Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
As a founder, your intuition is to enchantment to everybody. Traders. Prospects. Companions. The entire world looks like your viewers.
And that intuition is killing your posts.
The largest mistake I see founders make on social media is attempting to talk to everybody directly. The outcome? Your message hits nobody with any energy. Social media works when one individual on the opposite facet of the display feels such as you’re speaking on to them. And solely them. That is once they cease scrolling. That is once they like, remark, DM and share.
When you’re writing posts for a crowd, you are mixing into the noise. When you’re writing for one individual, you are slicing by way of it.
Discuss to the ONE.
Take into consideration the final time you heard an ideal keynote. 1000’s of individuals within the room, however it felt just like the speaker was speaking simply to you. That is the impact you’ll want to recreate in your posts.
Associated: Why Authenticity Is the Key to Making Nice Social Media Content material and Constructing a Extra Devoted Viewers
Here is how one can do it
- Use direct language. Say you. Not “groups,” not “leaders usually.” You.
- Name out precisely who you are talking to. “As a founder…” “When you’re main a small crew…” Be very particular.
- Match their language and tone. Discuss how they discuss. Tech founders learn otherwise than family-run restaurant house owners. Traders hear you otherwise than clients.
- Anchor it in actual experiences. Share tales your “one” will nod alongside to and relate to.
- Ask questions. Maintain it conversational. When you would not say it out loud to a buddy, do not publish it.
The objective is connection, not protection.
Associated: 11 Social Media Secrets and techniques Each Enterprise Ought to Be Utilizing in 2025
Who’s your ONE?
Earlier than you write the publish, get clear:
- Is that this message for buyers?
- Is it for potential clients?
- Is it for friends and different founders?
Choose one. Converse to them. Let everybody else pay attention in. Being direct is not sufficient. You even have to have interaction. Reply to feedback. Ask follow-ups. Maintain the dialog alive within the remark part. The magic of social media is not within the publish; it is within the dialogue that occurs after.
Sure, it takes extra effort to do it this fashion. However the payoff is actual. You will begin seeing responses from individuals who “get it,” and that is how networks and types are constructed.
By the way in which, this precept is not simply to your social media work. It applies to every thing: your web site, your pitch deck and even the way you write emails. If individuals do not feel such as you’re talking on to them, they’re going to bounce. However once they do really feel it? They keep. They have interaction. They purchase in.
And here is the kicker: if you begin specializing in one individual, you may be shocked at what number of “ones” really present up.
The ONE-Individual Framework (quick filter earlier than you publish)
Run each draft by way of three fast checks:
O — End result:
What single final result does your reader need proper now? Identify it within the first 1–2 strains.
N — Narrative:
Inform a tiny story (3–6 sentences) that proves you’ve got been the place they’re.
E — Engagement:
Finish with an invite that is simple to reply: a sure/no, a selection, a “fill-in-the-blank” or “DM me ‘PLAYBOOK’ if you’d like the steps.”
In case your publish cannot go O-N-E in below a minute, it is nonetheless written for a crowd.
Dangerous vs. Higher (similar thought, three audiences)
Generic (dangerous):
“Founders, development is about specializing in clients and elevating capital effectively.”
Investor-focused (higher):
“When you write checks, here is the one metric that issues for us this quarter: money payback in
Buyer-focused (higher):
“When you’re a CFO uninterested in shock SaaS overages, here is how we cap your spend in 30 days with out switching instruments. Step 1:…”
Founder-peer (higher):
“Bootstrappers: cease optimizing your emblem. Ship a clunky v1 to 10 paying clients. Here is the e-mail I ship to get these first 10 calls.”
Associated: Easy methods to Market Your self on Social Media in 4 Steps
Micro-examples you’ll be able to steal
- Hook for buyers: “When you care about repeatable income, take a look at this: 41% of logos purchased a second product inside 60 days. Here is why.”
- Hook for patrons: “In case your onboarding nonetheless takes 14 days, do this 3-email sequence. We reduce ours to 72 hours.”
- Hook for friends: “What really moved MRR final month (and what was a complete waste of time). Numbers and receipts under.”
A easy publish template (fill in and ship)
- Name the ONE: “When you’re a [role] who’s caught with [pain]…”
- Promise an final result: “…here is how one can get [specific result] in [time frame] with out [common objection].”
- Proof/story: 3–6 sentences. Quick, concrete, credible.
- One clear step: “Begin with [step 1].”
- Engagement: “Need my guidelines? Remark ‘CHECK’ and I will ship it.”
The 30-minute weekly workflow
You do not want a content material division. You want a behavior.
Monday (10 min): Choose your ONE for the week. One viewers. One final result.
Wednesday (15 min): Draft two posts. Use the template. Minimize filler.
Friday (5 min): Present up within the feedback for five stable minutes — reply, ask, invite DMs. That is it. Consistency beats virality.
Remark technique that really builds enterprise
- Reply quick to the primary 10 feedback. Pace alerts presence.
- Ask again: “Curious — what is the blocker in your crew?” Pull the thread.
- Transfer the certified ones to DM with a micro-ask: “Need the 5-step SOP? DM me ‘SOP’ and I will ship it.”
- Shut the loop publicly: “Despatched!” Your viewers sees you ship.
That is how posts flip right into a pipeline.
High quality metrics to trace (ignore the vainness)
- Replies per 1,000 views (dialog density)
- Save price (did this earn a re-examination?)
- Inbound DMs per publish (actual intent)
- % of feedback from the ONE (are the best individuals speaking again?)
If these 4 transfer up, you are successful — even when views are flat.
Widespread traps to keep away from
- Spray-and-pray subjects. In case your publish may apply to anybody, it’s going to land with nobody.
- Jargon flexing. If the ONE would not say it out loud, do not sort it.
- Burying the lead. Put the result within the first two strains.
- CTA soup. One ask per publish. Not three.
- Ghosting your feedback. When you will not present up after you publish, do not anticipate your viewers to.
Easy methods to decide your ONE (if you serve a number of)
Rotate intentionally:
- Week 1: Potential clients
- Week 2: Present customers (enlargement/retention)
- Week 3: Traders/companions
- Week 4: Founder friends (recruiting, model)
Write for one every week. Let the others eavesdrop.
A 5-minute edit go to run by way of earlier than you hit ‘publish’
- Spotlight each “you.” Not sufficient? Rewrite.
- Minimize your first sentence. Begin the place the warmth begins.
- Swap abstractions for specifics. “Develop quick” → “Add $20k MRR in 60 days.”
- Add one query. Make it answerable in a single line.
- Choose one CTA. Remark, DM or click on — select.
Associated: The 8 Secrets and techniques of Nice Communicators
Carry it house
Crowds do not buy. Individuals do. So decide your individual. Converse their language. Show you’ve got been the place they’re. Invite a subsequent step. Do that, and your posts cease sounding like adverts to everybody and begin feeling like assist to somebody.
Discuss to at least one — and watch what number of of your right-fit clients present up.
As a founder, your intuition is to enchantment to everybody. Traders. Prospects. Companions. The entire world looks like your viewers.
And that intuition is killing your posts.
The largest mistake I see founders make on social media is attempting to talk to everybody directly. The outcome? Your message hits nobody with any energy. Social media works when one individual on the opposite facet of the display feels such as you’re speaking on to them. And solely them. That is once they cease scrolling. That is once they like, remark, DM and share.
The remainder of this text is locked.
Be part of Entrepreneur+ right this moment for entry.

