How to leverage your psychic powers in your content.

Have you ever visited a psychic medium?

You sit down, and the medium, with a look of deep concentration, says, "I'm getting the name Agnes." It feels uncanny, almost as if they are tapping into an unseen realm. The truth? They know their audience exceptionally well. It's not magic; it's a strategy. Derren Brown, the famed illusionist, replicated these 'psychic' abilities using science and data. You, too, can harness these 'psychic' powers in your social selling and content. 

Here’s how I’ve done it and why you should consider doing the same.

You get a message saying, "Dean, I saw your post, it's like you read my mind." That’s the kind of connection you want to create with your audience. When I'm posting content, I target my ideal client with as much precision as I can. When your ideal clients see that you understand their challenges, your trustworthiness rockets. It’s about focusing on who you want to help: CEOs in technology businesses who are running fast-growing start-ups with investor backing, experiencing high stress, sleeplessness, and low energy, and desiring better sleep, more energy, and increased productivity. Imagine tailoring your content and networking efforts to these people. Your relevance to their situation will make them stop and engage with your posts because they see that you truly understand their needs.

So, how do you become 'psychic' in your content?

It’s all about deep understanding and connection. First, research your audience thoroughly. Conduct surveys and polls to gather data about your audience’s challenges, needs, and desires. Join industry-specific forums and groups to see what your target audience is discussing. Pay attention to the conversations happening on social media platforms. What are the common pain points? Develop detailed personas based on your research. Create personas of your ideal clients, including their demographics, job roles, daily challenges, goals, and what keeps them up at night. Empathy maps are great to help you do this. You can dive deep into their emotions, thoughts, and feelings. It helps you to see what they see, hear, think, and feel in their daily lives.

An example of an empathy map.

Tailor your messaging to speak directly to their problems. Craft your messages to address specific problems your audience faces and use their language and terminology. Provide clear, actionable solutions that resonate with their needs. You need to show that you understand their situation and can help them achieve their desired outcomes. Use data-driven insights to refine your strategy. Look at the engagement metrics of your past content. Which posts received the most likes, comments, and shares? What angles generated the most interest? Experiment with different headlines, formats, and messaging to see what resonates best with your audience.

Many people hesitate to narrow their focus, they fear they'll miss out on opportunities. It's a natural concern, I completely understand where they are coming from. However, let's think about a psychic medium who tries to appeal to everyone in the room by making vague statements like, "I'm sensing someone here has lost a loved one." While this might get some nods, it doesn't create a deep connection. Everyone has lost someone. Now, imagine if the medium focused on a specific person and said, "I'm getting the name Agnes; she loved baking and always wore a blue apron." The impact is immediate and profound. For majority of the room, this information is irrelevant, but for a few it's like they know things that others in the room don't. When you try to appeal to too broad an audience, your message becomes diluted, and it’s harder for your ideal clients to see themselves in your content. This broad approach will hold you back. By focusing more narrowly, you can connect more deeply, resonating with the right audience. It’s about being strategically specific.

If you tailor your content to a specific audience, you'll win more clients with less effort. If you don’t follow this strategy, you'll find it takes longer and is more challenging to attract clients. Many don’t consider the importance of developing a targeted approach, fear of missing out by not casting a wide net, and fear that focusing too narrowly will reduce their opportunities. Once, I consulted with a company that tried to appeal to everyone. Their content was broad and unfocused. They couldn't get leads, struggled to get engagement and visibility. We did the exercise of narrowing down, after honing in on a specific audience—tech CEOs with investor backing—their engagement from their target audience grew. They were speaking directly to the people who needed their help.

You might ask, "How do I know my targeted strategy isn't just a made-up idea?"

Validate your focus by regularly sharing content and gauging the response. Engage in relevant online communities to see what issues are being discussed. Research studies and industry publications to back up your understanding. Use tools like Google Forms to gather data from your audience. Once you’ve tested your message, share it prolifically. Those who identify with the problem, desire the outcome, and see themselves in the situation will recognise your relevance and appreciate your understanding of their specific challenges.

This strategy does require initial effort, but it pays off. You’ll start receiving feedback like, "It's like you read my mind!" By investing time in understanding and addressing the precise needs of your ideal client, you make your social selling efforts more efficient and effective. Staying broad and undefined will only create more work for you in the long run. Focusing your efforts, you can leverage your 'psychic' powers to build a more engaged and responsive audience. You'll find that your content not only resonates more deeply but also gets you results.

Don’t shy away from a targeted strategy.

Knowing your audience inside and out isn’t just about creating content; it’s about creating content that speaks directly to the hearts and minds of the people you want to serve. Think back to that psychic medium—seemingly reading your mind, but really, they've just done their homework. Leverage your 'psychic' powers and watch things accelerate. When you hone in on your ideal client, understand their challenges, and speak directly to their needs, you’ll build a stronger, more engaged network.

It’s not magic; it’s strategy. And it works.