The Pen Pivot
Posts
🦶 'First step' content idea

🦶 'First step' content idea

March 03, 2025

IN THIS EMAIL

🔧 Content Hack:
- “The First Step”
💡 Headline Template:
- With an AI prompt to make it work in your niche.
🦾 AI Prompt:
- Create a “proprietary system” lead magnet in seconds.
🔒️ Visible To Pro Readers:
- 1 psychology-driven headline template + 1 AI prompt to triple your views and fast-track your content success.

IN THIS PRO EMAIL

🔧 Content Hack:
- “The First Step”
💡 2 Headline Templates:
- With AI prompts to make them work in your niche.
🦾 AI Prompt:
- Create a “proprietary system” lead magnet in seconds.

CONTENT HACK

The “First Step” Content Hack: An Easy Way To Hook Beginners

Most people don’t take action — not because they don’t want to, but because the first step feels too big.

The solution?

Make the first step so small and doable that it feels effortless.

This content hook removes overwhelm, builds momentum, and makes beginners feel like they’ve already started.

How To Create “First Step” Content In Your Niche:

Start With A Common Goal
- Example: Start Running.
Identify The Biggest Mental Roadblock
- Example: Running feels exhausting and hard to stick with.
Create An Ultra-Simple First Step
- Example: Forget long runs — just run for 60 seconds today.
Frame It As An Easy, No-Excuses Action
- Example: “The 60-Second Running Challenge: Build A Habit On Easy Mode”

Examples Across Niches:

Instead of “How To Start Writing” → “Too Busy To Write? Try Writing A 10-Word Story”
Instead of “How To Learn Photography” → “The One-Shot-A-Day Challenge For Beginner Photographers”

A ChatGPT Prompt To Find “First Step” Content Ideas For Your Niche In 3 Seconds

Fill in your niche, audience, and content type.
Paste the prompt into ChatGPT.

Instantly get 15 highly engaging, beginner-focused content ideas with clear, actionable first steps — plus a detailed breakdown for any idea you want to expand into a full post:

💡 In Case You Missed It

“The 5-4-3-2-1 Method”: A 5-step framework to generate 15 content ideas targeting every level of your audience’s needs.
“The Rule Of Thirds”: A 3-part framework for building a perfectly balanced content strategy.
“The MINT Framework”: Build a perfectly balanced set of content ideas — inspire, educate, and prepare.

HEADLINE TEMPLATE

"The Single Most"

❝

The Single Most Important [X] A [Role] Has

Why The Headline Works:

Exclusivity: The headline makes the insight feel rare and valuable.
Direct Callout: Naming a role makes the content feel personally relevant.

Examples Using The Template:

Gardening: "The Single Most Important Tool An Organic Gardener Has"
HR: "The Single Most Important Policy A HR Manager Has"

Speed Things Up With ChatGPT:

Fill in your niche, audience, and content type, then paste this prompt into ChatGPT.

Get 10 clickworthy headlines and a full content outline for any you choose.

I'm a content creator in the [insert niche] niche and my target audience is [insert target audience].

I want to create a [insert content type, e.g., reel, blog post] based on this template:

The Single Most Important [X] A [Role] Has

This template is modeled on the following headline: "The Single Most Important Tool An Organic Gardener Has"

Generate 10 headline ideas for my niche that follow this headline template closely, replacing just the bracketed words.

At the end, ask if I'd like an outline for any headline.

Follow-Up Prompt (If I Request an Outline):

Create an outline for the selected headline, tailored to my content type. Include sections, main points, and format-specific tips.

AI PROMPT

The “Proprietary System” Lead Magnet

A great lead magnet doesn’t just collect emails — it positions you as a go-to expert with a clear, repeatable system…

One your audience can use to solve a specific problem.

Even if you don’t have a defined system yet, this prompt will help you create one.

It’ll then turn it into a simple, 1-page lead magnet that’s clear, actionable, and valuable.

Examples:

"The 3-Step ‘H.E.A.R.T’ Framework For Writing High-Converting Sales Pages"
"The 5-Point ‘Green Thumb’ Checklist For Your Vegetable Garden"

Fill in your role and niche, then paste into ChatGPT:

"I'm a [role/business] in the [niche/industry].

I want to create a 1-page lead magnet that teaches my proprietary system, method, or framework — even if it’s not fully defined yet.

Please ask me only the necessary questions, one at a time, to help me:

- Identify a repeatable process I use to get results.
- Define its core steps or pillars.
- Clarify the key problem it solves and its main benefit.
- Choose a memorable name.
- Ensure it's concise, actionable, and easy to implement.

Once we have all the details, generate a structured 1-page PDF outline."