The 3-2-1 content strategy: Powering growth in your business

In rapidly moving business sectors, effectively communicating your value proposition is essential for growth.

Spend any time on LinkedIn and you will come across many different methods of planning content. Some are great, many are ok and some others… aren’t.

Here at Make the Break, we like the 3-2-1 method.

The 3-2-1 content approach offers a structured framework to balance educational, emotional, and promotional content in a way that builds authority without overwhelming potential clients with sales pitches.

Inform. Educate. Entertain. Then, sell.

Understanding the 3-2-1 Content Balance

The 3-2-1 content strategy creates the perfect balance between thought leadership and business development by categorising content into three distinct types:

3 – Good to know (post most frequently)

This educational content positions your business as an industry expert. By sharing knowledge freely, you build credibility in a sector where technical expertise and trustworthiness are paramount.

2 – Good to feel (post less frequently)

People buy people.

By pulling back the curtain and offering an insight into your business, this humanising content showcases your company culture and the people behind your solutions. It creates emotional connections in what can otherwise be perceived as a technical industry.

1 – Good to buy (post least frequently)

This promotional content directly highlights your products or services, but is strategically limited to prevent audience fatigue.

We like to think of it like this: If you share enough content from the first two categories to deliver value to your audience, you earn the right to ask them to buy something.

Download our quick guide to the 3 2 1 approach

Implementing the 3-2-1 approach

Here are just a few content ideas, but there are many more. The important bit is having the right frequency and ratio of content themes.

Good to know content

As the foundation of your content strategy, educational pieces should dominate your publication calendar:

– Explanations of new renewable technologies and their real-world applications
– Analysis of policy changes affecting renewable adoption
– Guides to calculating ROI for solar, wind, or other renewable installations
– Myth-busting articles addressing common misconceptions about renewable energy
– Case studies focusing on industry challenges rather than your specific solutions

These pieces establish your company as a trustworthy advisor rather than just another vendor pushing products.

Good to feel content

To humanise your brand:

– Profile team members working on innovative sustainability projects
– Share behind-the-scenes looks at your processes
– Highlight community impact stories where you made a difference
– Document your participation in industry events or sustainability initiatives
– Showcase your company’s own sustainability journey and internal green practices

These stories help potential clients connect with your mission beyond the technical specifications of your offerings.

Good to buy content

When you’ve established trust through the other content categories, you’ve earned the right to promote:

– Client success stories with specific ROI metrics from your projects
– New service announcements with clear value propositions
– Testimonials from similar organisations who’ve benefited from your solutions
– Comparison guides that honestly position your offerings against alternatives

Why this works especially well in renewables

The renewable energy sector faces unique challenges that make the 3-2-1 approach particularly effective:

1. Complex decision-making

Renewable energy investments typically involve multiple stakeholders and substantial capital. Educational content supports this complex decision process.

2. Evolving technology

With rapid innovation in renewables, your audience need timely information about new developments before they can consider purchases.

3. Mission-driven industry

Many renewable energy customers are motivated by values beyond price. The “Good to Feel” content connects with these deeper motivations.

4. Trust Barriers

With significant upfront investments required, renewable energy customers need to trust providers completely. The 3-2-1 approach systematically builds this trust.

3-2-1 Go!

By implementing this balanced content strategy, renewable businesses can nurture prospects through a longer sales cycle while establishing the credibility necessary to win major contracts. Remember that in renewables, your customers are often making decade-long commitments—your content strategy should reflect the same long-term thinking.