What Makes Good Content? Why Howard Gossage Was an Absolute Master of the Obvious

The Blog

Ideas you can use.

To understand what makes good content today, look back to the ’50s and ’60s, when it was called copy. The principles haven’t changed. As Howard Gossage put it, people read what interests them — and sometimes it’s an ad. Decision makers with budgets and goals will read whatever helps them make the right purchasing decision.

Good content is credible — built on subject-matter experts, whose insight marketing groups tap far too rarely. It is supported by facts: clients sit on enormous amounts of data that can turn claims into evidence. It is solution-agnostic — the moment readers detect a pitch instead of expertise, credibility discounts. And it is brief, but linked to the deeper story: a bite-sized piece up front, with a clear path to depth for those who want it. Those are the guardrails; structure and style get them to read more.