Ideas are definitely my superpower, which means when I start creating one piece of content, I very rarely have just one idea.
One idea leads to another. Then I remember a story, which sparks a podcast topic, a blog, an email, a video and possibly even an entire workshop. Before I know it, one perfectly good piece of content is trying to carry seven ideas, speak to three audiences and take people in five different directions.
This is where the Rule of One becomes incredibly useful.
The Rule of One doesn't mean you can only have one idea. That would never work in my world. It means giving each piece of content one clear job: one person you're speaking to, one main idea you want them to understand, one purpose and one useful next step.
Start With One Person
Most businesses don't have just one type of customer. You might work with people at different stages, offer several services or help clients with different challenges.
That's fine across your wider marketing, but one piece of content doesn't need to speak to everyone at once.
A business owner looking for their first customers is having a very different day from an established business owner struggling with inconsistent enquiries. When you choose one person and their current situation, you can get specific about the questions, frustrations and examples that matter to them.
Other people can still benefit from the content, but the person you're creating it for is far more likely to recognise themselves in it.
Give Your Content One Main Idea
This is where those of us who love ideas sometimes need to rein ourselves in.
A podcast about making time for marketing can quickly turn into content planning, batching, automation, delegation, email marketing, AI and choosing platforms.
They're all useful ideas, but they don't all need to be taught at once.
Choose one main idea and explore it properly. When another idea pops up, write it down and turn it into another piece of content.
You're not throwing good ideas away. You're giving each one enough space to be useful.
Give Your Content One Job
Before you create something, decide what you want it to do.
Is it there to:
- Teach something?
- Answer a common question?
- Tell a story?
- Clear up a misconception?
- Help someone understand a problem?
- Invite someone to take a next step?
This is particularly useful when you're creating a campaign.
Instead of one enormous email trying to explain everything about an upcoming workshop, spread those jobs across your marketing. Your podcast might explore the problem, your blog can teach something useful, an email can share the story behind the workshop, and a video can answer a common question.
Each piece has one job, while together they create a much stronger campaign.
Choose One Next Step
Once someone has read, watched or listened to your content, what would you like them to do next?
It doesn't always need to be a sale. You might want them to read another article, try something in their business, download a resource, register for an event, book a conversation or send you a question.
Where we make things complicated is when we ask people to do everything at once.
Read the blog. Download the guide. Listen to the podcast. Follow us everywhere. Book a call. Register for the event. Tell three friends.
That's a lot.
Give people one clear doorway and make the next step relevant to the content they've just consumed.
One Idea Can Create More Content
The Rule of One doesn't mean creating less content. It can actually help you get much more from your ideas.
That podcast trying to cover seven topics could become seven pieces of content. The side story that doesn't quite fit your email could become another email. The extra question could become tomorrow's video.
Instead of squeezing everything into one piece, capture those extra ideas in your content bank and give yourself more content to explore later.
Your Rule of One Challenge
Here's my challenge for you this week. Choose one piece of content you're planning to create, or something you've already started, and put it through the Rule of One.
Ask yourself:
- Who is the one person I'm creating this for?
- What is the one main idea I want them to understand?
- What is the one job this content needs to do?
- What is the one next step I want them to take?
Then create the content and keep somewhere nearby to capture all the other ideas that appear along the way.
The Rule of One isn't about having fewer ideas. It's about giving each idea enough space to do its job.
My Resources to Support Your Content
The Rule of One helps each piece of content do its job, while your wider marketing ecosystem brings those pieces together. The Marketing Tree Method helps you build and nurture those different parts of your marketing.
If you have plenty of ideas but need help turning them into focused content and marketing activities that work together, book a conversation with me.
Highlights
- 00:00 When One Idea Becomes Seven
- 01:00 Introducing the Rule of One
- 02:00 Create for One Person
- 03:00 Why Specific Content Connects
- 05:00 Give Your Content One Main Idea
- 06:00 Turn Side Ideas Into More Content
- 07:00 Give Each Piece One Job
- 08:00 Using the Rule of One in Campaigns
- 09:00 Choose One Next Step
- 10:00 Give Your Audience One Clear Doorway