Creating content worth publishing
The best content writers are empathetic listeners.
We need to cultivate our ability to tune into the needs of others, and then use our creativity and insight to build helpful, meaningful resources that respond to those needs. When it comes down to it, all good writing, no matter the topic, structure, word choice, or purpose, makes you feel
... See moreNarrative-market fit is that intersection between:
Questions your audience is asking
Questions you can credibly answer
Topics that are valuable for your business.
When you have that figured out, you know which topics to write on and which to decline.
Tell the internet a story
ghostagency.substack.com
Emotions to spark with your writing
Meaning and point of view are essential for anything worthy of our attention. It’s about a sense of purpose and personality that goes beyond mere information transmission. It’s about paying attention, and not outsourcing observation. In a world increasingly populated by auto-generated content, the combination of substance and style will rise above
Carly Ayres • On substance with style
Ideas become insights when they meet the following criteria:
Novel—is this idea new or is it at least a fresh take on an existing idea
Actionable—can my audience immediately act on the idea?
High-leverage—when my audience acts on the idea, can it meaningfully change their work or their lives?
[Julian Shapiro]
Why frameworks beat fractured ideas, every time
creativeconstructs.substack.com
Before you make a claim or argument, ask, “So, what?”
Your whole audience and your ideal customers are asking, What's In It For Me? Why should I care?
Anticipate and address skepticism or disinterest from readers, and write and edit with the skeptical reader in mind.
How do you get them to listen to you? Why should they?
If you were arguing with them
Every next question you ask and every next thing you publish is a chance to further develop your IP and become known for your ideas. Those ideas and that IP supersede every project or offering for your business. In other words, upstream from what you're selling and the content you create is the premise you wish to own and the surrounding material... See more
Jay Acunzo • A Prompt from John Mulaney: How to Come Up with Better Ideas for Content in Less Time
Pressing your curiosity through a premise