The Question They Typed

When I woke up to those community guideline violations on TikTok, I wasn't looking for a content strategy.

I wanted one answer. What did I do wrong, and how do I fix it before the rest of my scheduled videos go out?

I wasn't interested in somebody's course or their ten-step formula. I had a problem, and I wanted to solve it.

Most people searching for information are in the same position. They're not looking for content. They're looking for answers.

But when we sit down to create, we often start with what we want to talk about instead of what somebody else needs to know.

We've got it backwards.

The Questions Are Already There

Think about the last time you searched for something online.

You probably didn't type in a broad topic. You asked a question.

"Why is nobody clicking my link?"

"Do I need a website to start affiliate marketing?"

"Can I recommend a product I haven't used?"

Behind every question is somebody trying to figure something out.

If you can give them a useful answer, you've already done more than somebody who's simply trying to get their attention.

And you don't have to guess what people are asking.

Look through the comments on your posts. Pay attention to questions people ask in communities. Notice what keeps coming up.

Even the suggestions that appear when you start typing into a search bar can tell you what people are looking for.

You don't need to make this complicated.

You just need to pay attention.

Though not everyone tells you what they need directly. The quiet customer — the person who never asks anything — is still telling you something. They just do it through what they do, not what they type.

Give Them What They Came For

Here's where I think a lot of content goes wrong.

Someone asks a simple question, and instead of answering it, we make them sit through a long introduction before getting to the point.

By then, they've probably moved on.

Give them the answer first.

Then share what you've learned. Tell them about the mistake you made or something useful they wouldn't have known to ask.

That's where your experience becomes valuable.

And sometimes, one question is enough for an entire article.

I've written about the question being the post — when the same thing keeps coming up in comments, replies, and messages, that's usually a sign it's worth writing about properly.

You don't have to squeeze everything you know into one piece. Answer one question properly, and let the next question become another conversation.