In case you missed this month’s issue of The 23rd…

Previously, I confessed to encountering message chaos (the worst kind of chaos, IMO) in my own world. You can read it here, icymi.

I had let the weeds grow around my social profiles so I’ve been refreshing them.

It’s an ongoing process with all my content because as the business evolves and focus gets dialed in, message sharpens, too. So, big chunks of my week are focused on writing these days.

Even if you’re not in the midst of a message refresh, I know you’re writing something for your business nearly every day: a newsletter, a proposal, a tricky email, web copy, a book.

So here’s my “secret sauce” for writing anything:

The Four Essential Content Questions

I always ask myself four questions to ground myself in the outcomes I want and the points of view I need to address before I start to write.

1. What am I trying to say?
   Get specific. What’s the one thing you really need your reader to know? Keep asking, “okay, what about that?” to get to the root.
   
   Example: I want people to know how to set themselves up for creating great content.
   
   
   

2. Who am I saying it to?
   Imagine your reader. What’s going on for them? What are they doing when this gets their attention?
   
   Example: A small business owner who’s kind of annoyed that running a business requires doing a lot of stuff outside their genius work.
   
   
   

3. What’s my why?
   Also known as “what’s in it for me?” Content without a why is noise.
   
   Example: Because I want to share a simple tool that I’ve been using for years that helps me create better content.

   
   

4. What’s their why?

   Imagine your reader again. What’s in it for them? Why would your reader care?
   
   Example: Because creating content is a drag, takes up a ton of time and never ends up being what I want it to be. Got something to make it easier? Bring it on.

These Four Essential Content Questions can help you focus on what needs to be said in a way that your audience is most likely to hear.

Try them and let me know if you see any content shifts.

“Well Said Wednesday” is a blog by Barbara Govednik, Message Strategist, Editor and Founder of 4.23 Communication. It’s published every other Wednesday…ish.