Hey friends,
Last week we narrowed the lens to your Audience of One. Once you know exactly who you’re talking to, the next question is:
What do you actually say to them?
If you have the right audience, but your marketing still feels hit-or-miss, the problem is usually here:
Your message is either generic, or it’s incomplete.
Inside the Marketing Flywheel, once the Audience of One is clear, the message isn’t a tagline or a headline; it’s a system.
We treat message as three distinct gears that must turn together:
Proof
Value
Story
Most businesses lean hard on just one.
Strong marketing uses all three — intentionally.
We did a video on this a couple months ago: Revisit 3 Types of Content:
1. Proof — “Show me this works”
Proof removes the friction of doubt.
It’s the most straightforward kind of messaging, but local businesses often forget to document it.
Proof looks like:
The outcome: before-and-after photos or “Day 1 vs. Day 30”
The peer review: a screenshot of a text or review from a happy customer
The data: a CPA saying, “We helped a local client save $8,200 last year”
For a remodeler, this might be a simple kitchen before-and-after.
For a retailer, it’s a customer photo tagged in your store.
For a service business, it’s a clear, specific result.
Proof isn’t hype.
It’s simply showing reality.
🤖 AI Prompt: The Proof Builder
I run a [type of business] for my [Audience of One].
Here is a real result we’ve delivered: [describe outcome].
Give me 5 content ideas that clearly show proof of this result
without sounding like a sales pitch.
Keep it simple.
2. Value — “Why this matters” (The Two-Job Gear)
This is where things usually break.
Value actually has two different jobs, and most businesses only do the first one.
Job #1: Explaining the offer
This justifies the decision.
It answers:
Why does this cost what it costs?
What problem does this really solve?
What happens if I don’t do this?
Example:
“We’re not the cheapest HVAC company — and here’s why our installs last five years longer.”
Explained value helps someone decide.
Job #2: Providing value upfront
This is the gear many local businesses underuse.
Here, you’re not selling—you’re teaching.
This builds trust before someone is ready to buy.
Examples:
A contractor teaching a homeowner how to spot a bad roofing install
A CPA sharing one tip that helps avoid penalties
A restaurant showing how they prep for consistency
A retailer explaining how to care for a product so it lasts longer — even if it wasn’t bought from them
You’re saying:
“We know what we’re doing whether you hire us or not.”
Provided value builds trust.
Explained value builds the case for the sale.
🤖 AI Prompt: The Value Splitter
I offer [product/service] to my [Audience of One].
Give me:
1) A plain-language explanation of why my premium service is worth the investment.
2) Five things I could teach for free that would help my audience
even if they never hire me.
3. Story — “Help me understand this in human terms”
Story is the vehicle for Proof and Value.
It’s how your Audience of One remembers you.
While Proof is about results, Story is about connection.
Story connects people to:
Your why: why you started this instead of taking a corporate job
The process: a behind-the-scenes look at the unseen work you do
The relatable moment: “We had a client stressed about [Problem X], and here’s how we walked through it together”
The process story is often the easiest to tell — because it’s just documenting the work you already do every day.
🤖 AI Prompt: The Storyteller
Here’s a real situation from my business:
[describe a project or customer moment].
Turn this into a short story for my Audience of One that feels human
and subtly shows what we care about.
No marketing-speak.
How it fits the Flywheel
The Audience comes first.
The Message is built specifically for them.
Proof shows it works.
Value demonstrates why it matters.
Story makes it stick.
When these rotate consistently, the flywheel starts to move.
If your marketing feels busy but ineffective, check which gear you’re skipping.
Watch the full Marketing Flywheel Cinematic Vlogcast:
Prompt of the Week: The Message Audit
Paste this into your AI of choice:
Here are 10 recent pieces of content from my business:
[paste content].
Classify each as Proof, Value (explaining), Value (teaching), or Story.
Tell me which type I’m overusing and which I’m missing.
Suggest 3 ideas to rebalance my messaging for my Audience of One.
Final thought
Messaging isn’t about being clever.
It’s about being clear over and over again.
Next week, we’ll look at Platform and why copying and pasting the same post everywhere is where good marketing goes to die.
See you then!
P.S. If this helped, forward it to a business owner who’s “posting a lot” but not seeing results.