When creating content, most founders default to “how-to” materials because it feels useful to their audience. Afterall, teaching positions you as knowledgeable and generous so it’s always safe content. But if your audience consists of experienced buyers, they’ve already read the how-to posts. They’ve already tried the “five easy steps.” They’re familiar with best practices and are (likely) already operating by them. What they want now isn’t more instruction, they want insight into what’s not working and why.
When your clients operate at a higher level, you don’t build authority by teaching them what to do. You build authority by helping them see what they’re missing. If you create higher level content, you can expect to attract higher level clients.
Diagnose, Don’t Demonstrate
The biggest shift in moving from “informative” to “authoritative” content is the mindset. How-to content says: Here’s what to try. Diagnostic content says: Here’s what’s broken and here’s why it broke.
A founder who posts, “Here’s how to improve your reach on LinkedIn,” joins thousands of others saying the same thing. But a founder who posts, “Here’s why your LinkedIn content isn’t converting,” signals expertise at a higher level. It implies insight based on experience, which is what decision-makers are looking for. They want advice from someone who has analyzed the problems and knows how to fix them.
When you take a diagnostic approach, your goal is to name patterns your audience can recognize in themselves. If your post names those patterns clearly, your readers can diagnose their own situation alongside you. That’s when they begin to trust that you can see fundamental problems below the surface, and can help them fix those problems in the way best suited for their business.
They recognize their own situation in what you’re describing. They feel that click of recognition: Finally, someone who understands what’s actually going wrong. That’s when they begin to trust that you can see fundamental problems below the surface, and can help them fix those problems in the way best suited for their business.
From “How-To” to “Here’s What We Did”
The easiest way to make this shift is to replace theory with proof. Instead of saying, “Here’s what to do,” say, “Here’s what worked for a client like you.” Use light storytelling to walk readers through a real situation, the challenge, your approach, and the result. Keep it short, and emphasize the results.
For example: A client came to us struggling with low engagement. They were posting valuable advice, but it wasn’t landing. We found that every post assumed too much prior context so the audience couldn’t see themselves in the examples. Once we reframed their content with the audience’s perspective front and center, engagement tripled.
That kind of story does two things. It demonstrates that you understand the nuance of execution. And it lets the reader connect the dots themselves. They picture their own situation in your example without you having to tell them to.
Even better, you can share a time when something you expected to work didn’t. Explain what you learned and how you adapted. That honesty signals depth and resilience, and shows the reader that they can fail and all is not lost. It also shows that you speak from personal experience and trial and error. If the reader can glean insights from your trial and error, they feel safe knowing that they don’t have to do that trial and error themselves. They just have to look to you for the results.
Mirror Decision-Maker Priorities
If your goal is to attract senior-level buyers, your content has to reflect what they actually care about. That might mean shifting from marketing outcomes to business outcomes.
Don’t talk about “building a better brand voice.” Talk about “shortening your sales cycle.” Don’t talk about “creating consistent content.” Talk about “reducing friction.”
Decision-makers are concerned with managing risk, the investment a solution requires, and whether or not it leads to measurable results. The more your content shows that you understand their concerns, the more credible you become.
If you want to attract senior buyers, your content has to speak to what they’re already thinking about. That means shifting the focus from creative outcomes to business outcomes. Don’t talk about building a better brand voice; talk about accelerating deal velocity. Don’t highlight consistency for its own sake; highlight how it reduces friction and confusion in the pipeline. The strongest content strategies de-risk the buying decision. When your content mirrors the priorities of the people signing the checks, it positions you as a partner, not a pitch.
Trust Over Virality
Your best clients likely won’t be the ones liking and commenting on your posts. They’re the ones reading quietly and making mental notes.
Content that builds trust often performs modestly in public but powerfully in private. You may not get a ton of engagement, but you’ll see the results when someone DMs you saying, “That post really stuck with me,” or references something you wrote during a sales call. You’ll also see it when, seemingly out of the blue, new clients reach out to you asking for a consultation.
You also don’t need to reinvent your message every week. Repetition creates credibility. Say the same thing in different ways until it becomes associated with you. That’s how authority compounds and that’s how people get to know you and think of you when your ideas pop into their head.
Write for the Client You Want
Remember that every post you publish is a positioning statement. If your goal is to attract decision-makers, you need to sound like someone they’d trust with a six-figure problem, not like someone who’s competing for followers.
Speak in their terms, not yours. Reference their pain points, their objections, their world. Show that you understand the stakes.
And don’t be afraid to be clear about who you’re not for. Specificity sharpens appeal. Saying no to the wrong readers helps the right ones recognize themselves.
When done well, your content pre-qualifies your next client before they ever reach out. They don’t just think, I like how this person writes. They think, This person understands exactly what’s in my way.
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