Content Marketing Strategist

How much is too much?
And how little is too little?

That’s the question I get asked a lot by my clients when it comes to sharing personal stories in their content. 

You want show personality in your content, but you don’t want to cross that line into the “everyone knows my business” territory.

Your personality is your unique selling point. It’s the one thing no one else can copy. 

Your stories are what make your brand relatable, human, and memorable, and when you use them intentionally, they can sell for you.

The good news is that you don’t have to share every detail of your life to build trust, and you get to choose what you share. 

But the content that will connect with your ideal clients are the stories that mean something to your audience, the kind that help people connect the dots between who you are and how you can help them.

Here’s how to do that without oversharing, feeling like you’re being judged by your nearest and dearest, or cringing at your own posts (which I still do sometimes).

1. Share moments, not milestones

You don’t need a huge “life update” to make a point. The best stories are often found in the small, everyday moments that your audience recognises.

When I posted about making sales from talking about the weather, it wasn’t really about the weather. It was about being relatable. The kind of post that gets people commenting, chatting, and remembering you.

You can do the same with moments that show what you value: a conversation with a client, something that happened on your morning walk, or that slightly awkward small talk moment that led to a big realisation about your business.

Moments create connection because they’re real. And connection leads to clients.

2. Make your story about them

A story should make your audience see themselves in it. If they can relate, they’ll care, and if they care, they’ll buy.

Before you share a story, ask yourself: “What’s in this for my ideal client?”

If you’re sharing how you stayed up until midnight rewriting your website, the story isn’t about your lack of sleep, it’s about showing your audience that clarity takes time and intention, and that’s exactly what you help people create.

Take this story I shared about being dyslexic and having ADHD. Yes, this post was about my own frustrations, but it was really about how my ideal clients are feeling. It’s relatable because my ideal clients get frustrated too. Like me, they are perfectionists, hate making mistakes, and want to show up polished and professional.

This story said the things they are really thinking and feeling but don’t like to say out loud.

You’re not the hero in your story. your client is. You’re just showing what’s possible for them through your experience.

3. Boundaries vs getting uncomfortable

You can be open without being exposed. Decide upfront what’s off-limits for you. Family, relationships, health, whatever feels too personal doesn’t need to make it into your content.

Just because others might be doing it, doesn’t mean you have to as well.

But there’s a difference between having boundaries and staying comfortable. Boundaries protect your privacy. Comfort zones protect your fears.

Sometimes the reason you hold back isn’t because something is truly private. It’s because you’re worried about what people will think. Maybe your old boss might see it, or your mum, or that friend from school who still doesn’t really get what you do. Or maybe you’re worried it’ll make you look “less professional.”

You don’t need to expose your private life to build trust, but you do need to show enough of you that people can connect. Boundaries are there to protect you, not to hide you.

4. Keep your message at the centre

Every story needs a point. Every piece of content needs a purpose, and a clear call to action.

If the purpose isn’t clear, or shows what you have to offer, how you help, or what you believe in, it’s costing your business time and money.

When you share a story, ask:

• What do I want people to feel or think after this?
• Does it link to what I offer or believe in?
• Does it have a clear purpose and call to action?

If the answer’s yes, share it.

5. Share your truth with purpose

It’s completely fine to share deeper, more emotional stories, even the ones that come from tough experiences. Those are often the stories that create the strongest connection. But how and why you share them matters.

The goal isn’t to post for sympathy or shock value. It’s to show what you’ve learned, how it’s shaped you, and how it connects to the work you do now. That’s what turns a personal moment into something powerful for your audience.

Because when you use your story with purpose, not performance, it becomes one of the most authentic ways to connect and sell.

Final thoughts

You don’t need to tell your life story to make sales, or bombard your audience with your inner most personal thoughts.

People don’t buy from the business that shouts the loudest. They buy from the one is relatable that they feel the most connected to, who shares their values and has had similar experiences.

You get to choose what you share, but at the end of the day, your content always needs to be about your clients, not you.