Become Impossible to Ignore as a Solopreneur

Most solopreneurs don’t have a marketing problem. They have a visibility problem.

You can be excellent at what you do—smart, ethical, results-driven—and still lose deals to someone who’s simply easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to trust. David Newman calls this the obscurity tax: the daily cost of doing great work in isolation.

This post is part of the SMB Content Marketing United States series, so we’re going to keep it practical: how a one-person business can build authority and demand using content marketing, without pretending you have a 12-person team.

The obscurity tax: why great work isn’t enough

The obscurity tax is what you pay when your market can’t see you, doesn’t “get” you, or can’t tell why you’re different. It shows up as:

• Prospects who only ask about price
• Leads that waste your time and never buy
• Referral droughts (because people forget exactly what you do)
• Random marketing tactics that don’t add up to momentum

Here’s the stance I agree with (and see in the wild constantly): being “good” is table stakes. Being known for something specific is the advantage.

And in 2026, AI has made the middle even more crowded. Generic content is abundant. Generic positioning is invisible.

Market eminence for solopreneurs: the 3 pillars that matter

David Newman breaks market eminence into three pillars. For a solo business, this is helpful because it turns “personal branding” (which often becomes performative) into a clear operating system.

1) Visibility: be seen by the right people (consistently)

Visibility is not being everywhere. It’s showing up predictably in a few places your buyers already trust.

Solopreneur-friendly visibility channels that actually compound:

• A weekly email newsletter (your highest-leverage owned channel)
• One primary social platform where your buyers hang out (LinkedIn for many US B2B solopreneurs)
• A “signature” content asset on your site (a guide, a framework page, or a short email course)
• Guest appearances (podcasts, webinars, niche newsletters) once or twice a month

A simple rule I use: pick one “home base” (email + website) and one “stage” (social or speaking). Everything else supports those.

2) Respect: demonstrate buyer-level empathy and insight

Respect is earned when prospects feel like you understand their situation better than they do. Not in a creepy way—just in a “finally, someone said it” way.

In content marketing terms, respect comes from specificity:

• Naming the real tradeoffs (time vs. quality, speed vs. risk)
• Calling out the hidden costs (tool sprawl, shallow strategy, internal misalignment)
• Using clear examples (what happens when someone does it wrong, and what “right” looks like)

If you want a shortcut: write like you’ve read your prospect’s Slack messages.

3) Brand preference: make it feel risky to hire someone else

Brand preference is when a buyer thinks, “If I hire a cheaper alternative and it fails, I’ll feel dumb.”

You don’t get there with buzzwords. You get there with:

• A clear point of view (what you believe is broken)
• A recognizable method (your steps, your framework, your diagnostic)
• Proof that matches your niche (case stories, not generic testimonials)

For solopreneurs, the method part is especially important. A method turns “I’m a freelancer” into “I have a system.” And systems sell.

The only 3 content types that still cut through in 2026

David Newman makes a key point: the internet doesn’t need more how-to content. AI can generate that instantly.

So what works now?

Content Type #1: “How to think” (not how to do)

How-to is instructions. How-to-think is judgment.

Examples a solopreneur could publish:

• “How to decide if you should hire a fractional CMO or an agency”
• “The 3 signals your marketing is a messaging problem, not a lead problem”
• “A simple way to prioritize channels when you’re under $20k/month in revenue”

This kind of content makes you a guide, not a tutorial.

Content Type #2: “What to believe / what not to believe”

Myth-busting is underrated because it forces you to take a side.

Examples:

• “Posting daily isn’t a strategy—consistency is”
• “Your CRM won’t fix a weak offer”
• “More leads won’t help if your sales process is mushy”

If you’re worried about being “too opinionated,” remember: neutral brands are interchangeable brands.

Content Type #3: “How to get ready for what’s coming next”

This works because buyers hate being blindsided. And it’s timely in January 2026, when a lot of small businesses are resetting plans and budgets.

Examples:

• “What AI overviews mean for small business SEO in 2026”
• “How to update your content marketing when traffic is less predictable”
• “What to track when attribution is messy (and what to ignore)”

This isn’t fortune-telling. It’s helping people prepare.

Build a contrarian slant (without becoming obnoxious)

Being contrarian doesn’t mean being rude. It means being clear.

David Newman offers a simple exercise that works especially well for solopreneurs because it doesn’t require more tools—just honesty.

The contrarian slant exercise (30 minutes, one notebook)

1. What “common wisdom” in your industry is wrong?

   • Example: “You need more content.” (Maybe you need better positioning and fewer, sharper pieces.)

2. What harsh truth do clients want someone to say out loud?

   • Example: “Your agency results aren’t improving because you’re approving safe, generic creative.”

3. What do you believe that makes insiders uncomfortable—but ideal clients nod along to?

   • Example: “Most small businesses don’t need a rebrand. They need a sales story and a stronger offer.”

A practical constraint: your slant should repel the wrong clients. If everyone agrees with you, you didn’t go far enough.

The “10-foot gate”: attract right-fit clients and repel the rest

A lot of solopreneurs say they want more leads. What they really need is better fit.

The 10-foot gate idea is simple: build your marketing so only your best-fit buyers want to walk through it. Everyone else self-selects out.

How to build your gate using content marketing:

• Put your pricing philosophy on your site (even if you don’t list exact prices)
• Publish “who this is not for” on key pages
• Share your process and expectations (timelines, roles, what you won’t do)
• Tell stories about dealbreakers (“We walked away because…”)—this signals integrity and confidence

This works because the wrong clients are usually looking for shortcuts, discounts, or someone to blame later. Your job is to make them feel uncomfortable early.

Radical generosity: give away the thing you’re afraid to share

Here’s the mindset shift that separates experienced operators from anxious marketers:

Prospects aren’t paying you for information. They’re paying you for applied insight and implementation.

If “information” created results on its own, everyone would be rich, fit, and perfectly organized. They’re not.

So for a solopreneur, radical generosity looks like:

• Turning a paid workshop into a free mini-training (and selling the implementation)
• Sharing the actual checklist you use with clients
• Publishing templates with context (not just a blank Google Doc)
• Auditing a real example publicly (with permission), so people can see your thinking

A strong line from Newman that’s worth adopting as a content strategy:

Treat prospects like clients, and you’ll get more (and better) clients.

A 14-day “Market Eminence” plan for a one-person business

You don’t need 22 strategies at once. You need a sequence.

Here’s a two-week plan that fits a solopreneur schedule.

Days 1–3: Write your slant

• Draft 10 bullets you believe about your market
• Circle the 2 that feel slightly risky to say out loud
• Turn those 2 into a short manifesto-style post (500–800 words)

Days 4–7: Build one signature asset

Choose one:

• “Start here” page with your method and best content
• A 5-email course solving one painful problem
• A downloadable checklist that reflects your paid process

Days 8–11: Publish content that proves judgment

Create 3 posts:

1. How to think
2. What to believe / not believe
3. How to get ready

Keep each one focused on a single decision your buyer struggles with.

Days 12–14: Amplify like a human

• Send one direct email to 10 warm contacts: “I wrote this because I keep seeing X—thought you’d appreciate it.”
• Pitch yourself to 3 niche podcasts or newsletters with your contrarian angle
• Post one short story on LinkedIn: “Here’s what most people get wrong about…”

That’s enough to create motion without burning out.

Where solopreneur marketing goes next

The content marketing trend I’m betting on for US SMBs in 2026 is straightforward: audiences will reward clarity more than volume.

Visibility comes from repetition, not novelty. Respect comes from specificity, not polish. Brand preference comes from a point of view, not a logo refresh.

If you’re serious about becoming impossible to ignore, start with the smallest brave move: publish the opinion you’ve been editing out. What would change in your business if the right buyers finally heard it?