Are you writing about a topic that’s drier than a dingo’s donger? If so, you’re not alone. I’ve pumped out press releases for academic books, revamped onboarding scripts and blogged about lawnmowers (don't ask).
If you’re at the start of your career or you work in-house, you can either resign yourself to the fact that it’s going to be a slog (remember, if you find it a slog, so will your readers). Or you can turn it into an opportunity to stop them in their tracks (or scroll) – and maybe even have some fun! You see, just because your topic is boring, doesn’t mean your readers are.
So if you’re working on a dry or unsexy topic, here are 5 things you can do to liven it up:
1. Know your audience
Who’ll be reading the content? Are they gardeners looking for mowers? Or students looking for essay-writing tips? Whatever the scenario, put yourself in their shoes and speak their language (checking out message boards and Facebook groups is a great way to tap into this). What’s their burning need right now? Try to call out, agitate (not too hard) and solve that need.
2. Keep it simple
Jargon doesn’t always impress, even if you’ve got an informed audience. If you want to increase engagement with your blog, email or newsletter, keep the language simple. Use short and active sentences, set out ideas with bullet points and insert white space (yes, hit that return key after two or three sentences.)
3. Inject personality (preferably yours)
You can dial this up or down, but personality, colourful language (did I get your attention with ‘dingo’s donger’?), humour or an anecdote can keep readers interested. Weave it into the intro of your blog and circle back to it later. Or add flourishes of humour in the body. Relatable and funny content is memorable – and it can make technical data easier to digest.
4. Find something no one is saying
When you’re writing about a popular topic in your industry, it can be hard to find a new angle. So it’s easy to repurpose the same content. Instead, find something no one is saying. Or, make new connections between ideas. This may take a bit of research (if you’re blogging, SEO keyword research can help here), but it’ll make your content stand out from your competitors.
5. Use visuals
Abstract or technical topics need visuals to make the content palatable – and break up the text. While it’s tempting to go for stock images that represent writing (i.e. typewriters) or sales growth (a chart with an upward-pointing arrow), go for something that breaks the stereotype.
If your client is open to it, try infographics, GIFS, videos or real photos with funny captions. If you must use stock images, choose the ones on page 50 (well, you don't have to scroll that far, but you get my drift!). They don't get as much traffic. Or choose ones that grab attention (can you tell I'm a cat person?), like the one I used in this post.
How to liven up a boring topic: Wrapping up
It's actually not that hard to add personality to a snooze-worthy topic. With some customer knowledge, simple language, a dash of personality, an unusual angle and arresting images or infographics, you'll be getting eyeballs on your copy in no time. Now it's your turn. How do you liven up boring topics? Let me know in the comments below!
Comments