why does targeting everyone fail?

Targeting everyone fails because nobody recognises themselves in a general post. 'We do great kitchens' speaks to no one in particular. 'Small kitchen in a terrace? Three layouts that fit a 3-metre wall' speaks to exactly the homeowner who might call. Specific posts also give platforms clearer signals about who to show them to.

• The most common social media marketing mistakes small businesses make
• How to create social media content that attracts the right customers

How do you pick one buyer to write for?

Pick one buyer by looking at your best customers from the last year: the ones who paid well, were easy to work with and came back. Describe them in one sentence: who they are, where they are, what problem brought them to you, and what nearly stopped them buying.

• Social media audience research without a research budget

Does writing for one buyer lose other customers?

Rarely. Specific posts still reach other people, and many will recognise their own problem in it. What changes is that the right buyers notice you more. Businesses with two clear buyer types can alternate posts between them, as long as each post is written for one.

When is a broad audience right?

A broad audience suits businesses with very wide appeal and low prices, such as a cafe or a mass-market product, where almost anyone nearby could buy. Even then, posts work better when they speak to a moment: commuters on a Monday, parents on a Saturday. Broad market, specific post.

• Local business social media mistakes that lose nearby buyers

How do you spot that you are writing for everyone?

Spot it by reading your last five captions and asking who each one is for. If the honest answer is 'anyone', or if the comments come mostly from people who could never buy, you are writing for everyone. Posts aimed at one buyer usually name their situation, area or problem in the first line.

• Captions that start with 'Everyone loves...'.
• No area, sector or situation named.
• Comments mostly from peers and friends.
• Enquiries from outside your market.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a professional firm posting generic tips for 'businesses', getting polite engagement from other advisers. When posts are rewritten for one buyer, such as owners of construction firms facing a specific tax deadline, engagement falls slightly and the comments start coming from people who might hire them.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Audience checklist

• Describe one buyer in one sentence.
• Name the problem they pay to solve.
• Write each post for that buyer.
• Check who actually comments and enquires.
• Refine the buyer every quarter.

• Posting without a goal: the mistake behind wasted effort
• Being on the wrong social media platform for your buyers

Next step

Look at the last ten people who commented or messaged. How many could realistically buy from you? That number tells you whether your posts are aimed well.