Questions to ask + research before you create content.
1. Audience Intel – Who am I talking to?
Demographics
- Who exactly is my audience? (Role, seniority, industry, location)
- Are they decision-makers, peers, or aspirational connections?
- What stage of awareness are they in? (Unaware, problem aware, solution aware)
Psychographics
- What are their deepest frustrations?
- What friction is stopping them from reaching their goals?
- What risks do they want to avoid?
- What do they secretly fear people will judge them for professionally?
- What are they proud of or excited by right now?
Behaviour
- What content do they currently engage with?
- What posts do they scroll past?
- What tone do they resonate with? (Educational, direct, punchy, inspirational)
- What time are they online?
2. Industry Intel – What’s happening in their world?
Trends
- What are the top 3 trends shaping their industry right now?
- What changes, news, or regulations are impacting their day-to-day?
- What are people talking about in niche corners of the industry?
Competitors
- What topics are competitors posting about?
- What is performing well for them?
- What gaps exist in the content landscape?
Myth-busting
- What is everyone repeating online that is incorrect, outdated, or unhelpful?
- What “industry truths” do people avoid discussing?
3. Expertise Intel – What do I know that others don’t?
- What frameworks, insights, or methodologies do I use that others don’t?
- What have I experienced firsthand that most of my audience hasn’t?
- What do my clients say after working with me that can become content?
- What problems am I solving daily that can be turned into micro-lessons?
- What mistakes do I keep seeing over and over?
4. Opportunity Intel – What do I want LinkedIn to achieve for me?
Strategic Goals
- Am I building brand awareness, authority, trust, or leads?
- Who do I want to attract in my DMs?
- What client type is my priority right now?
Positioning
- What do I want to be known for in the next 90 days?
- Does every post ladder back to my content pillars?
- Does this post reinforce my unique value, or could anyone have written it?
5. Story Intel – What stories make me unforgettable?
- What challenges have I personally faced that my audience can relate to?
- What client transformations can I talk about?
- What behind-the-scenes moments show how I think?
- What turning points shaped the way I work?
- What past jobs, failures, or environments built my expertise?
Stories outperform frameworks when done right. Always collect them.
6. Algorithm Intel – What gives this post a fighting chance?
- Can the hook stop the scroll in the first 2 seconds?
- Does the first line create tension, curiosity, or emotion?
- Is the content skimmable? (Short lines, spacing, structure)
- Is there a quotable moment that makes people want to save/share?
- Does the post invite conversation, not compliments?
- Does the angle start strong instead of warming up?
7. Format Intel – How can this idea live across formats?
For every content idea, research:
- Would this hit better as a carousel?
- Can I turn this into a 45-second reel?
- Is this topic worth a long-form breakdown?
- What about a punchy text-only post?
- Can this become a visual framework or diagram?
The best creators validate format, not just topic.
8. Search & LLM Intel – Will this content index well?
- What keywords are people searching for on LinkedIn and AI models?
- What questions are “People Also Ask” around this topic?
- Does my post answer a real question people are typing?
- Would AI surface this content if someone searched the topic?
This is how you future-proof visibility.
(And why your content already outperforms 90% of marketers.)
9. Proof Intel – What evidence strengthens this point?
- Do I have research?
- Studies?
- Screenshots?
- Conversations?
- Client examples?
- A stat or quote to anchor credibility?
Even one proof point increases authority dramatically.
10. CTA Intel – What do I want people to do after this?
- Comment something specific?
- Reflect on a question?
- Read a related post?
- Click a link?
- DM you?
A post without a purpose will perform like a post without a spine.
