The Attract-or-Repel Content Test
Publish a clear position that attracts aligned people and repels poor fits.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 93%
The Attract-or-Repel Content Test evaluates whether a message expresses a sufficiently clear position to help the right audience identify with the brand. Before publishing, define the underlying belief, the people it should move toward action, and the poor-fit audience it may turn away. Then remove language added only to avoid all disagreement while preserving accuracy, fairness, and respect. After publishing, evaluate whether aligned people engaged, acted, or understood the position—not whether every reaction was favorable. Repulsion is acceptable when it results from an honest boundary or viewpoint; it is not a license to provoke indiscriminately. The result is a more distinctive voice, stronger audience fit, and less dependence on universal approval.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show when Jasmine explained that her online work is designed to create one of two responses rather than leave everyone lukewarm.
Core principles
- 01Content should create a meaningful response.
- 02Universal approval produces diluted positioning.
- 03Repelling poor-fit audiences can strengthen a brand.
- 04Disagreement is not automatically a marketing failure.
- 05Polarity must come from a genuine, defensible position.
How to run it
- 1
State the core belief
Write the single belief, boundary, or recommendation the content is meant to communicate. Make it concrete enough that someone could reasonably agree or disagree.
Pro tip Use one declarative sentence before drafting the post.
Watch out Do not confuse an unsupported opinion with a credible position.
- 2
Name the aligned audience
Identify who benefits from hearing the message and what useful action or realization it should produce.
Pro tip Describe the audience by need or values rather than demographics alone.
Watch out A message aimed at everyone usually lacks strategic focus.
- 3
Name the poor fit
Identify which expectations, values, or customer behaviors are incompatible with the position.
Pro tip Frame the mismatch without demeaning the people involved.
Watch out Repelling people should be a consequence of clarity, not the sole objective.
- 4
Sharpen responsibly
Remove hedging that obscures the point, then check the content for evidence, honesty, context, and unnecessary harm.
Pro tip Ask whether the same idea can be made clearer without becoming crueler.
Watch out Outrage bait may create attention while destroying trust.
- 5
Publish and observe alignment
Release the content and measure qualified responses, relevant conversations, and meaningful actions alongside negative reactions.
Pro tip Track who responds and why, not just the total engagement count.
Watch out Do not treat every objection as proof that the content succeeded.
- 6
Refine the boundary
Use informed responses to clarify future messaging while preserving the authentic position.
Pro tip Correct factual weaknesses without erasing the central belief.
Watch out Changing a position to chase applause recreates lukewarm content.
In the wild
A business consultant publishes a clear argument that founders should not sacrifice customer trust for short-term conversion gains. The post attracts owners who value durable relationships and repels prospects seeking aggressive manipulation tactics.
→ The consultant receives fewer poor-fit inquiries and more conversations with aligned clients.
Jasmine says she wants listeners either to like her because the conversation moved them to action or to dislike her clearly expressed style. She prefers either response to being forgettably lukewarm.
→ Her content functions as an audience-alignment mechanism rather than a universal-approval campaign.
Common mistakes
Provoking without a principle
Controversy created solely for attention may repel everyone without attracting a durable aligned audience.
Measuring only applause
Positive reactions alone do not show whether the message clarified fit or inspired relevant action.
Using clarity as an excuse for cruelty
A position can be specific and polarizing without insulting, stereotyping, or dehumanizing people.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for established creators and businesses that need clearer positioning and stronger audience alignment.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for manufacturing outrage, attacking vulnerable groups, or making unsupported claims solely to generate engagement.
From the transcript
“Number one, I want to attract you or I want to repeal you.”
“I am unafraid of you having an opinion about me that isn't favorable.”
“I don't want to be lukewarm because somebody's going spit me out of their mouth.”
From the episode
Fake It Til You Make It? Building A Business Despite Your Doubts