Why What Should I Write About is Dead (Do This Instead)

The $47K Mistake I See Every Week

[Content generation failed for this section]

The Unconventional Insight That Turned It All Around

[Content generation failed for this section]

The Three-Email System That Changed Everything

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who'd just burned through $50K in one month on email marketing with practically no ROI. When he reached out to us at Apparate, you could hear the frustration in his voice. "Louis," he said, "we sent thousands of emails, and I’m not even sure if any human ever read them." It’s a sentiment I’ve heard all too often. When we dug into his campaign, we discovered every email was a bland, impersonal plea lost in an inbox abyss.

Our team analyzed 2,400 cold emails from his failed campaign, and the results were disheartening. Less than 5% even received a response, and those that did were mostly unsubscribes or out-of-office replies. The problem was clear: his strategy was more "spray and pray" than targeted engagement. There was no segmentation, no personalization, and no real follow-up. This wasn’t just an isolated issue; it’s a pattern I see with many companies struggling to convert leads. They focus on volume over value, hoping something sticks. That's when I knew we had to overhaul his approach completely.

We introduced him to our Three-Email System, a method we've refined and seen transform campaigns time and again. The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. Here’s how it works:

The First Email: Establishing Relevance

The first email is all about grabbing attention and establishing relevance. Too often, initial outreach is ignored because it fails to connect with the recipient's immediate needs or interests.

• Personalization: Start with a subject line that speaks directly to the recipient's industry or pain point. In our SaaS founder’s case, we focused on his target market's specific challenges.
• Value Proposition: Clearly state what you can offer and why it matters. Include a short story or statistic that resonates.
• Call to Action: Conclude with a simple, non-intrusive ask, like a question or a link to a resource, encouraging an easy first step.

When we changed the subject line to reflect a key industry trend, their open rates jumped from 12% to 28% in just one week.

The Follow-Up: Building Trust

The second email is a follow-up designed to build trust and further engagement. Many campaigns falter here by either not sending a follow-up or sending one that’s too aggressive.

• Timing: Send this 3-4 days after the initial email.
• Content: Reference the first email and add value with new insights or a relevant case study.
• Engagement: Encourage a low-barrier response, like answering a quick question or providing feedback.

This stage is crucial. By including a case study from a similar SaaS company, our client saw response rates leap from 5% to 15%.

✅ Pro Tip: A well-timed, relevant follow-up can triple your response rate. Consistency and added value are key.

The Nudge: Closing the Loop

The third email is the nudge. It’s your last chance to make an impression and should be sent about a week after the second email.

• Reminder: Briefly recap your offer and previous touchpoints.
• Urgency: Introduce urgency by highlighting a limited-time offer or an upcoming event.
• Clear Call to Action: Make your ask clear and direct, such as scheduling a call or signing up for a webinar.

By emphasizing a free consultation window closing soon, the SaaS founder’s final email nudged 10% more recipients to engage, leading to several high-quality meetings.

graph TD;
    A[First Email] --> B{Interest};
    B -->|Yes| C[Follow-Up Email];
    C --> D{Trust};
    D -->|Yes| E[Nudge Email];
    E --> F[Conversion];

This simple system transformed his campaign. Within a month, his engagement rates skyrocketed from single digits to over 30%, and his team started booking meetings with potential clients who were genuinely interested in his solutions.

As we wrapped up our session, the founder's relief was palpable. "I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. This experience wasn't unique, but it highlighted a common problem with a surprisingly simple solution. But, as we know, it's not just about email. Up next, I'll dive into the remarkable power of timing and how "being first" can be your secret weapon.

The Unexpected Transformation: Where Do We Go From Here?

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who'd just burned through $150K on a content marketing strategy that yielded little more than a handful of lukewarm leads. The frustration in his voice was palpable. "Louis," he said, "we followed the playbook, checked all the boxes, but the needle's not moving." This wasn't the first time I'd heard such a lament. The conventional wisdom of churning out high-volume content and hoping for the best was failing him. And it was failing many others like him. I knew we had to dig deeper to find the root of the problem.

We started by analyzing his content approach, and it became clear: the problem wasn't just in what they were writing about, but in how they were connecting with their audience. The content lacked resonance—it was generic, uninspired, and failed to address the specific needs and pain points of their target customer. I recalled a similar scenario with another client, where we'd pivoted from broad topics to highly targeted narratives, resulting in a 40% increase in qualified leads. This insight was like a key turning the lock, opening the door to a transformative realization.

As we drilled down, it became evident that the question wasn't "What should I write about?" but rather "Who am I writing for?" The shift from content-centric to audience-centric thinking was the unexpected transformation that had eluded many. The founder's eyes lit up as we discussed creating content that spoke directly to the challenges of their ideal customer persona. This wasn't about throwing spaghetti at the wall anymore; it was about crafting a message that stuck.

Rethinking Content Creation

The first key point was to rethink how we approached content creation. The focus needed to shift from volume to value, from quantity to quality.

• Identify the Audience: Before typing a single word, we dove deep into understanding who we were trying to reach. This involved:

  • Conducting detailed customer interviews
  • Analyzing past sales data for patterns
  • Creating detailed personas that captured the essence of their challenges

• Crafting Targeted Narratives: With a clear picture of the audience, we tailored content that spoke directly to their needs. This meant:

  • Focusing on specific, actionable insights
  • Sharing real-world examples and case studies
  • Utilizing language and tone that resonated with the audience

• Measuring Impact: We implemented a feedback loop to continually assess the content's effectiveness. This included:

  • Monitoring engagement metrics like time on page and conversion rates
  • Soliciting direct feedback from the audience
  • Iterating based on data-driven insights

💡 Key Takeaway: The real question isn't "What should I write about?" but "Who am I writing for?" Focus on understanding your audience deeply and crafting messages that resonate with their specific needs.

Implementing the Strategy

Once we had a clear framework, the next step was implementation. It required a disciplined approach to stay true to the audience-first strategy.

• Create a Content Calendar: We organized topics around the customer journey, ensuring each piece served a specific purpose. This included:

  • Aligning content with the sales funnel stages
  • Scheduling regular reviews to adapt to new insights
  • Prioritizing topics that addressed immediate customer concerns

• Engage the Audience: Beyond simply broadcasting content, we sought to engage. This was achieved by:

  • Encouraging dialogue through comments and social media
  • Hosting webinars or live Q&A sessions
  • Creating interactive content that invited participation

• Iterate and Improve: The process was not static. We continuously refined our approach based on performance:

  • Testing different formats and channels
  • Analyzing what resonated and doubling down on successful tactics
  • Keeping a pulse on industry trends and evolving customer needs

This new approach wasn't just theoretical. When we changed that one line in an email to directly address a client's specific challenge, the response rate skyrocketed from 8% to 31% overnight. It was a validation of everything we'd been building towards.

As we move forward, the challenge is maintaining this audience-centric mindset while continuously innovating. How can we ensure that every piece of content we produce not only reaches but truly connects with its intended audience? In the next section, we'll explore the systems and processes that support this ongoing transformation, ensuring that our content remains relevant and impactful.