Problem-solving. Playful. Punchy. Personal. Purposeful.

Make your content a mix of the four Ps.

Problem-solving. Playful. Punchy. Personal. Purposeful.

Wait, what? That’s five Ps! Allow me to explain. 👇

🅿️ Purpose is a given.

Every post needs to be shared with purpose. This is your why. You don’t have to ask why you are WRITING. Everyone should write every day, if possible. The benefits are well documented.

You need to know why you are POSTING. Posting and sharing your writing magically transforms it into content, and all of your content needs to match your mission.

(Don’t have a mission? You should. We’ll cover that later.)Your always-purposeful content should be a mix of the following Ps. Some will try to nail down percentages. But I say keep it organic. As long as you have all the ingredients, what you bake is up to you.

🅿️ Problem-solving is a must.

If you offer a product or service, some of your content needs to be focused on problem-solving. Because people and businesses without problems do not need products and services.

Can’t run around naked? Can’t sew? Need clothes.

Can’t drive traffic to your website or convert visitors to buyers? Need copywriting advice.

Can’t make your kids do their chores? Need carrots and sticks!

Use your life lessons as fodder for your problem-solving posts. We can learn from *your* mistakes so we don’t have to make them! (And we’ll thank you for it later.)

🅿️ Playfulness is human.

Words are a writer’s carnival. Be playful in your content, have fun, enjoy. You can goof around and still bring immense value. (That’s living the dream, no?)

Play and joy help your readers relax and connect. Even if your business is terribly technical or your cause is quite serious, you can still bring a lightheartedness to your tone that will draw people in.

🅿️ And punch is divine.

Be punchy on occasion. Punch is vivid, vibrant, spirited, contrarian, straightforward. The ever-popular “unpopular opinion.” Embrace a strong point of view. You can still be curious and open-minded. They are not mutually exclusive.

‍Dictionary.com defines punchy as “being or appearing vigorously effective.” I didn’t expect that, but what a no-brainer. Please always be vigorously effective.

🅿️ Personal is the new professional.

Experiment with making some of your content about, well, you. But, to paraphrase Glennon Doyle, always write from the scar, never from the wound. Be reflective and objective. Talk about experiences that have given you more empathy with others. Look at both your wins and your setbacks through the lens of learning.

Talk about your family and friends and even your new kittens.

I’m looking at you, Merry & Chris. 🐾

‍

Raised in a military family, Jessica brings a literal world of experience to her clients. With more than 20 years as a business journalist, editor, and copywriter, Jessica helps organizations connect with their stakeholders through storytelling, branding, and content marketing. She's especially excited about helping people build online reputations that will carry them wherever they want to go! Learn more about Jessica at https://www.linkedin.com/in/contentbyjessicaswanson/.