Solutions vs. Transformations: Deliver the Content Your Audience Wants

There’s a painful truth all professional content creators must reckon with.

It’s not about you.

It’s not about any of us.

If you want to create content that digs deep into your psyche and bares your soul, write poetry. Paint. Make art films.

If you want to create content that markets a business, turn away from your own reflection and look out at your audience.

It’s not about you. It’s about them.

Helping your audience get what they want is how you build rapport so you get what you want.

Your audience wants one of two things

Your wants either a solution or a transformation.

When you’re developing a piece of content, you need to know which desire it’s intended to fill.

Delivering solutions

Solutions are the bread and butter of content marketers. Our audience is suffering from some pain or problem, and our content helps them solve it.

Solution-based content often takes formats like:

• How-tos and tutorials (e.g., “How to Start a Podcast”)
• Product comparisons (e.g., “iPhone vs. Android”)
• Problem breakdowns (e.g., “Why Your Content’s Not Converting”)

Solution-based content is practical. It delivers on the “Education” pillar of the 3Es. Your audience comes to you unsure and leaves feeling better prepared.

Delivering transformations

At the deepest level, we all desire transformation. We’re all caterpillars trying to become butterflies.

Even the problems you solve are rooted in a desire for transformation. Your audience wants a solution because the problem stands in the way of them being the person they long to be.

Transformative content delivers on the “Enlightenment” pillar of the 3Es. Your audience seeks it out because they have a curiosity to satisfy.

Transformation-based content might look like:

• Forecasts (e.g., “The Future of Electric Vehicles”)
• Deep dives (e.g., “The True Impact of Fast Fashion”)
• Trend pieces (e.g., “Why Everyone’s Talking About Plant-Based Meat”)

Audiences seeking transformative content come to you curious and leaves feeling better informed.

Deliver on the right desire

Ideally, you’ll deliver a mix of solution-based and transformation-based content. Just don’t mix them in the same piece.

Before you start creating, ask yourself: What is the audience looking for from this piece?

What brought them here?

What made them click?

How can I satisfy that desire?

If they clicked for a deep dive, a step-by-step tutorial won’t scratch the right itch.

If they clicked to see how two competitors compare, they don’t care about the rivalry’s history.

Start your content with the ideal outcome in mind and deliver on what you promise. The more your audience can trust you to provide what they want, the more inclined they’ll be to provide what you want.