Keir Whitaker

The 3-2-1 Publishing Method

When it comes to marketing our businesses, most soloists, founders and leaders of small businesses probably feel like they should be doing more. After all, 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 nagging feeling that we don’t really have anything worth saying. Or worse — that what we do have to say isn’t that interesting.

Add in the pressure to be a “thought leader”, to sound clever and to offer “value”, and it’s enough to make you quietly close the tab and get back to the work that doesn’t require you to stick your head above the parapet.

As Easy as 3–2–1

So instead of overthinking it, here’s something simple that helps. Think of it less as a framework and more as a way to get yourself publishing, whether that’s writing a regular blog post, sending a newsletter or joining the fray on 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 what you have to say.

• 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 saying the same thing to the same people every week — which is how many 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 land.

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 turning what’s already happening in your world into something shareable. The goal is simple — stay top of mind, show you know your stuff and build trust with the reader.

Choose 2 Platforms

So where should you publish? Pick one place to post and one place to reuse. That’s it.

• Post → Email
• Reuse → LinkedIn

I’d always start with email. It’s the only channel you can really 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 because they already have a deeper relationship with you.

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

Next it’s time to write. Here’s how I approach an email update:

• A quick intro (what’s been going on)
• A couple of things from my work or the industry that I’ve been working on or thinking about
• Something I’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 distinct elements of your email and reuse them on LinkedIn. You’ve already done the thinking, so now you’re just reshaping it slightly.

Change the opening line, add a bit more context or expand on one idea. That’s it.

Two emails a month can easily become half a dozen LinkedIn posts without trying too hard. More importantly, it stops you feeling like you’re starting from scratch every time you open up your browser to post. As an added bonus, you can do them all in one go and schedule them.

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.

It’s not big and it’s certainly not complicated. It’s just small enough to help you get started and build confidence and momentum.

If you’d like help figuring out what to write and which platforms make the most sense for you and your business, let’s chat.