You may (or not) be familiar with the classic 3 Es of content marketing: Engage, Educate, and Entertain. Do we want our content to do all those things? Absolutely! But we can’t help but feel that the Es could do with a glow up.
Enter Brighter Messaging’s new 3 Es of content marketing: Empathize, Empower, and Experience. We’re not just renaming them to be cute. We think the new Es capture a better way to think about content that actually moves people today. Let’s break each one down.
1. Empathize: Stop shouting, start listening
Too many brands shout into the void and hope someone shouts back. Empathy flips that script. It means truly understanding your audience’s challenges, pains, and goals. Not simply saying, “We get you,” but proving it by addressing what they care about: “We know [problem] is tough, and here’s how to make it easier”.
We find the Storybrand framework particularly helpful for getting into an audience’s head. Instead of telling them about you, you focus on speaking to their needs by making them the hero of your brand’s story. You can learn more about Storybrand on their website, or, even better, get the book.
You may also be interested in: How to leverage the power of storytelling in your marketing
2. Empower: stop teaching, start equipping
Educating someone sounds useful, right? The problem is that it often stops at surface-level tips or facts. You tell people what to do, but not how to actually do it. Empowerment goes further. It’s about giving your audience the tools and confidence to take action. It says: “You’ve got this, and here’s the step-by-step to prove it.”
For example, one of our most popular resources is our free eBook: 5 things your small business can do right now to improve SEO. The guide contains five practical, actionable SEO tactics that people can apply to their websites without significant expertise or web developer intervention.
Like the SEO eBook does, make your audience feel like they can do the thing. Then watch them come back for more
3. Experience: Stop entertaining, start immersing
Let’s be honest, in B2B and professional services marketing, no one expects you to be the next Netflix. And honestly? You don’t have to be. Your goal isn’t to give people an escape from their daily reality; it’s about creating content that pulls people in and makes them feel like they’re part of the story. Think of it as immersive rather than passive. Remember: great experiences keep people engaged longer and make your content stickier.
For instance, if you’re hosting a webinar, you can turn it into a live Q&A where the audience shapes the discussion. Another example—we’re currently working on a website for a client that has an immersive learning platform. We’re mirroring the product on the site with a unique design that gives visitors a taste of the software’s interactivity.
Why these 3Es matter now
In a world drowning in content (with more and more of it not even written by humans), many people are looking for more than a quick hit of information or entertainment. They want connection, tools, and experiences they can feel. That’s where being able to Empathize, Empower, and provide an Experience comes in to cut through the noise.
More letters! E-E-A-T
While we’re talking about important letters in content marketing, it would be remiss not to mention Google’s framework to evaluate the quality of content: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Why does EEAT matter in the context of our new 3 Es? Because to cut through the noise and make your content genuinely valuable, it needs to resonate and be credible. Here’s how to align the reimagined 3 Es with E-E-A-T:
- Create content that reflects your personal experience so that Google and your readers see it as more authentic and relatable
- Back your advice with real knowledge, research, or credentials
- Build trustworthiness through all of the above
Had enough alphabet soup for today?
That was a lot of letters and, to be honest, they don’t really matter or warrant inclusion in any content marketing exam. What really counts is showing up for your audience in the best ways possible. If you’d like help achieving that, we’d love to hear from you!
