I'm on a mission to demystify content this year.
👋 Welcome back to Content to Commas, the weekly playbook for creatorpreneurs, founders, and marketers who want content that does its job.
What people say they do, is different than what they actually do.
You say you read every word. You don't.
You say engagement matters. But you can't remember the last three posts you liked.
What you do remember? The post you saved. The one you sent to a friend. The one you screenshot and added to your notes app.
That's the difference between content that gets scrolled past and content that gets stored.
This issue is about the three S's of content so your work doesn't just perform, it sticks.
📌 In this issue:
The 3 S's framework
My Psychology behind scrolling
How to structure content that people can't afford to lose
Let’s get to work.
— Brandon Smithwrick
FROM OUR FRIENDS @ CONSENSUS.
Whatever you do, don’t lose momentum.
Consensus analyzed buyer behavior across thousands of demo interactions and found that when buyers can self-serve earlier, deals move faster and close more consistently.
Buyer velocity jumps by double digits when progress doesn’t require another meeting.
Think about how buying actually happens today:
Buyers review. They rewatch. They share internally. They align before replying.
Teams that win don’t interrupt that process. They support it:
A self-serve demo buyers can return to anytime
Clear insight into what content actually matters
Timely next steps triggered by intent, not reminders
When buyers control the pace, deals don’t disappear. They mature.
💡 All you need to care about
Content can succeed or fail regardless of the time spent on it.
People don't read. They scan. They skim. They save what they might need later. They share what makes them look smart or helpful.
Saveable. Skimmable. Shareable. That's the whole game.
Just useful enough to keep.
Clear enough to scan.
Smart enough to send.
I don't have time for the long rants. It's really going to be that simple in 2026.
Let's break down each one.
📚 The 3 S's Framework of Content
rule #1: the skim test
1 — Skimmable: People Don't Read, They Scan
Your content competes with everything.
Slack notifications. Texts. Instagram. TikTok. The 47 tabs you has open. (no judgment)
If your post looks like a wall of text, I’m not reading it.
If someone can't figure out what your post is about in 3 seconds, they won't give you 4.
What makes content skimmable?
Short paragraphs (1 to 3 sentences max)
Bold statements that pull the eye
Bullet points or numbered lists when listing ideas
White space between thoughts
A clear structure (intro, body, close)
Even this newsletter is designed for skimming. You're not reading every word. You're scanning for the parts that matter to you.
It’s less about laziness and more about how humans process information now.
rule #2: save for later
2 — Saveable: The Real Currency
Likes are passive. Saves are intentional.
When someone saves your post, they're saying: "I can't to lose this."
That's the bar.
A save means you gave someone value they want to return to. A like just means they scrolled past and double tapped.
Think about the last post you saved. You probably even it in a folder in your Instagram or TikTok.
“personal growth tips”
“hairstyles”
“food to try”
👆 That's why I imagine your save folder is like.
The easiest way to make your content more likely to be saved is to look at what you save yourself.
By understanding your own habits, you can learn how to create content that others will want to save too.
rule #3: you’ve got to see this…
3 — Shareable: The Content Co-Sign
Shares are the most underrated metric in content.
When someone shares your post, they're endorsing it.
A share is a co-sign & co-signs unlock new audiences faster than anything else.
People share content that:
Makes them look smart or helpful
Will help others like it helped them
Ideas they strongly resonate with or wish they had said themselves
Teaches something their audience needs to know
Let me be direct … I no longer anchor my content to likes, comments, or views.
I aim for saves.
Because if I'm creating content that's worth saving, I'm accidentally earning the like, the comment, and the view.
But if I aim for a like? I get nothing.
If your content is saveable, skimmable, and shareable, it will outperform content that's just "good."
Aim higher. Build content people can't afford to lose.
📌 ICYMI
Each week, I share tips on branding, monetization, growth , and useful tools that you might have missed. You can catch up in just a few minutes.
Posts You May Have Missed…
These posts did numbers for a reason. Worth a reread.
LinkedIn’s discovery update: They changed how people get found. This impacts job seekers and freelancers more than you think → See what changed
Attention vs. conversion: Social gets the eyeballs. Email gets the money. Here’s how Mailchimp helps you connect both → Get the framework
New small business hub: Find clients, build your brand, and hire in one place (yes, really) → Explore the hub
Get more brand deal with Instagram’s help: I never heard before tactic to find more brands for your outreach efforts → Let me hear this
David Protein Bar’s content pivot: How they shifted strategy to win a more female audience (and what you should steal from the playbook) → Read the breakdown
Tools I Love…
The stack I keep coming back to in my own business.
Fyxer: The AI tool I’m using to draft emails faster without sounding like a robot → Extra 7 days to try
Gamma: Build presentations in half the time with AI doing the heavy lifting → Try Gamma
Kit: My go-to if you want landing pages that actually convert → Check out Kit
Testimonial.to: The easiest way to collect customer proof without awkward follow-ups → Collect testimonials
💸 Sequence: One of the best additions I made last year. Automates how money moves across accounts. Get $75 to get started → Explore Sequence
VEED (50% off 3 months): The online editor everyone’s quietly switching to → Claim the discount
Whisprflow: I’m literally dictating newsletters now. This is why my drafts are faster → Claim a free month
📧 Beehiiv: Newsletters, websites, podcast hosting, and link-in-bio in one place. Use this link for 20% off your first 3 months → Launch on Beehiiv
🔍 Stanley: My LinkedIn AI coach. Weekly insights on what’s working and why. 3-day free trial with this link → Test Stanley
🏦 Mercury: My business banking setup. Clean, simple, no mess. Deposit $10K in 90 days and get $250 → Open an account
🎓 Teachable: Build and sell digital products without duct-taping tools together. Start free → Start creating
📊 QuickBooks: I upgraded once my business started acting like a real business. Keeps finances clean and tax-ready. Save up to 75% with this link → Set up QuickBooks
💬 ManyChat: Turn comments into automatic DMs that convert → Build the flow
My Content Kit:
The gear I actually use to capture clean, usable content without overthinking it.
🎙️ Shure MV7+: The mic I use for every call and recording. Clean audio matters more than video, especially early.
📜 Teleprompter: Nobody memorizes scripts. Reading keeps you concise and confident.
📱 Compact tripod: Compact, travel-friendly, and lets you shoot anywhere without friction.
🔋 Anker battery pack: My most powerful charger. Even fully charges my MacBook on the go.
🦾 Magic Arm: The easiest way to get dynamic angles and avoid static shots.
🎤 DJI Mic 2: Reliable, clear audio when you’re traveling or filming on the move.
🎥 DJI Osmo Pocket 3: A creator secret weapon for vlogs, BTS, and stabilized video.
🎒 Bellroy Side Bag: My go-to content bag. Fits all of this and keeps everything organized when I’m moving.
🧲 Suction mount: Instant dynamic angles on cars, windows, or desks without a tripod.
Free Resources For You
🚀 Contentpreneur Dashboard (new update): My refreshed operating system for creators building real businesses → Explore the dashboard
💼 Content Marketer Toolkit (new): The exact tools shaping modern marketing workflows (also a cheat code for creative directors) → Grab the toolkit
🪝 250 Proven LinkedIn Hooks: Copy, tweak, grow your brand faster → Get the hooks
🤝 How to Land a Brand Deal: Zero-fluff guide to inbound and outreach that works → Learn the playbook
📈 Wins Wins Wins: If this newsletter has helped you make money, save time, or get unstuck, I want the receipt → Share your win (30 seconds)
Thanks for reading!
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