People: The 4Ps of Brand Messaging
You’ve heard it before, right? If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.
It’s that argument for us to move past that “we want everyone to hear about our offer” mentality to a different mindset – a more specific one.
In theory, we’d like to reach as many people as possible – but that doesn’t necessarily mean every person we cross paths with. It actually means we’d like to meet as many of our ideal audience as possible – because those are the people who get us, need us, and want to invest in us.
They're the ones who don’t need convincing because they already feel like we’re speaking their language. And when your message is dialed in for them, it lands harder, travels further, and makes selling feel like a natural flow.
And all of that requires knowing who your people are in the first place. This is a huge part of solid brand messaging.
Marketers always tell business owners to know their audience. And, sure, that makes sense on the surface. But is it all just a fluffy lil brand exercise?
Honestly, no.
Understanding your people is the first domino in a whole chain reaction that leads to more clicks, more sales, and a stronger brand.
Lil Key Takeaways: This Blog at a Glance
If you’re trying to talk to everyone, your message won’t land with anyone. The goal isn’t “reach more people” — it’s “reach more of the right people.”
Messaging that hits feels like it was pulled straight from your audience’s brain.
Getting clear on who your offer is actually for makes everything (selling, writing, showing up) easier.
The 4Ps of Messaging framework helps you unfreeze and get unstuck when the words won’t come.
Forget made-up demographics – start with how your audience feels and what’s keeping them stuck.
Mini Messaging Marker – a 12-min training that walks you through the 4Ps (people included!) and gives you a hot jolt of inspo on what to say and who to say it to so you can sell your latest and greatest thing.
The Ins & Outs of the 4Ps of Messaging: People
The 4Ps 101: What You Need to Know
Let’s not go full-force into this people blog without a little context. The 4Ps of Messaging is a cute lil way to shake up the way you think about messaging (so you can actually start talking about your offers).
I’ve got a whole blog on that, so feel free to check that one out first, and then come back here for a deeper dive into one of the 4Ps – the "People" part.
At its core, the 4Ps of messaging is a practical framework designed to help you unfreeze when messing with your messaging (because sometimes talking about your stuff is hard!).
It’s just a hot jolt of inspo to help you know what you’re saying and who you’re saying it to. Here’s a quick overview of what the 4Ps cover:
People: Who are you talking to, really?
Problems: What’s keeping your audience awake at night?
Promises: What does your offer do for them?
POVs: How does your offer stand out from the rest?
Your People Matter – Even More Than You Think
Why It’s Important to Know Who You’re Talking To
If you’re like me, you’ve probably sat there and asked yourself WHY knowing your people matters. Is doing a full scope-out of your ideal audience actually a better way to sell?
In a word: yes.
But I’m a skeptical gal – I want to know why that’s a yes. And I imagine you do, too. Here’s why understanding your people (your specific dream audience) is so important.
Our Brains Filter Out the Boring Stuff
Your brain is constantly scanning for what’s relevant, then rejecting the rest. It’s how our brains instinctively function (thanks Reticular Activating System). We’re looking for the things that apply to our brains, and if they don’t, we start zoning.
That means if your messaging talks to everyone or sounds generic, your people’s brains might tune it out.
But if your messaging sounds like something that was ripped directly out of their own thoughts, you’ve got their attention.
It’s not boring; it’s relevant, it’s specific, and it applies to their brains’ primal interest (themselves).
People Buy From People They Like, Would Get a Beer With, Or Ally on Survivor With
This is a go-to phrase for me – something I say over and over to clients. When people feel understood, seen, or aligned, their brains release something called oxytocin (sometimes called a trust hormone)
When we talk directly to our people – when we connect with them – they think, “Wow, they really get me.” And their brains create that instant connection.
In sales psychology, this is called the Liking Principle (courtesy of Robert Cialdini). And it’s really as simple as it sounds – we’re more likely to say yes to people we like and who like us.
When your messaging is crafted with a clear, specific audience in mind — people who “get you” and feel like you get them — you naturally build affinity and trust. You're showing up like a familiar face in a crowd of noise.
That emotional click of “omg, this person is totally speaking my language”? That’s not an accident – that’s the Liking Principle doing its Liking Principle thing.
And, of course, human behavior tells us that we do end up buying from people we like and feel connected to.
Mirror Neurons Make Your People Feel Something
When you describe a moment your audience relates to (and remember, specificity sells), their brains actually simulate the experience through mirror neurons.
Naming their stress, joy, fear, or deep desires are the emotional buy-ins before they ever think about price or other objections.
But guess what? You can’t trigger these mirror neurons if you don’t know who you’re speaking to. If my ideal audience for an offer is busy, working moms, but my messaging specifically points to early 20s, kid-free gals, any specific moments, pain points, or wants I try to get them to mirror will be lost on them.
Why? Because it won’t apply to them.
Clarity = Comfort = Conversions
Our brains experience a cute lil phenomenon called cognitive ease. Put simply, it’s your brain's way of saying, “Hey, this makes sense!” so it can take a long deep exhale and relax. Relaxed brains are more open to trust, engagement, and investment.
And that means that, as creators and business owners, we want to do what we can to put our people’s brains in that cognitive ease state.
When you write with clarity and talk directly to the right people, they’ll click with something – they don’t have to work so hard to understand your message.
Clarity signals to the brain that we’re seen, heard, and understood – all of that lends to cognitive easing.
Emotion Leads, Then Logic Follows
We all want to believe we’re purely logical creatures, making rational choices and weighing either end of the scale before we make any decision (let alone a purchasing decision).
But the truth is, emotion drives a lot of our decision-making – and logic tends to come in after the fact to do fact-checking and cleanup.
When you get your people, you can speak directly to them because you get their emotions, dreams, desires, or even fears. You have the ability to speak to their emotional language, and that kind of stuff helps to move the needle.
Finding Your People – Narrow Down the Digital Noise
You get the picture – knowing your people (especially which people are the best audience for your offers or service) is more than just a fluffy thing marketers say.
But here comes the hard part: how do you find those people? How do you figure out WHO your people are – especially when it comes to a particular offer?
I’ve got you covered. Here are a few ways to get to the root of who you’re talking to.
Gut ‘n’ Go & Then Get Dreamy With It
Before we dive into a few exercises you can do, I encourage you to always give yourself the opportunity to let your gut lead the conversation. Ask, “who’s the ideal audience for this offer?” and then answer it immediately. Let your brain do the backend word and just blurt it out.
When you ask your gut first, you're tapping into the part of your brain that already knows – even if you haven’t articulated it yet.
You’ve probably absorbed tons of data over time that’s useful – the types of clients who light you up, the people who get the most out of your offers, the ones who rave about your work (and the ones who don’t).
That fast, instinctual answer often reflects all of that unspoken intel, and it helps you…
Bypass overthinking: Instead of spiraling in “but this could help everyone!!” mode, you get straight to the heart of who it’s really for.
Speak with more clarity: Messaging gets muddled when you try to write for too many people at once. Gut-led answers tend to be more specific and emotionally grounded, which makes your offer easier to shape and sell.
Trust your inner pattern recognizer: Your brain is constantly scanning for patterns and making decisions in the background. That first-blurt answer? It's likely drawn from real client interactions, wins, and lived experience.
Unlock flow: Starting with instinct often leads to more natural, confident writing. You can always refine the details later, but you’ll be anchored in truth from the get-go.
After you let your gut do the walkin’ and talkin’, you can get a lil dreamier with your answers. Here are a few ways to add details to your audience.
The Real-Deal Talk Method
Skip the guesswork altogether – start with what your actual people are already saying.
Dig through emails, DMs, Voxer rambles, discovery calls, or anywhere your dream clients have spilled their guts to you.
Highlight the phrases they use. That’s your golden ticket. That’s their brain on paper. That tells you a ton of what you need to know about who your ideal audience is, how they think, what they’re dealing with, and how they operate.
Don’t have any of this info? Start asking now! Offer incentives for your ideal people to fill out brief questionnaires, pick their brains, and get the real data you need to understand your people best.
The Anti Client List
Hot take: Sometimes it’s easier to figure out who it’s for by first naming who it’s not.
Write down the red flags. The people who ghost you. The ones who fight your process. The kind of client you don’t envision loving and appreciating your offer.
Be honest about this list – it’s just for you! No one needs to see it. Think about who you’d never want to find your offers, then write them down. They’re your anti-dream-client profile, and they’re important because they guide you toward who you do want!
Feels First – Demographics Second
Instead of defaulting to the whole “she’s 30, lives in Austin, drinks iced matcha”... ask yourself feeling-first questions like:
What’s keeping them stuck?
What are they feeling when they find you?
What stories are they telling themselves?
What problem do they know they have?
Leave ICPs out of it for once and try letting emotions lead the way. Then you can sprinkle in the details if they help!
The Before & After Brain Exercise
Try to close your eyes and truly picture it.
What’s going on in someone’s head before they land on your offer? What are they experiencing? Where are they struggling? What’s keeping them up at night?
How does all of that transform after working with you (or investing in your offer)?
This is a great way to stay human in your marketing and focus on who you’re trying to reach (by considering what they’re dealing with and what they’re looking for).
Messaging: Find Your People, Talk To Them, & Sell
When you know who you’re really talking to, your message stops floating in the void and starts hitting exactly where it needs to.
Get clear on your people, and everything else (your words, your sales, your strategy) starts to click into place.
Need a little helping hand with your people? That’s where Mini Messaging Marker comes in.
It’s a quick 12-minute messaging training that gives you a hot jolt of inspo on what to say to speak to your people (and sell your stuff).
In Mini Messaging Marker, I’ll help you think hard about your dream people and map out who you should be chatting with for your ideal offer.
But, importantly, I’ll walk with you through the 4Ps, share examples as we go, and help you create powerful messaging points to sell or share your latest and greatest offer.
