The One Question Content Marketing Plan

One of the things I enjoy most about the work we do here is helping people figure out how to build a content strategy.

I use some of our templates and swipe files from the vault to do competitor research and keyword research ahead of time, and those work.

But there is one thing that truly separates solopreneurs from the rest of the pack when it comes to content creation, and that’s the fact that solopreneurs (and truly, other small businesses too) are a true representation that people do business with people.

So the content that is carefully researched and scrutinized to get a solopreneur on page one of search engine results isn’t going to be the same type of content that connects a solopreneur to their audience on social media.

Both types of content are important, and I’d argue that if you’re going to the trouble to create content for your blog, you should do what you can to encourage the search engines to notice you. And if you have the budget, hire someone to write that content for you. It’ll increase your authority, encourage people to opt into your website, and it’ll elevate your brand.

But what about the other type of content?

That’s where the one question content marketing plan comes in.

What is the one question content marketing plan?

The question that gets the best responses from anyone I’ve asked in these brainstorming sessions (and the question that Jessie, our operations manager asked me when we did a bit of work together when she came to town earlier this year) is this:

What makes you mad?

On the surface, this doesn’t have anything to do with marketing. And depending on your temperament, this could include everything from someone reheating fish in the microwave to traffic on a daily commute.

But while I agree that it’s truly abominable to put fish in the microwave, that’s not what I mean here.

What sets you apart from everyone else is your passion.

And what can trigger passion is asking about what makes you mad.

Content Marketing doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Ask yourself “what makes me mad in my industry?”

Think of all the times you saw, heard, or read something that just made you want to slam a door or scream into a pillow. Consider the things that you’ve experienced that have made you passionate about doing things differently and reaching your clients to let them know you have a better way. 

I think you’ll find that before you know it, you’ll have months of content from this one question and a great start to your content marketing journey. 

Questions to get you started

If you’re having trouble coming up with something that lights you up, start with these.

Why did you decide to specialize in your field? Often, I find that people go into fields that traditionally have a bad reputation in order to be an exception to a rule. If that’s you, talk about it.

What are others doing in your field that is disingenuous, misleading, or otherwise wrong? There are bad players in every field. Find them. In fact, you don’t need to find them. You already know about them. Tell us what they’re doing wrong. What are they saying today that is inaccurate or misleading? What did they say yesterday? Why is it wrong? And how can people avoid the wrong things?

What do prospects need to watch out for when they’re looking to solve the problem that you help with? You’re a problem solver. Think about false starts or missteps that your prospects might take on their road to a solution.

This list should give you a great starting point.

But to ensure you never run out of content, take these questions a bit deeper.

Let’s say you’re a personal injury attorney. That’s a field with a lot of shysters and bad actors. But not you. What are the people advertising on your local billboards doing wrong? If you had a billboard or a 30-second cable TV ad, what would it say?

Why is what the others are saying wrong? In what way are they misrepresenting your industry?

If a prospect of yours chooses someone based on a billboard, what sorts of things might they miss out on when they choose that direction instead of coming to you?

This kind of content is meant for engagement

Honestly, when you’re using the one question content marketing plan, aim to answer it on a native social media platform. I’m thinking TikTok especially (follow us there if you haven’t already!).

Can you talk about your passion for 15-20 seconds?

Start with a hook. Something that draws people in and encourages them to watch your entire video.

Hook Ideas

The first line of the video should be just “clickbaity” enough to keep people watching.

• Can I be honest?
• You know what drives me nuts?
• I think I figured something out…
• Do you need help with xyz?
• Do you ever think “I wish xyz was easier”?
• Does this drive you crazy?
• This might sound odd, but…
• I never thought I’d be giving this advice, but…
• This JUST happened and I have to tell you about it now
• Don’t fall for xyz…

Let micro content inform your long-form content

Let’s say you went off on a tangent and talked for a lot longer than can fit on a TikTok.

Keep it.

Upload the video to a transcription service (we like Otter, it’s free for up to 600 minutes per month), then paste that transcript into a Google doc.

It’s ugly, but it’s the first draft of a passion-filled blog post.

Work with it.

The best part about the one question content marketing plan is how much it can shape your marketing moving forward

When you craft any type of strategy around the things that fire you up, your chances of success are so much higher.

Since you’re not big enough to outsource your marketing, you have to rely on tricks to keep yourself engaged in the content creation process.

And a great trick is to create something with passion, see how it resonates with your audience, and double down on the things that are working.

Plus, every time your passions get ignited from now on, you can use that as an opportunity to create more passion-fueled content.

And that’s the kind of content that will pay off for you. Not just now, but years from now.

So… what makes you mad?