Harnessing the "4 Ps" to write winning articles

Here's a simple, tried, and true writing outline you can use to piece together your essay.

It's a "framework" I learned at my previous job that anyone can use.

I'm talking about the 4 Ps. They are:

• Picture
• Promise
• Proof
• Payoff

If you can hit all 4 Ps, you’ve got the makings of a great essay. Let's quickly look at each one...

Picture

This is your compelling lead.

Paint a clear picture that brings the reader in right away.

Don’t let the lead drag on and on. Avoid a general, boring summary. Don’t use puns or clichés.

Examples:

Intriguing:

You won’t hear about it in the mainstream media…

But my favorite group of “sleeper stocks” is pulling away from the broad market.

These sleeper stocks (green line) are up 13% over the past seven weeks. The S&P 500 is down 2% over the same time frame:

As their name implies… most folks aren’t thinking about sleeper stocks right now. They’re focused on the major indices like the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq, which have plummeted due to sky-high inflation and rising interest rates.

But while the indexes get all the headlines… sleeper stocks are where true opportunity lies today. And it’s time to get your shopping list ready.

Intriguing:

Fake Elon Musk wants to scam you.

In a widely shared “deepfake” video, the billionaire Tesla founder appeared to be promoting a new way to earn extra money in crypto.

It was a total scam. Musk had nothing to do with the video. But it fooled plenty of people. Musk would set the record straight on Twitter saying it was “def[initely] not me.”

Current and relevant news:

The “Oracle of Omaha” is backing up the truck.

I’m talking about Warren Buffett, whom many consider the best investor of all time.

Buffett’s generated an annualized return of 20% for his shareholders since 1965.

That’s a LONG and legendarily consistent history of winning… and more than double the S&P 500’s annualized return over the same period.

Today, while many investors are panicking about plunging markets… Buffett sees big opportunity…

Market action:

The rocky ride continues…

On Thursday, stocks closed deep in the red again—the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell more than 2%. On Friday, both indices fell around 3%. And as of this morning, both are down around 4%.

Year to date, the S&P 500 is down 18%. The Nasdaq has tumbled 28%.

And while both indices finished roughly breakeven in May—with a handful of big one-day gains—2022 has been a “one step forward, two steps back” kind of market.

Engaging:

Is everyone an economist now?

These days, everyone I speak with has a strong opinion on the economy.

Most are convinced things will get worse.

They think the US economy is headed off a cliff, and that inflation is here to stay.

As a result, they also want nothing to do with stocks. They’re certain that the entire market is about to collapse.

I see things differently…

Promise

Tease what the reader will discover by the end of the essay.

Is there a stock to add to their watchlist? Stock to avoid?

A strategy to minimize risk in today’s volatile markets?

Make sure you’re clear and specific about what they’re going to walk away with.

Don’t make a promise you can’t fulfill. Make sure you tell the reader everything you say you will.

Here are some examples:

"By the end of the essay, you’ll know whether the stock market as a whole is cheap, which individual stocks are cheap, and what to do about it."

"Sleeper stocks are where true opportunity lies today. And it’s time to get your shopping list ready. I’ll share why in a second, including one of my top sleeper stock picks. But first…"

"If you’re new to crypto, bitcoin’s price swings can be confusing. But as I’ll show you today, not only is this volatility normal: you can use it to your advantage. You see, volatility goes both ways. I’ll expand on that in a moment, but first…"

"During times like this, it’s critical to step back and assess the big picture.

So, that’s what we’re going to do today. I’ll share five critical charts. They’ll help you better understand where we’re at in the current selloff… and what may lie ahead.

I’ll also share the most promising segments of the market.

Let’s get started…"

Proof

Lay out your argument with clear facts…

Observations…

Anecdotes…

Charts…

Historical data/comparisons…

Expert quotes…

Relevant examples…

Don’t go down a long rabbit hole over explaining/proving something that doesn’t matter… something that wasn’t set up in the lead/promise.

Examples:

"Buying stocks during downturns has proven to be a winning strategy. The S&P fell 15%+ on 26 occasions since 1957. Stocks were higher a year later 92% of the time. They gained 20%, on average, in that following year.

That’s a great track record. The evidence is clear. Investors who embrace panic and buy during sell-offs reap the rewards."

"Swiss Bank UBS did a deep dive into stocks with pricing power…

It looked at the performance of US companies with strong and weak pricing power since 2010.

UBS found stocks with strong pricing power dramatically outperformed when inflation was running hot."

Payoff

Come full circle and fulfill the promise with a clear takeaway/action

Promise: Sleeper stocks are where true opportunity lies today. And it’s time to get your shopping list ready. I’ll share why in a second, including one of my top sleeper stock picks. But first…

Payoff: Keep an eye on Gitlab (GTLB). If it continues to show strength, I’ll be officially recommending it to my paid-up IPO Insider members.

Promise: Today, I’ll show you four of today’s strongest industries. They should be at the top of your list if you’re looking to put new money to work.

Payoff: Right now, the value is in commodities, utilities, consumer staples, and defense stocks. So, consider investing in XLE, XLU, XLP, and ITA today or—better yet—look for leaders in these respective industries.

Promise: But I don’t recommend buying Tesla, or any other automaker, today.

There’s an even more lucrative way to profit from the coming electric car boom. One that will help you make money no matter who wins the EV race.

This stock has already handed Disruption Investor members 183% gains. And my research shows it could triple from here as electric cars go mainstream.

Payoff: Albemarle is the #1 way to profit as EVs take over our roads. As I’ve mentioned before, Tesla makes the best electric cars on the market. But picking a winner in the auto industry is extremely hard.

By owning Albemarle, we don’t have to back a horse in this race. We’ll make money whether Tesla, Ford, or GM comes out on top.

Our recent RiskHedge Report does a good job utilizing the 4 Ps: Is the stock market rally a mirage?

Just remember that the 4 Ps is a template. A useful template. But don't be afraid to get creative. This is a good option most of the time, especially when you're in a pinch.

Thanks for reading,

Chris Reilly

Executive Editor, RiskHedge

Follow me on Twitter here:?https://twitter.com/C_Reilly5

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