The Rule of Three: Why Less is More in Marketing.the rule of three applies in Maths, photography and even life skills this part is compelling
I used to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
LinkedIn posts, Instagram stories, TikTok videos, Twitter threads, email newsletters, Pinterest boards, podcast appearances, webinars, and whatever new platform launched that week. I was spreading myself so thin across marketing channels that I might as well have been invisible.
Sound familiar?
The breaking point came when I realized I was spending more time managing platforms than actually connecting with my audience. My content was mediocre across twelve channels instead of excellent on three. That’s when I discovered something that changed everything: the rule of three.
The Power of Three in Communication
The rule of three isn’t just a writing technique—it’s how our brains naturally organize and remember information. From “stop, look, and listen” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the most memorable messages come in threes.
Why? Because three creates the perfect balance:
- Two feels incomplete (like you’re missing something)
- Three feels complete (a satisfying pattern)
- Four or more feels overwhelming (too much to process)
This same principle applies to marketing channels. When you try to master every platform, you master none. When you focus on three, magic happens.
My Marketing Channel Overwhelm Story
Two years ago, my “marketing strategy” looked like a Pinterest board explosion. I was posting daily on Instagram, trying to crack the TikTok algorithm, maintaining a LinkedIn presence, sending weekly newsletters, guest posting on blogs, appearing on podcasts, running Facebook ads, and experimenting with Clubhouse (remember that?).
The results were predictably awful:
- Inconsistent messaging across platforms
- Burnout from constant content creation
- Zero meaningful engagement
- No clear path for audience growth
- Analysis paralysis from too many metrics to track
I was doing everything, which meant I was doing nothing well. The stress was crushing my creativity, and my audience could sense the scattered energy.
The Three-Channel Solution
After months of frustration, I made a radical decision: I would focus on exactly three marketing channels. Not two, not four—three.
But which three? I evaluated each platform based on:
- Where my ideal audience actually spent time
- Which formats played to my natural strengths
- What I could realistically maintain at a high quality
- Where I saw the most authentic engagement
The winners were blogs, YouTube, and Facebook.
Why These Three Work
Blogs became my foundation—the home base where I could dive deep into topics, establish authority, and create searchable content that works for me long-term.
YouTube let me connect face-to-face with my audience, explain complex concepts visually, and tap into the world’s second-largest search engine.
Facebook provided the community aspect—a place for real conversations, audience feedback, and relationship building that felt natural rather than performative.
Together, these three channels created a powerful ecosystem. Blog posts became YouTube scripts. YouTube videos drove traffic back to detailed blog articles. Facebook fostered the community discussions that sparked ideas for both.
The Results of Focusing on Three
Six months after narrowing my focus, everything changed:
- Content quality improved dramatically because I could invest real time in fewer pieces
- Audience engagement tripled because my energy wasn’t scattered
- My message became crystal clear across all platforms
- Stress levels plummeted while results soared
- I actually enjoyed marketing again instead of dreading it
The rule of three didn’t just improve my marketing—it saved my sanity.
How to Apply the Rule of Three to Your Marketing
Ready to stop spreading yourself thin? Here’s how to choose your three channels:
Step 1: Audit Your Current Efforts List every marketing channel you’re currently using. Be honest about which ones are actually working versus which ones you feel obligated to maintain.
Step 2: Identify Your Strengths Are you a natural writer? Visual storyteller? Community builder? Choose channels that amplify your existing talents rather than forcing you to develop completely new skills.
Step 3: Find Your Audience Where do your ideal customers actually spend their time? Don’t choose platforms because they’re trendy—choose them because your people are there.
Step 4: Consider Synergy Your three channels should complement each other. Can content easily flow between them? Do they create natural touchpoints in your customer journey?
Step 5: Test and Commit Give your chosen three channels at least six months of focused effort before making changes. Consistency beats perfection every time.
The Freedom of Constraints
Choosing only three marketing channels isn’t limiting—it’s liberating. When you stop trying to be everywhere, you can finally be somewhere that matters.
The rule of three works because it forces you to prioritize, focus, and execute at a higher level. Instead of being mediocre everywhere, you become excellent somewhere.
Your audience doesn’t need you on every platform. They need you to show up consistently and authentically where you choose to be.
So pick your three channels, commit to them fully, and watch what happens when you stop spreading yourself thin and start going deep.
After all, it’s better to be a master of three than a jack of all trades and master of none.
You can learn more about this in the new Affiliate bootcamp availaibe at Wealthy Affiliate