Branding Byte #012

When I started creating content the biggest challenge I faced was structuring my posts. I kept asking myself if was there a specific way to have a head start and create content that resonated with people.

Unfortunately, I only found out about Templates 4 months in… And to be fair they could have fastened my growth and decreased the time I needed to write a post.

I know that struggle, which is why I decided to share more of those here, but I am adding something on top (See what I would do for you?). Having a template is great, but having a clear example of what it looks like when used is better.

The must? Having a clear and concise explanation on why it performed well, the type that can be then used to write your templates.

That’s exactly what you’ll find in today’s newsletter:

• 4 templates

• 4 of my posts

• 4 explanations

Those 4 posts resulted in:

• 50 000 impressions

• 1157 engagements

• 600 followers

• 5 inbound leads

I am giving you what I wished I had 8 months ago. Make the most out of it and share with me how it goes for you.

The last thing before jumping in, please if you liked this format answer this email or send me a message on Linkedin!

Template 1: The Mistake.

One mistake {negative action} your {desire}

(It’s not the one you think)

Stop {mistake most people do}

So here are some rules:

• Rule 1

• Rule 2

• Rule 3

• Rule 4

Don’t {another form of the mistake}

Try this instead:

• {Step 1 of your actionable advice}

• {Step 2 of your actionable advice}

• {Step 3 of your actionable advice}

{Bold and simple claim to get the desired state}

{Undirect/Funny statement on the mistake}

My post as an example: Click Here

Why did this template perform well?

Simplicity is the main reason this post performed so well. People love actionable insights, but what they love even more is one Idea that strikes them as soon as they read your hook.

Here’s what you should learn from this post:

• One Idea = One mistake

• Negative action = Call to emotions

• Desire = Call to benefits

Yet there’s another thing that worked, the first sentence gives time to reflect and question:

• What is the mistake?

Your goal is to push this reflection further, which is why I wrote: ‘It’s not the one you think’. Increment suspense to get that ‘I want to learn more from this post reaction.

3 questions to make it yours:

• What desires do I know my audience is experiencing?

• What common mistakes are they making?

• What framework can I put forward to solve this?

Template 2: The Worry.

Worried your {specific entity} fails to get {desire}? Use this:

{Name of your method}

{More context of the method to make it clearer}:

• {Step 1}

• {Step 2}

• {Step 3}

• {Step 4}

• {Step 5}

Stop {main mistake people do} and focus on {your solution}

{Bold statement that confirms your solution}

Try this for a month and see what happens.

My post as an example: Click Here

Why did this template perform well?

When writing a post, your priority is to answer the following question as soon as possible:

→ What’s in it for me?

Because that’s how our brains are wired to analyze information and decide whether or not we should act in a specific way.

The ‘Use this' makes it a no-brainer, you provide the reader with a specific actionable framework, so it’s clear what they will learn from your post.

If prior to that you nailed the pain identification, which is the case with what came before, you got the perfect mix to make people read your post.

3 questions to make it yours:

• What are the common worries regarding your audience's desires?

• What method did you personally use to get rid of them?

• What context/process can you share to make your post actionable?

Template 3: The Desire.

Zero {desire} on your {object of the desire}?

I know the {emphasis the struggle} and there’s a solution:

My first {X months} of {action to get the desire}:

• Action 1 with no results

• Action 2 with no results

• Action 3 with no results

But I kept {Action to get desire)

Until I understood the following:

• Must do action 1

• Must do action 2

• Must do action 3

It’s not about {mistake you did}

It’s all about {what you corrected}

My post as an example: Click Here

Why did this template perform well?

Numbers are a good way to call on people’s emotions. It’s an instant stop scroll, especially when using round numbers like 0.

I affirmed that the struggle experienced was real and I went there, I am empathetic with my readers and state clearly that there’s a solution.

When I do the comparison between what I used to do and what is required to get the desired state, I bridge the gap between legitimacy, trust, and my persona.

This may be one of the favorite frameworks for a post I ever wrote, and it can be duplicated to any industry and use case you want to put forward.

3 questions to make it yours:

• What are the objects of your audience's desires?

• What struggles did you experience? And in what temporality?

• What did you learn to overcome them?

Template 4: The Struggle

Struggling/failing to {desired outcome}

You didn’t understand the following:

{Bold statement on one mistake}

Stop these:

• Common mistake 1

• Common mistake 2

• Common mistake 3

• Common mistake 4

Do these instead:

• Uncommon action 1

• Uncommon action 2

• Uncommon action 3

• Uncommon action 4

It’s that {focus on simple words}, no magic.

Just the {focus on reality}

My post as an example: Click Here

Why did this post perform?

This one is a bit different as it’s not a question of empathy but more of provocation.

Stating that your readers didn’t understand something can irritate some of them as they don’t expect you to write such a thing.

At the same time, it increases suspense and desire to prove you're wrong and they know exactly why a post performed well.

But the actionable guidelines I shared just after converting the ‘I want to prove him wrong’ to ‘I want to use this method, just in case I am wrong’.

The simplicity of this post lies in the wording I used to describe what should be done and what shouldn’t.

3 questions to make it yours:

• What uncommon vision do you have over a specific mistake your audience is making?

• What actionable process can you share to make it stop?

• How does it correspond to the transformational state your audience desires?

That’s a wrap for today guys!

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I hope this can help you in your creator journey.

If you found that useful, follow me on Linkedin, I help 3900+ people daily leverage growth through content creation.

Till next week for a new Branding Byte!