Why The 1–3 Product Strategy Is Key To Your Digital Marketing
In a world with ever-increasing options, simplicity cuts through the noise. That’s the foundation of the ‘1–3 product strategy’, a focused approach to launching and promoting products that proves that less is more.
As digital marketing expert Abiola Babarinde explained in our recent masterclass, Level-Up Your Digital Marketing, this strategy is essential for modern brands - and especially small businesses - navigating the overwhelming digital marketplace. Here’s how to incorporate it into your strategy.
Why less is more
In the past, businesses have tried to catch customers’ attention by advertising an abundance of products - but the digital marketing of today is flipping the script.
“Digital marketing removes a lot of the historical layers and barriers to entry that we had around being able to sell our products and services. And that also means that the way that we do things needs to change.” says Abiola. In the fast-paced online landscape, where attention spans are short and distractions endless on platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram, simplicity wins.
“Your customers can't focus on multiple things at once,” she says. Between life, work, and other brands competing for their attention, it’s a lot to ask for your audience to put full focus on your product range. Overwhelming customers with a sprawling offering only leads to decision paralysis - meaning they move on without buying anything at all.
Abiola recommends advertising between one and three of your products at any given moment. Minimising the amount of products you’re promoting gives you space to maximise the marketing attention you give to them, making it easier for you to convey your brand message - and for your customers to understand it.
How to incorporate the 1–3 product strategy into your business
Pick your products
Select between one and three products to spotlight in your new digital marketing strategy. These are the ones that will define your brand going forward and set the tone for everything that follows.
Craft a singular story
Link your products with a unifying theme or narrative. This could be a signature ingredient, a unique process, or a lifestyle aspiration. Abiola uses the example of Rhode Skin, Hailey Bieber’s skincare range that initially launched three products with the same ‘glazed donut’-style imagery.
Even if you launched your products months - or even years - ago, creating a sense of product cohesion in your storytelling and imagery will help build a new sense of brand understanding in the eyes of your audience.
Focus your energy
Promoting multiple products dilutes your marketing efforts. Instead, go all-in on your core items, ensuring each gets the attention and resources it deserves.
Scale strategically
Once your initial products are established and your audience understands your brand, expand your marketing to include more products. By then, your loyal customers will be excited to see what’s next.
Why it works
Abiola says that this approach is particularly useful for small businesses with limited resources. Promoting fewer products allows you to focus your marketing efforts, making it easier to stand out in a crowded space. It’s also scalable: by mastering one launch, you create a blueprint for future success.
Simplicity builds brand recall. The goal is for customers to immediately associate your brand with a specific need or experience. Whether you’re the go-to for curly haircare or your candles are award-winning, the key is to make that connection easy and intuitive.
Simplicity is key
“We all have big dreams and that’s very valuable - but it doesn’t mean we have to do it all at once,” Abiola says. The 1–3 product strategy reminds us that focus is the real power move.
Whether you’re a new business or just reworking your digital strategy, you need to narrow your offerings, sharpen your message, and make it easy for customers to understand what you bring to the table. With this approach, you’re not limiting yourself: you’re setting the stage for long-term growth.
