Persona-or-Problem Show Filter
Anchor each show to a buyer persona or a problem worth solving
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 97%
The filter asks a team to define a show through either the persona it attracts or the recurring problem it solves. A narrow problem can perform qualification before any form or sales interaction: people without the issue may ignore the program, while relevant buyers have a reason to return. This changes the success criterion from total view count to concentration of useful attention. ProfitWell’s pricing show illustrated the mechanism because people unconcerned with pricing had little reason to watch, which Campbell considered acceptable. A company can begin with this problem-focused programming and later introduce broader top-of-funnel shows for founders, marketers, or another wider persona without weakening the original show’s purpose.
Origin
Campbell identified this as one of ProfitWell’s key content wins while reviewing what the company would repeat. Extracted from Marketing Against The Grain.
Core principles
- 01Relevant attention matters more than maximum attention
- 02A specific problem naturally qualifies the audience
- 03Indifference from nonbuyers can signal healthy positioning
- 04Top-of-funnel expansion should follow a focused starting point
How to run it
- 1
Select the targeting axis
Decide whether the show will be anchored primarily to a named persona or to a recurring problem.
Pro tip Use a problem when it strongly indicates commercial relevance.
Watch out Do not combine unrelated personas merely to enlarge the estimated audience.
- 2
Form the content promise
State what recurring value the selected audience receives from every installment.
Pro tip Make the promise specific enough that an irrelevant viewer can immediately opt out.
Watch out A vague educational promise creates weak editorial boundaries.
- 3
Test audience fit
Ask whether the desired buyer would return and whether most irrelevant viewers would be uninterested.
Pro tip Treat qualified repeat consumption as more valuable than broad curiosity.
Watch out Do not interpret every nonviewer as a failure.
- 4
Expand deliberately
After the focused show works, add separate top-of-funnel programming for a broader persona if needed.
Pro tip Preserve the focused show instead of diluting it.
Watch out Premature expansion can erase the audience signal.
In the wild
A recurring pricing-page review naturally appealed to people responsible for or concerned about pricing. Someone with no pricing problem could ignore it without harming the show’s purpose.
→ ProfitWell attracted attention connected to a problem it could credibly help solve.
A compliance platform builds a show for security leaders that dissects one vendor questionnaire each week. The subject has limited mass appeal but strongly selects for people who face the underlying workflow.
→ The show develops a smaller but commercially aligned audience.
Common mistakes
Treating all attention equally
A large audience outside the target market can obscure whether the show supports the business.
Diluting the initial concept
Adding broad topics to please more people weakens the reason the intended audience returns.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for B2B companies choosing their first show or evaluating an overly broad content concept.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for mass-entertainment businesses whose primary objective is undifferentiated reach.
From the transcript
“What you should be focused on is either the persona you're trying to attract or the problem you're trying to solve.”
“unless you have a problem with pricing, you're kind of interested, you're not gonna care about that show. That's totally fine. I don't want you…”
From the episode
Growing Your Brand Through Inbound Media with Patrick Campbell
Patrick Campbell