1 Message. 12 Formats. How to get the most out of your ideas

_{Day 45/100}

Hey - It's Tim.

It's Friday and your brain's probably fried. Mine too. But this is important.

One idea. Twelve formats. And why it matters more than ever in 2025.

Estimated read time: 3 minutes 42 seconds.

Format Wars: The Content Strikes Back

In 2025, the format of your content matters more than the content itself.

Not convinced? Let me prove it.

I took ONE idea: "Users struggle with complicated navigation menus"

Then formatted it twelve ways:

1. Tweet: "Your fancy navigation is killing conversions. Users want paths, not mazes."
   

2. Data Visualization: [Chart showing 73% of users abandon sites after struggling with navigation for >10 seconds]
   

3. Story: "Sarah needed to buy asthma medication for her son. The pharmacy website had 14 menu items. She left and used Amazon instead."
   

4. Comparison: "Navigation menus: Restaurants vs. Websites. Restaurant: 5-7 categories, clear descriptions. Your site: 19 dropdowns with vague labels."
   

5. Framework: "Navigation Clarity Score = (# of clear paths) ÷ (# of total options)"
   

6. Challenge: "Cut your main nav items by 30% this week. Measure the impact."
   

7. Meme: [Image of labyrinth with caption: "Your website navigation (Users are screaming)"]
   

8. Case Study: "How Airbnb increased bookings 24% by removing just 3 navigation options"

9. Checklist: "5-point navigation audit:
   🔲Max 7 main items
   🔲Clear labels
   🔲Logical grouping
   🔲Mobile-friendly
   ✅Test with mom"
   

10. Before/After: [Split screen showing cluttered vs. simplified navigation with conversion rates]
    

11. Question: "What if your navigation had just 3 options based on user intent instead of 12 based on your org chart?"
    

12. Contrarian Take: "Navigation menus should be completely eliminated. Here's why..."

Same idea. Different impact.

The tweet got shared. The story got remembered. The challenge got implemented.

But the underlying insight was identical.

Why Format Matters More Than Ever

Three reasons:

1. Attention is fragmented. 8 apps. 147 daily notifications. You're not competing with competitors. You're competing with TikTok.

2. Decision fatigue is real. Your users have made 35,000 micro-decisions today. They're exhausted. The right format reduces cognitive load.

3. Format signals value. Before reading a word, users judge if content is worth their time based on format alone.

Sounds obvious. But we're still getting it wrong.

The Format Decision Tree

Here's the actionable bit. I made this for you:

Is your goal...

AWARENESS → Is your audience...
├── Time-poor → Use: Visual (infographic, chart, meme)
├── Research-driven → Use: Data story (stats + narrative)
└── Skeptical → Use: Contrarian take (challenge assumptions)

CONSIDERATION → Is your message...
├── Complex → Use: Comparison (this vs that)
├── Novel → Use: Framework (new mental model)
└── Process-based → Use: Checklist (actionable steps)

CONVERSION → Is your product...
├── Emotional purchase → Use: Story (customer journey)
├── Rational purchase → Use: Challenge (prove it works)
├── High-value → Use: Case study (proven results)
└── Self-service → Use: Before/After (clear transformation)

Save this. Use it before creating anything.

One Format, Three Platforms

But wait. Each platform demands different executions of the same format.

Take "Story" format:

• Email: 3-4 paragraphs, personal tone, clear resolution

• LinkedIn: 1-sentence paragraphs, hooks, unexpected twist

• TikTok: 15 seconds, conflict upfront, visual payoff

Master of none = waste of time.

Format Matchmaking Guide

Not all formats work for all content types. Here's your matchmaking guide:

Product Updates ❤️:

• Before/After (show transformation)

• Checklist (highlight new capabilities)

• Challenge (prove the value)
  ❌ Avoid: Contrarian takes (too risky)

Industry News ❤️:

• Contrarian take (stand out from crowd)

• Question format (provoke thought)

• Data visualization (show impact)
  ❌ Avoid: Checklists (too prescriptive)

Educational Content ❤️:

• Framework (organize thinking)

• Case study (show application)

• Comparison (clarify differences)
  ❌ Avoid: Memes (too shallow)

Brand Building ❤️:

• Memes (shareable personality)

• Story (emotional connection)

• Contrarian take (memorable position)
  ❌ Avoid: Data visualization (too cold)

The Friday Format Challenge

I call this the "Format Roulette" and it works like magic.

Take your most important message from this week.

Now reformat it FIVE ways:

1. As a tweet (under 280 characters)

2. As a story (beginning, middle, end)

3. As a before/after (transformation)

4. As a question (makes reader curious)

5. As a checklist (actionable steps)

Post your best version. Tag me with #FormatWars.

The 10-Minute Format Hack

No time? Try this rapid-fire approach:

1. Write your core message in plain text

2. Set a 2-minute timer

3. Transform it into these quick-win formats:

   • "Unpopular opinion: [your message]"

   • "The only [topic] checklist you'll need: 1. [first point]..."

   • "[Industry] thinks [common belief]. But what if [your message]?"

   • "Before: [problem]. After: [your solution]"

Then A/B test the two that feel strongest.

The easiest way to do this is copy this section into ChatGPT + Your message and ask it to do it for you.

Real Sh!t

We've spent years obsessing over what to say.

In 2025, how you package it matters more.

Not because your ideas aren't good.

But because no one will notice if the format is wrong.

Your move.

✌️ Tim "May The Format Be With You" Hanson
CMO @Penfriend.ai

P.S. How did Q1 go? Q2 looks scary….