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Hey Reader,

An idea pops into your head.

Quick!

You grab your phone, piece of paper, or, if you're in the shower, your waterproof dry-erase marker (lol, yep some people do this), and write it down before you forget.

Later on, you turn that idea into content.

Brilliant!

Except...

Was it all a waste of time?

You'd be surprised how many people, even experienced people who've been creating content for ages and have their pillars locked in, waste their time on pre-baked ideas.

See, I've been doing a ton of Content Sparring 🥊 sessions since I launched my new offer 4 weeks ago. I'm working primarily with seasoned solopreneurs who've been creating content for years.

And still, the first question I ask them at the start of every call is: Why did you feel it was important to write about this?

What comes next is always fascinating to see.

Sometimes, there's a well-thought out, specific reason for a piece of content.

But just as often, the response veers toward, "I don't really know — it just popped into my head."

Say, for example, that brilliant idea you had in the shower was about how you (a hypothetical fractional head of content) run interviews when hiring writers.

You write the draft.

It takes shape as a listicle about the questions you ask during an interview process and how you determine who moves forward. It feels good to get it out of your head and onto paper.

Except...

Once you're done, in hindsight, you realize you're not hiring anyone for your clients right now. In fact, you've just lost a client and are on the hunt for a new one.

"Aha!" I exclaim (as the writing coach in the situation). "I know why you wrote about this, but we need to restructure the narrative."

You see, in this case, sharing tactical tips about a hiring process likely won't make your ideal clients stop the scroll.

Instead, you'll hook writers on the hunt for jobs, keen to learn how to improve their applications or interviews.

That type of content has a time and a place, but "amplification" content (as I call it) often doesn't lead to new business. It's fantastic for reach, but rarely converts.

So, instead of writing a tactical listicle about the hiring process, it could be more impactful to present it as a conceptual 'think' piece.

It could start with the problem: "Most B2B teams get several things wrong when it comes to hiring content writers."

Then agitate the pain: "This costs them 100s of hours and 1000s of dollars in billable hours."

And transition into the solution: "Here's how I hire A-player writers for the B2B startups I consult with (and save them from common mistakes):"

Now, the content is speaking directy to the ideal client who has a talent problem to solve, rather than writers looking for a job.

The best part?

Writers will likely still amplify it. But dream clients will also see it, potentially engage, and even send DMs asking for a conversation.

My big point here?

Most people build their ideas without giving them enough time to bake.

If you're anything like me, you've got a zillion ideas floating around in your brain at any given moment.

I get the allure to post something before you've thought a ton about it.

But the most impactful ideas are ones you've spent time thinking through.

Ask yourself these 5 questions before you build your idea

Here's how I teach people to qualify their ideas (so they don't waste time posting underbaked thoughts that won't move the needle):

📌 Question 1: "Why do you feel it's important to write about this?"​
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"I want/need to write about this because..."
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Everything that comes after the ellipses is GOLD. You'll immediately start rambling about why you care about this topic and why you think others should, too.
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Save this ramble as "MAIN IDEA"
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​📌 Question 2: "What happens if people don't learn about this?"​
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Dig into the pain people experience related to this main idea.

For example, B2B startups likely hire tons of freelancers who don't live up to their expectations. They need to learn about your process because it speaks directly to the reason why they're struggling.
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Save this as "PAIN POINT"
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​📌 Question 3: "How can people solve this problem?"​
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List out all the ways people can overcome this issue. Make sure to get specific and go beyond general ways to overcome it.

Save this as "HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEM"
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​📌 Question 4: "What do you want people to walk away with?"

Every piece of content needs a takeaway.

When you include a takeaway, you empower readers to get started, make a change, or overcome a hurdle. And if they succeed, they’ll remember who inspired them and showed them the light. Which builds trust.
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Save this as "TAKEAWAY"
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​📌 Question 5: How do you want to structure this message?​
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Knowing how you want to structure a post makes writing it so much easier.
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Do you want to tell a story? Write a listicle? Share a transition moment? Make a sale? Each of those posts has a different style you can outline ahead of time.
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Save this as "POST STRUCTURE"
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You now have your:
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​📌 MAIN IDEA
📌 PAIN POINT
📌 HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEM
📌 TAKEAWAY
📌 POST STRUCTURE​
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It's 85% done.
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From here, it's just about filling in the blanks.
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When you know what questions to ask, you'll never struggle with blank page syndrome. And you'll never share an underbaked idea because you've spent the time thinking through why you're writing it in the first place (and who you're speaking to).
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Give it a try! Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Erica

PS. Got this amazing DM a few days ago from a new Content Editing 101 student:

I love this so much because most people who decide to learn editing consider themselves decent writers already. They know in the back of their minds that editing is important, but don't invest in it until they reach a "I'm ready to grow more" place in their journey.

Nine times out of ten, they're amazed at how powerful self-editing is right away.

It makes me grin every single time, because I remember that feeling so well. There's nothing quite like upskilling, and it makes me so happy to be a part of people's progress.

Check out my 3 courses that 1600+ people have taken, loved, and gotten meaningful results from:

1. Long to Short: Turn one long-form piece into a month's worth of posts. A step-by-step system to repurpose, remix, and remaster your best ideas.

2. Hooked on Writing Hooks: Turn your ideas into content that actually gets consumed. Learn to write scroll-stopping hooks on social without resorting to clickbait nonsense that feels inauthentic.

3. Content Editing 101. Kill decision fatigue and build confidence as a writer and editor. A look inside a professional editor's workflow & best practices. Packed with lessons, examples, and a roadmap so you can stop second-guessing your writing & editing decisions.

Each course is AI-powered 🪄

You can go through them manually or use AI to play, get it done faster, and test your new skills in real time. My friend & prompt genius Rob Lennon wrote all the prompts and bots for the courses.

What'd you think of today's email? Reply and let me know.

Erica Schneider

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