Keir Whitaker

The 3-2-1 Publishing Method

I’ve talked before about how getting started with marketing is often the hardest bit. We’re very good at finding reasons not to do it. I have plenty and I am sure you have your own list.

We all know we should be talking more about what we do. We all know what happens when we don’t. And yet something always gets in the way. Most of the time it’s not a lack of time or tools. It’s that slightly nagging feeling that we don’t really have anything worth saying. Or worse — that what we do have to say isn’t really interesting.

There’s a lot of pressure to be insightful. To sound clever, to have a hot take, to say something “valuable” and above all to be a “thought leader”! It’s enough to make you quietly close the tab and get back to the work that feels safer. The work you already know how to do. The work that doesn’t ask you to stick your head above the parapet.

So instead of overthinking it, here’s something simple that I’ve found that actually works. Don’t think of it as a framework but rather a way to get you started with publishing, whether that’s a blog, a newsletter, or LinkedIn.

I call it the 3–2–1 method.

• 3 audiences
• 2 platforms
• 1 clear action

That’s it. Let’s dig in.

Pick 3 Types of People to Speak To

Call them audiences if you like, but really it’s just three groups of people you care about.

If you’re a soloist running a Shopify agency, it might look something like:

• Shopify store owners
• People in the Shopify ecosystem
• Other soloists and founders

Each one has a slightly different reason to pay attention to you.

• Store owners might be looking for reassurance that you know your stuff
• Peers might be looking for someone reliable to refer work to
• Other soloists might just want to feel like they’re not the only one figuring things out as they go

Three is enough to give you range without overthinking it. It also stops you falling into the trap of trying to say the same thing to the same people every week — which is where most people get bored and give up.

Once you’ve got your three, start noting down ideas under each. You don’t need a big content plan or a Notion dashboard with colour-coded tags (I’ll admit, it’s tempting). You just need somewhere to capture ideas when they show up.

For example:

The Shopify ecosystem

• Are app partnerships actually worth it?
• Why most referrals quietly go nowhere
• A messy problem I solved without adding another app

Store owners

• What actually matters when choosing an agency
• The things that slow projects down (that no one mentions)

Other soloists

• How I priced something recently (and why)
• A week where nothing really worked

You’re not trying to be groundbreaking here. You’re just turning what’s already happening in your world into something shareable. The goal is simple — stay top of mind and show you know your stuff.

Choose 2 Platforms

One place to create. One place to reuse. That’s it.

• Primary → Email
• Secondary → LinkedIn

I’d always start with email. It’s the only channel you can properly own these days, and you don’t need a big list to get started. If you’ve worked with people before, they’re a perfectly good place to start. In fact, they’re better than a big anonymous audience.

It also forces you to write like a person, not a brand. There’s nowhere to hide in email. No algorithm to blame. It either connects or it doesn’t. Keep it simple, short and write like you speak.

A loose structure might look like:

• A quick intro (what’s been going on)
• A couple of things from your work or the industry that you’re working on or thinking about
• Something you’ve found interesting or useful such as a new tool, an article or upcoming event
• A short sign off

That’s more than enough. You’re not writing an essay. You’re writing a note to people who already know you (or are getting to know you).

Then take bits of that and reuse them on LinkedIn. You’ve already done the thinking. You’re just reshaping it slightly.

Maybe consider changing the opening line, adding a bit more context or expanding slightly on one idea. That’s it.

Two emails a month is easily half a dozen posts without trying too hard. And more importantly, it doesn’t feel like you’re constantly starting from scratch every time you open up LinkedIn ready to post.

Have 1 Clear CTA per Platform

Finally — what do you want someone to do after reading? Make it obvious, and make it easy. So to continue our example:

• Email → Book a Call
• LinkedIn → Join Mailing List

You can change it later. You can test things. But to begin with, keep it boringly simple.

So that’s it — the 3–2–1 method.

Not big, certainly not complicated, just something small enough that you might actually start. Because that’s the bit most people never get past. They never start.