Stop Guessing, Start Winning: Build a Smarter Content Strategy

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And if you need help putting together a website, just reach out to me by replying to this email!

Using Intelligence in Content!

“Strategy without process is little more than a wish list.” – Robert Filek

A few years ago, I was in the same place as many creators—posting content without a plan.

I’d hit “publish,” cross my fingers, and hope for engagement.

Sometimes, a post would land, and I’d feel like I’d cracked the code. But then, the next one would flop. No likes, no shares, no comments.

It felt like I was throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it would stick.

If that sounds familiar, let me tell you what changed everything for me: I stopped guessing and started strategizing.

That shift, from random posting to intentional creation, was the turning point.

It’s not about creating more content.

It’s about creating smarter content.

Today, I’ll show you how to build a content strategy that works, so you can stop wasting hours on posts that don’t connect.

Why “Winging It” Doesn’t Work

When you create content without a plan, you’re flying blind.

You’re wasting time and energy on posts that may or may not resonate.

Meanwhile, top creators aren’t just “posting for fun.” They’re following a process, studying data, and making intentional decisions about what to create next.

The secret?

They’re not guessing.

They’re analyzing, experimenting, and refining.

You can do the same.

The 5-Step Process for Smarter Content Creation

After struggling for years, I kind of figured out a process that I could follow to create content that works.

A process that involved less of guesswork and more of data. And the kind of data person that I am, I found the process interesting.

But not everybody like looking at data.

And most failures on the internet are people who hate data and are not interested in analytics.

But the truth is that there is no growth without data.

This process involves data. But if you are somebody who are that second kind who hate data, then you might want to tweak this to your requirement.

Follow this repeatable process and move from random posting to a results-driven content strategy,:

Step 1: Analyze Your Own Posts

Start with your own content library.

• Which posts got the most engagement?
• What topics, formats, or hooks performed best?
• Which posts flopped—and why?

Look for patterns.

If listicles or personal stories tend to perform better, lean into those formats.

For example, if your audience loves actionable tips, focus on creating more of that content.

This analysis will need a critical eye. Analyze every part of your post by breaking it down into sections – hook, re-hook, body, CTA etc.

Step 2: Spy on Competitors

Spying on competitors isn’t unethical—it’s smart.

And this is the most important step in the process.

Remember, Your competitors’ successes and failures are full of insights.

Here’s how to I spy on them:

1. Identify competitors in your niche who consistently get engagement.
2. Analyze their top-performing posts:
   • What topics are they covering?
   • Are their posts educational, entertaining, or inspirational?
   • How are they structuring their content?
3. Dive into their comments section:
   • What questions are their audience asking?
   • What feedback or praise are they receiving?

The goal isn’t to copy.

It’s to adapt their strategies and tailor them to your unique voice and audience.

Step 3: Study Top Creators

Don’t just look at your direct competitors.

Study the best creators in your industry, those who’ve mastered the art of engagement.

Sometimes, I don’t feel bad that I started late.

Because if I had started first, I would have had to figure out everything on my own.

But, now that I am late, I have a lot of people who I can follow, learn and duplicate.

While it involves some effort, the returns and huge.

You will have proven formats, guidelines and strategies that you can use to grow fast.

Analyze the top creators for:

• How do they hook their audience?
• What trends, formats, or ideas are they leveraging?
• How are they encouraging interaction?

Great creators don’t just follow trends. They set them.

Step 4: Run Experiments

Data beats intuition. Always.

I spent the first 3 months on LinkedIn experimenting.

I had strategies and formats from all of the analysis I had done.

But I still had to figure out what worked with my audience.

So I ran a ton of experiments and found the ones that worked.

So, test different:

• Topics: Does your audience prefer tactical advice or big-picture inspiration?
• Formats: Long-form posts, carousels, videos, or polls?
• Calls to Action (CTAs): Which CTAs drive comments, shares, or clicks?

For example:

• Post a story-driven piece one day and a listicle the next.
• Experiment with bold hooks versus subtle ones.

Measure the results and use the data to refine your strategy.

Step 5: Refine and Adjust

Content creation is an iterative process.

As you gather insights from your posts, competitors, and experiments, adjust your strategy:

• Double down on what works.
• Stop wasting time on formats or topics that flop.
• Continuously refine your approach based on audience feedback and performance metrics.

Remember: A great content strategy isn’t static. It evolves.

How to Spy on Competitors

One of the questions I often get asked is, how do you spy on your competitors and how to follow their success formula without copying them.

Here’s how to ethically analyze your competitors and use their insights to your advantage:

Find 5 Creators in Your Niche – These should be people whose posts consistently get high engagement.

Analyze Their Top Posts: Ask yourself:

• What topics are they addressing?
• Are their posts educational, entertaining, or inspiring?
• How are they formatting their content—lists, stories, or visuals?

Dive Into the Comments Section: Comments are goldmines.

Go through their comment sections and analyze the conversation.

• What questions are the audience asking?
• What pain points or interests are they sharing?

Study Their Style: Sometimes one of your competitor might be getting extremely good results with what they are doing.

Analyze them and their posts.

• Are they using bold hooks or intriguing storytelling?
• Is their formatting clean and easy to scan?
• Do they incorporate visuals or interactive elements?

Something very interesting happened on LinkedIn when I was doing this. I found a competitor of mine whose post were getting extremely good engagement.

I studied them for a few weeks and found out what was working for them.

I then implemented that in my posts and my engagement went up 4x.

But ironically, that competitor creator of mine stopped posting and quit altogether about 4 months back.

And I could sense that he did it because he never had a strategy on what he wanted to do with the audience.

That is what happens on the internet.

Adapt, Don’t Copy: Use their insights to inspire your own ideas, but stay true to your voice.

By doing this regularly, you’ll uncover trends and gain clarity on what works—without falling into the trap of imitation.

Practical Tools to Help You Execute

Here are a few tools that I use and recommend for the process.

• Analytics: Use platform insights (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram) to track engagement. There are different plugins and services that can help you do that.
• Competitor Research: Tools like BuzzSumo or SEMrush can help identify high-performing content.
• A/B Testing: Test headlines, formats, or CTAs using a tool like VWO or, by running split tests on platforms like Facebook Ads.
• Content Organization: Keep track of trends, competitor insights, and post ideas in tools like Notion or Trello.

Final Thoughts: Strategy Over Guesswork

Creating content isn’t just about showing up. It’s about showing up strategically.

When you stop guessing and start analyzing, you’ll save time, grow faster, and create content that truly resonates with your audience.

Remember Robert Filek’s words: “Strategy without process is little more than a wish list.”

It’s time to become a content detective.

Study your posts. Study your audience. Study your competitors.

The result?

A content game plan that’s built on data, not hope.

You’re one process away from building a strategy that connects, converts, and grows your brand.

Start today.

Recommended Newsletters

Here are few newsletters that I would recommend that you sign up to if you are interested in learning the art of running a side-hustle:

• Write, Build, Scale – https://sparklp.co/p/40cf6480e8
• Why we buy – https://sparklp.co/p/6d27bbcf8b
• The Book Bub – https://sparklp.co/p/3bcef5f1d4
• The Stacked Marketer – https://sparklp.co/p/5c2039bc2c

Sign up to these and follow them. You will get a lot of information and content for your blog posts, podcasts and even social media posts.

I will share more such ideas in my future newsletters.

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What am I reading?

I absolutely love books and I read a lot.

In fact, I don’t just read a lot, but I also take notes on every book that I read.

I have pages and pages on information in my Notion Second Brain, so that I can find them and use them when ever I need.

I have added some of the newest books that I have been reading, to the Amazon store, so you might want to check it out.

Want to know more about the books I read. You can check it out here!

That’s it for this week!

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