Chapter 5: Writing Content That Converts
There's a formula for writing content that converts. Understanding it can mean the difference between 700 views and 200,000 views.
What You'll Learn
- The AIDA framework for conversions
- Title formulas that capture attention
- How to trigger emotional responses
- Creating need vs. discovering need
The AIDA Framework
For both content and proposals, use AIDA:
| Letter | Meaning | Application |
|---|---|---|
| A | Attention | Get them to stop scrolling |
| I | Interest | Hook them with relevance to their problem |
| D | Desire | Make them want the outcome |
| A | Action | Clear CTA (call link, email, form) |
When you write content, there's always some action you want the reader to take. Same with sales and proposals.
Practicing writing is "wax on, wax off" for becoming eloquent in sales.
The Title Formula
Title structure significantly impacts readership, with potential differences of 60,000+ views between well-crafted and basic titles.
The Formula
Include elements of the value equation in your titles:
[Number] Steps to [Achieve Outcome] by [Percentage] Using [Tool/Method]
Example Breakdown
"5 Steps to Improve AI Viability by 15% Using GPT-4"
| Element | Value Equation Component |
|---|---|
| "15% improvement" | Dream outcome (specific) |
| "5 steps" | Probability (implies simplicity/feasibility) |
| Implied in number | Time (finite, achievable) |
| "GPT-4" | Narrows audience to those using this tool |
More Examples
| Weak Title | Strong Title |
|---|---|
| "Implementing caching" | "Improve system performance by 20% in 2 weeks" |
| "My RAG experience" | "How to increase RAG accuracy from 60% to 80%" |
| "AI agent tips" | "3 Ways to Build AI Agents with Python LangChain" |
| "Pricing advice" | "How to transition from $150/hour to $15K retainers" |
Focus on Outputs, Not Inputs
Good content focuses on the outcomes clients want, not the methods you use:
| Input-Focused (Avoid) | Output-Focused (Use) |
|---|---|
| "I build caching layers" | "How to improve system performance by 20%" |
| "I use advanced RAG techniques" | "How to increase RAG retrieval accuracy from 60% to 80%" |
| "I implement AI solutions" | "Reduce your DataDog costs by 15% in under three weeks" |
| "I do prompt engineering" | "Get GPT-4 to follow your instructions 95% of the time" |
Lead with the transformation, not the technique.
Triggering Emotional Responses
Effective content elicits specific emotional reactions. For technical content, aim for reactions like:
| Audience | Target Reaction |
|---|---|
| Experts | "I thought this was obvious" (validation) |
| Beginners | "This is incredibly helpful" (gratitude) |
| Both | "Finally someone said it" (relief) |
This combination validates experts while helping newcomers. It expands your influence across experience levels.
The Dual-Reaction Sweet Spot
The most successful content often creates tension:
Example: "RAG is more than embeddings"
- Engineers building RAG: "I knew that was the case!"
- IR researchers: "I can't believe these engineers don't understand basic IR!"
This tension generated 30,000 views on Hacker News and led to consulting work.
Emotions That Drive Engagement
| Emotion | Trigger | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Validation | Confirming what they suspected | "Why your CEO is wrong about AI timelines" |
| Fear | Showing what they're missing | "The hidden cost of bad RAG implementations" |
| Curiosity | Promising unexpected insight | "The counterintuitive approach to AI agents" |
| Relief | Solving a painful problem | "Finally: A simple way to evaluate LLM outputs" |
Creating Need vs. Discovering Need
The Power of Creating Need
Don't just discover what clients think they need—create new needs by reframing their situation.
Example Reframe
Before: Client thinks they need "AI help"
After: "So you're telling me it takes your team 3 weeks to generate those marketing dashboards? What if that was available instantaneously?"
Now they have a specific, urgent need they didn't have before.
This approach works well for AI consulting, where clients often don't fully understand what's possible with modern tools.
How to Create Need in Content
- Identify a hidden problem. Something they're doing inefficiently but don't realize
- Quantify the cost. Time, money, or opportunity cost
- Present the alternative. What's possible with your approach
- Make it concrete. Specific numbers, timelines, outcomes
Content TAM vs. Intent
Balance reach and relevance:
High Volume, Low Intent
"3 Ways of Building an AI Agent" - Large audience - Many tire-kickers - Good for awareness
Lower Volume, Higher Intent
"3 Ways of Building AI Agents with Python LangChain" - Smaller audience - Higher quality leads - Better for conversion
As you add specificity, you reach fewer people but with much higher relevance to your services.
The Specificity Ladder
| Level | Example | TAM | Intent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generic | "AI tips" | Huge | Very low |
| Category | "RAG implementation" | Large | Low |
| Specific | "RAG for customer support" | Medium | Medium |
| Targeted | "RAG for Zendesk with Python" | Small | High |
Match your content specificity to your business stage: - Building audience? → More generic - Converting clients? → More specific
The "How You Can" Trick
Use "How you can..." instead of "How I..." in titles.
| Why It Works |
|---|
| "You" has a much larger TAM than "I" |
| "I" only appeals to people who know you |
| "You" makes it immediately relevant |
| Readers see themselves in the content |
Examples
| Instead of... | Use... |
|---|---|
| "How I built my RAG system" | "How you can build a RAG system" |
| "My journey to $50k/month" | "How to reach $50k/month consulting" |
| "What I learned at Google" | "What you can learn from Google's approach" |
Action Items
-
Audit your titles. Take your last 5 pieces of content. Rewrite each title using the value equation formula.
-
Map your content TAM. For each content idea, identify where it falls on the specificity ladder. Adjust based on your goals.
-
Identify emotional triggers. For your target audience, what creates validation? Fear? Curiosity? Plan content around these.
-
Practice creating need. Take a common client situation and write a reframe that creates a specific, urgent need.
-
Convert inputs to outputs. Review your service descriptions. Rewrite any input-focused language to be output-focused.
Key Takeaways
- Use AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) to structure all content
- Titles make a 60,000+ view difference—include value equation elements
- Focus on outputs (what clients get) not inputs (what you do)
- Trigger emotional responses: validation for experts, gratitude for beginners
- Create need by reframing situations, not just discovering existing needs
- Balance content TAM (reach) with intent (conversion likelihood)
- "How you can" beats "How I" every time