How to Set the Right Topics for Your Program

All of the content you develop for your SMS-based program should connect back to the program objective you defined earlier in this process. In order to create effective topics for your program, you should break that program objective down into smaller themes. These are the pieces of knowledge and skills necessary in order to accomplish the program objective.

Here's an example of breaking down a program objective into smaller parts using the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors:

Program Objective	By the end of this program, users will be able to play “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”
Topic #1	The basic format of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”: Two players. 3, 2, 1 countdown. Present either rock, paper, or scissors.
Topic #2	Rock: what can it beat, and what can beat it.
Topic #3	Paper: what can it beat, and what can beat it.
Topic #4	Scissors: what can it beat, and what can beat it.

The key question to ask yourself at this point of the process is:

“What information or skills do my users need in order to achieve the program objective I defined earlier?”

These topics should feel bite-sized and manageable. If you think a topic could be broken down further, then it probably should be. Each one of your topics should represent one day of content for your users, and SMS-based programs are most effective when each day’s content can be completed in just 10 to 15 minutes.

You should rearrange your list of topics so that they start with the simplest, most foundational concepts and end with the most complex or advanced topics. Your mission is to build an effective “on-ramp” for users to progressively work towards the program objective.