Some of you may know that I’ve been working on a book for the past year or two. And you may have stopped asking about it because of the pained and frazzled expression that occasionally flashed across my face at the question. If this was the case with you, bless you.
The good news is that it’s finally drafted! 🎉 In Content To Connect: Authentic Messaging and Marketing to Grow Your Business, I look at a topic dear to my heart: how to craft content that genuinely connects with your audience.
To you, this might not sound like anything to get all emotional about. But I believe that creating moments of connection is of vital importance to all of us. If, for example, you happen to attend as many networking events and conferences and meetings as I do, you’ll know how exhilarating (and relieving) it is to get into an inspiring conversation about a matter of shared passion or concern with a person who surprises, challenges, and delights you—and how memorable that experience is.
Conversely, you’ll recognize the dread and discomfort that arises deep from the chambers of your heart or gut when someone else greets you with eyes already flitting to the next target as they ask you what line of work you’re in while waiting for their turn to deliver their pre-rehearsed elevator spiel or to pitch you on something banal. These are annoying encounters because they waste all of our precious time, and utterly waste our potential. Each of us can do and be better than that.
Every interaction, whether human to human or via the intermediary of content or writing or some other brilliant form of authentic communication, has the power to change someone for the better. And yes, this even—or maybe especially—applies to marketing for purpose-led businesses. After all, people with ideas, passion, and vision spend time and precious energy on evolving ideas into products and services designed to help people in some way, or advance a cause. These are incredible stories to tell. And it is possible to achieve marketing gain by telling them.
After all, why be boring and vacant–in life or in marketing–when you could be fabulous, utterly unique YOU?
My ongoing thirst for more authentic communication in our business lives is the beating heart of the book. And that beating heart relies on what I’ve come to call the Content Value Proposition (CVP): a framework for defining and creating content that engages, builds trust, and drives real results.
I adapted it for use in content marketing from the seriously brilliant Strategyzer model for product development (for which it was initially developed).
Also Read: How to Achieve a Conversational Tone in Your Writing
Adapting the Strategyzer Model
The Strategyzer Value Proposition Canvas, developed by Alex Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur, Greg Bernardo, and Alan Smith, is a tool initially designed to help businesses define (and refine) the unique value that their product or service provides to customers—what they call their value proposition.
Noting that this was designed as a tool to help businesses define and refine their products and services, the gist is that you develop your products and services to meet the needs of your audience.
But why not also, I thought, use it as a communication tool and consider how your content can directly address your customers’ needs and pain points while informing them about your products and services?
Here, I’m excited to show you how this works, sharing a preview of how you might use this approach to identify your audience’s needs and create content that truly delivers value.
How to Determine Your Content Value Proposition
If you’ve ever tried to write a blog post or article of general interest to everyone, you may have noticed something. You can get that article to a smart-sounding, and fairly polished state, offering some helpful information and, you think, value to some. It rounds out your marketing calendar nicely, checks the right boxes in terms of your core topics, and fills up your social feeds—yet also utterly fails to spark interest or response with your most important audiences.
On the other hand, when you post a behind-the-scenes post with a caption that speaks to something that makes you laugh, or feel excited about, or that’s just plain goofy, you get traction and comments galore.
What the heck is going on?
Your failed article might come down to a sentiment expressed in the old marketing adage, “when you try to reach everyone, you speak to no one.” To wit: you’ve generalized your way out of value. You’ve created an article that hasn’t connected glorious you—with your knowledge, experience, and empathy for your customers—with your audience, addressing or speaking to the specific, and very human, challenges or problems they’re desperately hoping for someone to see, understand, and fix.
Take that in stark contrast with your behind-the-scenes, from-the-heart post where you shared something about you that felt real and true to your audience. Something connected there. And in my experience, you can use the Content Value Proposition approach to figure out exactly what.
Figuring out your Content Value Proposition is a simple, effective way to get laser-focused on what your audience most wants and needs from you, and what they’re going to value about your content.
When you understand the jobs your audience is trying to accomplish, the very real pain points they’re grappling with, and the gains and outcomes they’re hoping for, you’re able to create content that’s not just useful, but essential to your audience—and they come back looking for more.
But before I get into the framework, let’s talk about how to identify your audience in the first place.
Step 1: Identify and Understand Your Audience
Before you can create content that addresses jobs, pain points and gains, you need to know who you’re speaking to. Too often, we think we know our audience, but we’re off-target.
Here are a few ways to get to know your audience:
- Talk to them directly. This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to skip. Whether through customer interviews, focus groups, or one-on-one conversations, listen to your audience’s real concerns and goals. What’s frustrating them right now? What are they working toward?
- Analyze your existing data. Dig into your website analytics, social media engagement, and email reports. Which topics are getting the most traction? Are there common questions or concerns your audience keeps coming back to?
- Use social listening tools. Keep an ear to the ground in online forums, groups, or social media channels relevant to your industry. What are people talking about? What questions are being asked repeatedly?
- Conduct customer surveys…or just ask ‘em directly! If you have an email list, send out a short survey asking about your audience’s top challenges, goals, and how they use content. My preference, though, is to simply ask prospective clients (I do this when I conduct Discovery calls) and, of course, to take close note when we develop our strategic roadmaps. The words and phrases your customers use are like gold when it comes to developing your messaging and content.
By using a mix of direct feedback and data, you’ll start to build a clearer picture of who your audience is and what they need. With this understanding, you’re ready to apply the Content Value Proposition Framework.
Also Read: How to a Create Meaningful Connection Between You and Your Audience
Step 2: Identify Your Audience’s Jobs to Be Done
The first component of the Content Value Proposition Framework is understanding your audience’s jobs to be done. This means identifying what your audience is trying to accomplish. It could be something professional, like boosting their business visibility, or personal, like finding better work-life balance.
But it’s important to go beyond surface-level goals. We’re not just asking, “What do they want?” but “What’s driving them?” For example, if your audience is small business owners, their job isn’t just to sell products or services. It’s to build a sustainable, profitable business. That’s a much deeper, more motivating goal.
How to identify jobs to be done:
- Ask directly. Whether through interviews or surveys, ask your audience what they’re trying to achieve. What’s their ultimate goal? What are the smaller tasks they need to complete to get there?
- Analyze common behaviour patterns. Look at your audience’s online habits—what types of content are they consuming? Are they downloading how-to guides, attending webinars, or searching for specific advice?
Once you know the jobs your audience needs to get done, you can tailor your content to help them accomplish those goals. The more aligned your content is with their aspirations, the more value it delivers.
Step 3: Recognize Your Audience’s Pain Points
Next, you need to understand the pain points that are standing in the way of your audience’s goals. Pain points are the frustrations, challenges, or obstacles that make achieving their jobs difficult. This is where empathy becomes crucial. If you can show that you understand their struggles and offer practical solutions, you’ll build trust and credibility.
Let’s take our small business owners again. Their marketing-related pain points might include not having enough time to create effective marketing materials, lacking a clear strategy, or feeling overwhelmed by content creation tools. Each of these represents an opportunity for you to provide relief.
Here’s how to uncover audience pain points:
- Monitor questions and complaints. Look for recurring themes in customer support inquiries, social media comments, or online reviews. What are your customers or potential customers truly and regularly struggling with (concerning your product or service)? Is there a way your content might help them directly, or help educate them
- Review industry discussions. Stay plugged into industry forums, blogs, or social media communities where your audience might be discussing their challenges. The more you listen, the better you’ll understand what’s getting in their way.
- Ask them! Find out from good customers how they found you, including what they searched for and what their main urgent problem or challenge was when they went seeking a solution.
By understanding these pain points thoroughly, you can address them directly in your content—offering solutions, tips, educated insights, or strategies—you’re positioning yourself as a problem-solver.
And people adore content that solves their problems.
Also Read: How to Reach Your Target Audience on Social Media as a Purpose-Led Brand
Step 4: Identify the Potential Gains
While pain points represent what your audience is trying to avoid, gains are what they’re trying to achieve. We all want a win, right?
Gains can be practical, like improving efficiency, or more emotional, like feeling confident or inspired.
Start by thinking about what success looks like for your audience. For example, your small business owners may be striving for gains such as increased visibility, higher customer engagement, or even the freedom that comes from having a reliable content strategy in place.
How to identify the gains your audience is looking for:
- Ask about goals and success metrics. In meetings with existing clients, or surveys or interviews with prospective clients, simply ask your audience what their ideal outcome looks like. How would they define success after using your product, service, or content? My favourite question in discovery calls with prospective clients is: “If we were to work together, how do you envision your world changing for the better?” It turns up all kinds of both practical and emotional hoped-for outcomes and ‘wins’.
- Measure your best content: Review your top-performing content and look for patterns in the gains, benefits or wins it’s promising. For example, are people gravitating toward topics about business growth, personal development, or operational efficiency?
Also Read: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Features Every Content Marketer Should Know About
When you highlight the potential gains your content can deliver, you tap into your audience’s aspirations and show how your content will help them reach their desired outcomes.
Step 5: Create Messaging to Deliver Value
Once you’ve identified your audience’s jobs to be done, pain points, and gains with some confidence, you’ll have created a solid foundation for audience empathy, so that you can clarify how your content can meet them where they are. It boils down to this: what does your content need to express to get the marketing results you need?
My favourite way to do this is with a four-part question.
What do you need your audience to do as a result of interacting with your content … what does your audience need to understand, feel, and believe about your business or brand in order to help drive that audience action?
- What does your audience need to DO as a result of your content/messaging?
- What must they KNOW to take that action?
- What do you want your content and messaging to make them FEEL?
- What do you need them to BELIEVE about your brand to take action?
The key here is to align your content ideas with the insights you’ve gathered, ensuring it delivers on the logical understanding your audience needs, and on their emotional needs, too: what they need to feel and believe about you to take some action (e.g., buy from you, sign up for your content, subscribe to your newsletter, etc.) to help your business grow?
Also Read: Better Audience Personas = Better Marketing Messaging = Better Business Results
Building a Values-Led Content Strategy
Reflecting back on those meaningful connections and conversations that leave you feeling truly seen, you likely know first-hand the difference authenticity makes. Whether it’s chatting about Fleuvogs and Ween at a networking event or through the content you share, your audience can sense when you’ve taken the time to truly understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations.
Your Content Value Proposition Framework is more than a tool; it’s an invitation to step into their shoes, craft messaging that resonates, and offer solutions that matter. By doing so, you create content that not only fulfills a need but sparks a connection—one that builds trust and strengthens relationships over time.
So, as you begin crafting your own values-led content strategy, remember: every piece of content is a chance to change someone’s day for the better. And when done with empathy and purpose, it has the power to grow your business and nurture lasting connections.
Are you ready to map your own Content Value Proposition? Or could you use some help fine-tuning your strategy? We’d love to support you—get in touch, and let’s start engaging the audience you truly want.
The Content Value Proposition Framework is a powerful tool for ensuring that your marketing content consistently hits the mark and speaks to your audience—or the audience you think you should have.
By understanding their jobs to be done, addressing pain points, and delivering the gains they’re seeking, you create content that attracts engagement and lays the groundwork for a lasting relationship—helping them achieve their goals while solidifying your place as a trusted resource.
So, now it’s your turn: are you ready to start mapping your own Content Value Proposition? Or could you use some help with developing and fine-tuning your strategy?
We’ve walked dozens of clients through the process, and we’d be happy to support you on this journey, too—get in touch and let’s start engaging the audience you want.
