The Cost of Playing It Safe: Why Trying to Appeal to Everyone Is Hurting Your Creative Brand
Many creative business owners worry that if they get too specific with their branding, they’ll lose potential clients. They think that by keeping things broad, they’ll attract more opportunities, more sales, and more success.
But in reality? Trying to appeal to everyone makes it harder for the right clients to find you. When your brand is too broad, your messaging becomes generic, forgettable, and less effective – which means you end up working harder to get noticed in an already crowded market.
The Real Problem: Broad Branding Feels ‘Safe’ – But It’s Hurting Your Business
You’ve finally sat down to write a social media post about your business.
You open a blank document, fingers hovering over the keyboard… and then? You freeze.
What should I say?
How do I make this appealing to potential clients?
What if I say the wrong thing and push people away?
So instead, you play it safe. You keep things broad, hoping to attract as many people as possible.
Maybe you talk about the types of services you offer, how much you love working with your clients, or the kind of projects you’re passionate about… but something feels off.
Your messaging doesn’t quite click. It feels a little generic, a little forgettable – and worst of all, it’s not bringing in the kind of clients you really want.
Sound familiar?
The thing is, if your brand is trying to appeal to everyone, it’s actually making it harder for the right people to find you.
But don’t worry – you don’t need to pigeonhole yourself into a hyper-specific niche to fix this. You just need to lean into what makes your brand unique.
Let’s talk about why broad branding makes your business harder to grow – and how getting clear on your uniqueness naturally attracts the right clients.
The Problem With Trying to Appeal to Everyone
If you’ve ever worried that getting too specific with your brand will scare off potential clients, you’re not alone. It’s one of the biggest fears creative business owners have.
After all, more people seeing your work should mean more opportunities… right?
Not exactly.
When your brand tries to speak to everyone, here’s what actually happens:
✖️ Your brand blends in. If your messaging is generic, it doesn’t stand out – so people forget about you.
✖️ Clients don’t feel a connection. If your brand is trying to be ‘for everyone,’ no one feels like it’s for them.
✖️ You attract the wrong clients. Without clear positioning, you’ll spend more time convincing people why they should work with you instead of attracting people who are already excited to hire you.
This doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself into a tiny niche or only work with one type of client forever.
But if your brand isn’t giving people a clear reason to choose you over someone else, you’re making things much harder than they need to be.
Why ‘Pick a Super-Specific Niche’ Isn’t the Answer Either
Now, if you’ve done any research on branding or marketing, you’ve probably come across this common piece of advice:
👉 “You need to pick a niche.”
But for many creatives, traditional niching feels like a trap.
Maybe you love working on a variety of projects. Maybe your creative process is fluid and evolving. Maybe you don’t want to box yourself into one industry, one type of client, or one specific service.
So when the advice says “Pick a super-specific audience and focus only on them”, it feels like you’re cutting off opportunities, limiting your creativity, or forcing yourself into a category that doesn’t fit.
And that’s why traditional niching advice often doesn’t work for creative businesses.
Because for most passion-led creatives, your brand isn’t just about what you do – it’s about who you are, how you work, and the unique perspective you bring to the table.
You don’t need to niche by industry or audience. You need to niche by values.
The Alternative: Values-Based Niching (AKA: Leaning Into What Makes You Unique)
Instead of forcing yourself into a box, what if you built a brand around:
Your unique creative style
Your personality, perspective, and approach
The kind of work you love doing
The values that guide your business
This is what I call values-based niching – and it’s how creative businesses can stand out without feeling restricted.
When you focus on what makes you unique, you naturally attract the right clients – without having to niche yourself into a tiny corner of the market.
Instead of worrying about who you “should” be marketing to, focus on making your brand as aligned, authentic, and recognisable as possible.
Because when your brand truly reflects who you are and what you stand for, the right people will see it and say: "This is exactly what I've been looking for."
The Power of Attracting the Right Clients Through Your Uniqueness
Meet two photographers, Alex and Jess.
They both have years of experience, stunning portfolios, and a passion for capturing meaningful moments. But when it comes to attracting clients? Their experiences couldn’t be more different.
Alex tries to appeal to everyone.
Their website says: “I capture beautiful, high-quality photos for all occasions.”
Their portfolio is packed with incredible work – weddings, family portraits, branding shoots, creative headshots, event photography, product photography… you name it.
They worry that if they narrow things down, they’ll lose opportunities – so they keep their messaging broad to attract as many clients as possible.
Jess, on the other hand, leans into what makes her different.
Instead of focusing on who she serves, she highlights how she works:
“Honest, storytelling photography with a natural, documentary-style feel – capturing people and moments exactly as they are.”Her portfolio still includes a variety of work – but there’s a common thread. Every image feels raw, authentic, and full of life.
Clients aren’t choosing her because she works in one specific niche – they’re choosing her because they love her distinct creative style and perspective.
Even though both photographers take great photos, Jess’s brand is clear and recognisable.
She hasn’t limited herself to one type of client. Instead, she’s created a brand that attracts the right people – no matter what kind of photography they need – because they’re drawn to her unique approach.
That’s the power of leaning into what makes you different.
When your brand is rooted in your creative strengths, personality, and values, the right clients will feel an instant connection – without you having to chase them down or convince them.
Instead of competing on price, people will pay more because they see the value in what you uniquely offer.
Instead of feeling stuck in a niche, you’ll attract aligned opportunities across different industries – without losing clarity.
Instead of adjusting your brand to appeal to everyone, you’ll be magnetic to the people who love what you do best.
And the best part? You don’t have to limit yourself to one audience or industry – you just have to be clear about what makes your brand recognisable, memorable, and truly yours.
How to Attract the Right Clients (Without Boxing Yourself In)
If you’ve been keeping your brand broad because you don’t want to limit yourself, here’s the good news:
You don’t have to “niche down” in the traditional sense.
Instead, you can lean into what makes your work stand out – your creative approach, your perspective, and the way you connect with clients. This keeps your brand flexible while still making it recognisable and magnetic to the right people.
Here’s how:
1. Get Specific About What Makes You Different
Forget about narrowing yourself down to one type of client. Instead, ask:
What’s your creative process like?
What do clients always compliment you on?
What’s the unique perspective you bring to your work?
Example: Instead of saying “I’m a photographer who shoots portraits, weddings, and events,” try:
👉 “I capture bold, cinematic photography that tells a story – whether it’s a wedding, a brand shoot, or a personal project.”
This doesn’t limit what kind of work you take on, but it does create a signature style that the right clients will instantly recognise.
2. Make Your Brand Values Clear & Visible
People connect with shared values more than job titles. If you want to attract the right clients, make sure your brand is showing up in a way that reflects what you stand for.
If you believe in collaboration, does your messaging highlight how you co-create with clients?
If you value playfulness and experimentation, does your portfolio reflect that energy?
If you love working with other passion-led creatives, are you speaking directly to them?
Example: A copywriter who thrives on personality-driven storytelling could position themselves like this:
👉 “Compelling, story-first copy that brings your brand’s personality to life.”
This signals to potential clients that you’re not just another copywriter – you specialise in making words feel like a true reflection of the brand behind them.
3. Refine Your Messaging to Speak to the People You Want to Work With
One of the biggest mistakes creatives make? Trying to sound ‘professional’ instead of personal.
Your messaging should speak directly to the kind of clients you love working with – not just describe what you do.
✖️ Too broad: “I create custom illustrations for businesses and individuals.”
✔️ Specific & magnetic: “Quirky, hand-drawn illustrations for brands who want personality-packed visuals that stand out.”
The clearer your message, the more aligned clients will feel drawn to your work.
4. Confidently Repel the Wrong Clients
It might sound scary, but not every client is meant for you – and that’s a good thing.
If you’ve ever taken on a project that felt like a struggle from the start, you already know: working with misaligned clients is draining.
Being clear about your style, values, and approach helps the right clients say “OMG, I need this!” – and helps the wrong ones self-select out.
Example: If you’re a photographer who loves capturing raw, unfiltered moments, you might position yourself as:
👉 “For people who want storytelling photography, not stiff, posed shots.”
Someone looking for perfectly polished, studio-lit portraits might realise you’re not the right fit – and that’s perfect, because it means more space for clients who love what you do best.
What’s Next? Get Clear on Who Your Brand Should Be Attracting
If you’re tired of feeling like your brand is trying to speak to everyone, but not quite connecting with the right people, it’s time to get clear on who your brand is truly for.
That’s exactly why I created the Ideal Client Workbook – so you can:
Define the clients who will love your work and pay what you’re worth
Understand what makes your brand magnetic (without picking a restrictive niche)
Create messaging that speaks directly to the people you want to attract
Still feeling stuck? Let’s work through it together.
A Brand Clarity Kickstart is a one-hour strategy session where we dive deep into:
✔ How to refine your positioning so your brand attracts the right people
✔ What makes your brand unique – and how to communicate it clearly
✔ The exact next steps to make your brand feel aligned, effortless, and recognisable