Okay, so you’ve done the empathy work. You’ve peeked into your audience’s world, listened to their frustrations, and taken note of their emotional state. Now what?
It’s time for the most underrated and underused skill in the creative process: defining the problem.
You might be tempted to skip this part. “I get the gist,” you think. “I know what the problem is.” But trust me—how you define the problem shapes everything that comes next. Your messaging. Your offer. Your tone. Even your format.
Let’s dig into why getting crystal clear on the problem is crucial, how to avoid common traps, and how to define your problem like a strategist.
Vague Problem = Vague Solution
If you’re not clear on the problem, your audience won’t be clear on the value of your solution.
Let’s say you’re creating a lead magnet for your freelance writing service. You might say:
“My audience struggles with content.”
Okay... but that’s super broad. What kind of content? What about it is the struggle—time, tone, structure, conversions?
Now, compare that to:
“My audience is overwhelmed trying to write weekly emails that sound like them and actually sell something.”
Boom. Now we’re cooking with context.
When you define a specific problem, your solution becomes specific—and way more effective.
The Power of Framing
One of the sneakiest parts of problem-definition is how we frame it. The words we use shape how we think about the issue.
Here’s an example from the world of copywriting:
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“I need to get more clients.” → That’s a result-focused frame.
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“I don’t know how to describe what I do in a way that gets attention.” → That’s a clarity-focused frame.
See how one focuses on the outcome and the other on the core issue?
Framing helps you cut through the noise and find the real barrier holding your reader back.
Use the "How Might We..." Trick
Borrow this classic design thinking move: after doing your empathy work, turn your insights into a “How might we…” question.
Let’s say you’ve interviewed a few small business owners. You hear:
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“I hate writing my About page.”
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“I never know what to say about myself.”
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“It always sounds braggy or boring.”
Turn that into:
“How might we help small business owners write About pages that feel authentic and engaging without sounding boastful?”
Now you’ve got a beautifully defined problem to solve.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some classic traps to watch out for when defining the problem:
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Assuming too much — Just because you’ve seen the problem before doesn’t mean it’s the same every time.
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Solving your problem, not theirs — Make sure you’re not just building what you think is cool.
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Staying surface-level — Dig past the symptom to the root. “No engagement” might actually be “no emotional connection.”
Define Before You Draft
A clearly defined problem can literally make writing easier. Here’s how:
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Your headline speaks to the pain directly.
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Your body copy addresses real fears or desires.
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Your call-to-action matches their motivation.
Instead of wrestling with what to say, your message writes itself. Because you know what needs to be said.
Try This: The 3-Layer Problem Dig
Grab a current piece of content you're planning—a blog, an ad, a caption—and try this:
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Surface Problem: What is the obvious, surface-level issue?
Example: “They’re not posting consistently.” -
Emotional Problem: What’s the feeling behind that problem?
Example: “They feel insecure about what to say.” -
Root Problem: What belief or situation is actually causing it?
Example: “They don’t believe their message matters.”
Now build your piece with all three in mind. That’s layered, human-centered messaging.
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