👉 10 Steps to Killer Content (No AI Slop, No Broetry)

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Content is your ONLY differentiator

Before someone hires you, your content creation & content strategy are the only way they know you’re not 14 quokkas wearing a hoodie. Even if you ARE 14 quokkas wearing a hoodie, your content is where you prove you’re smart, fun to work with, and bonus!, you know the difference between an emotion & an emoji. (Note: This is a hefty missive with plenty of cut & paste prompts. You might want to bookmark the web version for reference so you can get back to them whenever you need them.)

So, why don’t more of us make content that moves our market?

Because we’re too busy. (You know, my teenagers say that when I ask them why they didn’t bring out the trash…grrr.) You and your team are too busy doing client work, or gasp sending god-awful LinkedIn DMs that make people want to smash their laptops against their forehead until it all just goes away. Truth is, most of us don’t make content because we overthink it, we’re not confident in what to say, or, honestly, we’d rather eat glass than plan ahead to use those empty 20 minute slots in our calendars.

Because I love you alI put together a stupid-simple, 10-step content development process, with AI prompts you can steal (now how much would you pay?!?!) This content guide will get you from ICP definition to the publish button without losing your mind.

Do it once and you’ll have two legit pieces of content and a repeatable content marketing framework. Print out this message, bookmark the web page, get these 10 steps tattooed on your forehead - I don’t care - because these 10 steps just took away all your excuses. This is how you graduate from content coward to content killer.

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OK - You Content Creation Quokkas - Let’s Rock

1. Tightly Define Your ICP (Ideal Client Profile):
   Before you write a single word of content, you need to know exactly who you’re talking to.
   Not “B2B decision makers” or “founders.” That’s way too freakin’ vague. You want crispy, chewy details like company size, role, goals, frustrations, and the changes they’re trying to make happen in the next 12–24 months.
   The tighter the definition, the easier it is to create content that feels like it was written just for them.
   

   👉 AI Prompt (copy/paste into your fav AI overlord and fill in your blanks):
   “I want to clearly define my ideal client profile (ICP).
   Here are the basics I know so far: [industry/vertical], [company size], [primary buyer role], [geography if relevant].
   Please give me a clear, concise ICP description (2–3 sentences) that highlights their role, goals, current struggles, and what they’re trying to achieve.
   Write this so it’s easy to reference later for content creation.”
   
   💾 Save this output. You’ll keep coming back to it on the regular.
   

2. Pain-Point Discovery (aka Free Reddit Research via GummySearch):

   Now that you know who you’re writing to, let’s figure out what stresses them the hell out. Head to GummySearch Curated Audiences, choose the audience that most closely matches your ICP, and let the magic begin. GummySearch is your shortcut through Reddit. This wicked cool tool surfaces themes like “Pain & Anger”, “Solution Requests” and “Hot Discussions” so you get right to what your people are actually complaining about or trying to solve.
   

   Why this matters: You’re not guessing, trying to remember what someone said, or relying on your monumental powers of recall. You’re listening to the exact words your audience uses…those real frustrations, the “$#!$%*&!, I can’t believe this still doesn’t work!” types of utterances that are your content gold and sweet, sweet music to your “That is exactly what we solve!” solutions-focused heart.
   
   👉 Quick Workflow & Prompt (copy/paste-ready):
   Go to GummySearch and select an audience similar to your ICP. Click into the "Pain & Anger" (or similar) section to see where your customers are hurting. Copy + paste the most repeated pain points or frustrations you find. Save that text somewhere…you'll want to revisit it a lot.
   
    🎁 Bonus Prompt (optional, when you need smarter summarization):
   “Here's a batch of Reddit-summarized pain points:

   [PASTE PAIN POINTS HERE]

   Please analyze these and give me the top 5 most urgent or emotionally charged pain points, in their own words, that I can refer back to when creating content.”
   
    ⚠️ Don’t forget to save this output, ideally in a folder or doc labeled Pain Points or something similarly upbeat and joyful. Plus, you’re gonna feed it directly into Step 3 (Persona) and beyond.
   

3. Combine ICP & Pain Points into an Actionable Persona:
   Now comes the “wow, this is actually useful part” → fusing what you know (your ICP) with what they feel (their pain points). This is where you stop talking to “the market” and start talking to “a person”. Think of this as building a one-page cheat sheet that tells you:
   → Who your person is
   → What they want
   → What they’re struggling with
   → How your solution fits
   
   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to create an actionable persona for content creation. Here’s my ICP: [paste your ICP output from Step 1]. Here are the key pain points I found: [paste your top pain points from Step 2]. Please combine these into a single persona that includes:
   - A short description of who they are
   - Their goals and aspirations
   - Their top 3 pain points (in their own words)
   - The opportunities for me to help (without naming specific offers)
   Keep it concise but actionable, like a quick-reference guide.”
   
   💾 Save this output. This description becomes your focal point. Every piece of content you or your team develop will have to stand up to this scrutiny: Does this hit on something important for them, or are we just making noise?
   

4. Codify Your Value Prop:
   You’ve got your ICP and you know what they bitch about are trying to solve for… Now it’s time to answer the most important question: Why the hell should they care about you?
   
   This isn’t the spot for a manifesto or a 47-slide deck. A value proposition is just a clear, memorable way to connect what you do with why it matters to them. If you can’t explain it without taking a deep breath first, it’s not a value prop, it’s a navel-gazing monologue that everybody is already bored with…
   
   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to create a simple, clear value proposition. Here’s my ICP: [paste ICP]. Here’s my persona and pain points: [paste persona from Step 3]. Please write a concise value proposition (2–3 sentences) that:
   • Explains the core value I deliver
   • Connects directly to their pain points and goals
   • Is written in plain English (no jargon, no buzzwords)”
   
   💾 Save this output. This is the sentence (or short paragraph) you’ll want taped above your monitor. Everything else you make… sales decks, LinkedIn posts, newsletters, webinars, etc. should connect to this. If it doesn’t? Grind on it until it does.
   

5. Map Value to Pain:
   This is where $#!+ gets real.
   You’ve got two lists: their pains (straight from Reddit’s trough of despair) and your value prop (it better not be wishy-washy & dull). Now, line them up. If your “value” doesn’t directly relieve a pain, congratulations, skippy, you are trying to sell a “nice-to-have”. 
   A “nice to have” in this economy!?!? This ain’t The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, ain’t nobody got enough scratch to waste it on a “nice to have”. If you, perchance, happened to create a “nice to have”, watch my Return on Understanding - The Key Metric For Agency Growth video. It will probably help.
   
   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to map my value proposition directly to customer pain points. Here’s my value proposition: [paste from Step 4]. Here are the key pain points: [paste from Step 2/3]. Please create a table with two columns:
   • Pain Point (in their own words)
   • How my value proposition addresses or solves it Make it clear and blunt—no jargon, no fluff.”
   
   💾 Save this output. This is your “back on your bullshit” detector. If a pain point can’t be matched to a value that you deliver, you don’t know your audience well enough. Go back to square 1, do not pass “Go” & do not collect $200. (That’s a Monopoly reference for you youngsters who never played a board game. Here’s a Sponge Bob Themed Monopoly Game if that helps.)
   

6. Create Topic Clusters:
   Now that you know what hurts and how you fix it, you need to talk about it…a lot. A random post isn’t a content strategy. You’ve got to hammer on your value prop as a pain killer again and again and again. (Repetition is important. Repetition is important. HA! See what I did there? I am wicked clever.) Topic clusters are how you prove that you’ve got depth of understanding & shows your solutions in multiple ways. Pick a pain → Build a hub of related ideas → Hammer away at them until your ICP thinks you invented Advil.
   

   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to generate topic clusters for content creation. Here’s my ICP: [paste ICP]. Here are their top pain points: [paste persona/pain map]. Here’s my value proposition: [paste value prop]. Please create 3–5 topic clusters. For each cluster, list:
   → A core theme (based on a key pain + my value)
   → 5–7 subtopics I can turn into blog posts, LinkedIn posts, or videos
   → Keep it practical and aligned with my ICP’s actual problems, not abstract thought leadership.”
   
   💾 Save this output. Topic clusters just blew up your content creation excuses. (Sorry…I know that procrastination is something of a religion for some). Every time you “don’t know what to post,” you go back here and pick another great fit topic. No more staring at a blank screen waiting for your marketing muse to inspire you, now it’s a system.
   

7. Content Outline:
   This is where we start the actual content creation engine. Pick one topic from your shiny new topic cluster collection and turn it into a piece of content your ICP will actually want to read.
   This isn’t about channeling your inner Hemingway…it’s about giving your fav AI smartypants the bones of something GOOD so you don’t end up with a goopy plate full of AI slop.
   

   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to create a clear content outline. Here’s my ICP: [paste ICP]. Here’s the persona with pain points: [paste persona]. Here’s the topic I want to cover: [insert topic from cluster]. Please create a structured outline that includes:
   > Headline/title ideas
   > 3–5 key points that directly connect my value to their pain
   > Suggested examples, stories, or data I could add
   > A clear CTA that matches where this ICP is in their journey Keep it simple, scannable, and practical—no filler.”
   
   💾 Save this output. This outline is your blueprint. Without it, you’re just free-styling your way into another crappy 800-word LinkedIn post no one finishes reading.
   

8. Outline Approval & Content Creation:
   Here’s the deal → we just made a simple outline. It’s a Pumpkin Spice Latte kind of basic barebones draft. It isn’t ready.
    
   Even with this bullet point outline, you are gonna know “Would my ICP actually care about this, or is this me flapping my gums in the mirror and telling myself “You are a clever boy?!?” 
   
   If it passes your BS sniffer, then it’s LFG time. We are gonna feed that basic outline back into AI and let it crank out the first draft.
   
   👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
   “I want to create a content draft from an outline. Here’s my ICP: [paste ICP]. Here’s the persona: [paste persona]. Here’s my value proposition: [paste value prop]. Here’s the approved outline: [paste outline]. Please generate a first draft of a [blog post / LinkedIn post / email / video script]. Make it punchy, clear, and written as if you’re talking directly to the ICP—not to “an audience.”
   
   Editor’s note:
   → AI writes fast. That is not the same as well
   → AI does not always make sense - you have to edit out the drivel.
   → AI is gonna sound like AI. Everybody knows.
   → If you publish that garbage w/o fact checking, sense checking, and crappy, boring writing checking, that’s all on you.
   
   💾 Save this output. You’ve now got something tangible to work with. Just don’t be the bozo who copy/pastes and hits publish. This is YOUR thoughts & ideas and AI just helped you. You are still responsible for the quality.
   

9. Content Review & Editing:
   Here’s where most people blow it. Because AI whips off a draft from your outline and it covers the content, and the text isn’t littered with typos, lots of people think that they are done.
   
   Listen carefully, gentle reader:
   Your content is actually supposed to sound like YOU. 
   Read every line.
   Does it feel like something you’d actually say or does it have that “no fluff” AI-energy??
   Is it Ambien or Ritalin?
   Does it make your ICP nod vigorously, or shake their heads in disgust?
   If it’s off, edit that excrement hard.
   
   This process is the difference between content that draws the attention of right fit prospects & content that is so boring it is a tragic waste of pixels.
   

   👉 Mini-Checklist Before Posting:
   → Does this sound like me?
   → Does it make real sense?
   → Does it show insight & hit an actual pain point?
   → Is it clear, scannable and NOT boring AF?
   → If I hadn’t generated this, would I have stopped to read it?
   
   If you can’t say yes to all five…please don’t hit publish. Bad, boring, off-topic, non-sensical, jargon-filled, AI-smelling slop does more damage than any positive impact you are hoping it might make.
   

10. Repurposing (More Juice From The Squeeze):
    When you’ve got one good piece of content, don’t let it be one and done. (Remember that whole repetition dealio from Topic Clusters?)
    Repurpose it. 
    That blog can become a LinkedIn carousel.
    That LinkedIn post can become a video script.
    That video can become a newsletter blurb.
    Same core idea & message wearing a new outfit. (Think of Taylor Swift switching eras…different costume, same voice, same $23 bazillion dollars).
    AI is SO flipping good at repurposing stuff…
    It’s like AI an incredible pattern-detecting, prediction machine. Crazy!
    
    👉 Prompt (copy/paste and fill in):
    Here’s a content draft I created: [paste your final, edited content]. Please repurpose this into:
    • A LinkedIn post
    • A short-form video script
    • A newsletter paragraph
    Each should stay true to my ICP’s pain points and my value proposition.
    Keep it fresh, not copy-paste.”
    
    ⚠️ Reminder: You still need to review and edit every repurposed version. AI is fast and regularly on point, but if you don’t pay attention to the output & tell AI where it went off track, it will joyfully create tons more AI slop with incredible speed.
    

    💾 Save these outputs. This is how you build a content engine without living on the content hamster wheel.

Now you’ve got two (or three or five..) good pieces of content…

Cool. Post that shiz. Then go back to your Topic Clusters (Step 6), grab another yummy morsel and do it again. Watch the results:

• Are your social posts getting impressions & engagement? Cool - that is a signal that can feed your GTM motion!

• Are your cold emails getting opens & replies (even if they aren’t sales)? Cool - that is a signal that can feed your GTM motion!

• Are your blog posts getting any organic traffic? Cool - that is a signal that can feed your GTM motion!

You get the idea…the impact of content marketing isn’t going to be a torrent of leads in the next 3 days. Content is how you elevate, refine and amplify your value. And content is how right fit prospects put you on the short list (or already know that you are their choice of partner) before they ever even talk to you.

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I hope this was valuable - I really want to unleash the content beast within…

I really want this to be useful for you, and not just another “WTF is Tim blabbing about now?” moment. What we’ve built here is the skeleton of a real content machine that can get the brilliance of you and your team in front of the people who can truly benefit from your efforts.

BTW, this is exactly the kind of work we do inside GEN+. That 12 week program is designed to help founders, solo consultants/freelancers, and small agency teams (under 20 folks) turn their ideas, insights, light-bulb moments into an actual content engine that builds visibility, authority & pipeline.

We are building SO much goodness into the next version GEN+ (coming in early September), that I can hardly stand it. As we reimagined GEN+, we discovered opportunities that are more suited to bigger agencies. We are excited to formally launch Demand OS in October.

Demand OS is like GEN+ on steroids. It’s a structured, feature-rich content machine designed to accelerate the social authority, market presence and high impact thought leadership of growing agencies. Designed for agencies with 20 or more team members who don’t have a full time marketing head, Demand OS is something that we ARE really, really excited about. (It’s in trial with a couple of awesome agencies and 3 weeks in, the content developed has already generated a 6-figure addition to the pipeline & it reactivated a deal that had stalled in Q2.)

Here’s the straight skinny - regardless if you’re a solo act or running a big shop, content is your growth lever. Stop believing your own BS that you are too busy to create content. Content is a growth opportunity - stop avoiding it, like you are avoiding that pile of laundry that has been sitting on the chair in your bedroom waiting to be folded since Memorial Day? Sadly, AI can’t help you fold your laundry, but it can accelerate your content quantity, quality & impact.

👉 Ready to stop playing screwing around with content and start building an asset that compounds? Book a no pressure content brainstorming call and let’s get you moving.

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