The Secrets to Making Boring Writing Topics Sound Interesting

“Make it sound sexy.” “I want the words to really jump off the page.” “People should really be excited about our company when they’re done reading this.” Maybe you’ve heard something like that when you’ve been putting together your latest email, brochure, or company blog. In theory, those sound like semi-reasonable cliché requests to make for all of the creative writing you’re doing at your company.

But what happens when you’re not writing about topics that lend themselves to creative writing styles? What happens when your company is boring? GASPPPP. Did we just call your company boring? Yes. Don’t leave just yet… it’s okay if your company is boring. There are tons of boring companies and topics out there. And many of them need written promotion behind them. So, how do you make your boring topics sound interesting? Read on to find 4 simple steps to writing about boring topics.

Step 1: Identify Your Customers

No matter the topic (exciting or dull), you’ve got to understand your audience to establish a sense of trust and engagement. Is your customer the everyday end-user? Are they the leader who might purchase the product? Are they the person with expertise on your solution or topic? Are they technical in nature? Would the prefer laymen’s terms? Do they respond well to infographics? These are good starter questions when you’re trying to figure out who is receiving your content. Think of the most boring thing you can think of. For me, it’s watching paint dry. So, if I work for a company that sells a painter dryer, even though it’s my nightmare to think about this product, for someone out there, it could make their job a heck of a lot easier. Find those customers and speak to them. They probably won’t care as much about the bits and pieces that make up the paint dryer, but they will care that your product is going to help them do their job better or more efficiently. If my customer is the store who is going to stock my paint dryer on their shelves, they might care about different things. They’ll probably want to know more about how it’s built and why it should take up valuable space on their shelves. Perhaps text that is brief, bulleted, or even visually mapped out would make more sense for those types of customers to quickly and effectively consume your content. Different customers are excited by different product/topic features. Identify their differences and speak to them.

Step 2: Keep it Light

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Even serious topics don’t have to be stiff. It’s nice to know that there’s a real person behind the solution or company. Start making your communication sound like it came from a person. If you’re putting together a product manual, that might not be the appropriate time to stretch your creative muscles, but brief communications (like emails or social content) lend themselves to a more personal touch. Talk to the customer and encourage a dialogue when possible. If you consider yourself a bit of a comedian, throw in a joke or two, or perhaps a well-timed pun. Something that helps you stand out a little. More times than not, the recipient of your content has some familiarity with your topic and will appreciate a little personality in their content. Don’t bore them with the nitty gritty details of what your product does every time you engage. Treat your customer like a person when you’re connecting and maybe they’ll become more engaged with your communications.

Step 3: Find the Interesting Stuff

Not every person who works at a company is passionate about what the company they work for produces. I’m making an educated guess that not every person who works for the paint dryer company is obsessed with paint drying. But even the dullest of topics has something interesting. It might take a little digging or some competitor research to see how your product compares, but there is most definitely something that makes your product or company unique. Maybe your paint dryer is three times faster than competitors. Maybe your customers rave about how great it is to work with your company. Maybe the handle on your product is easier to hold. Tell them. Don’t ever make them guess what your product’s differentiator is. Whatever it is, focus on your interesting quality and shout it from the rooftops. Make sure people know what makes you special and why they should care.

Step 4: Accept Your Fate and Roll With it

Now for some bad news; sometimes boring products are just that, BORING. Maybe you have really strict legal limitations that don’t give you much creative leeway. Perhaps your audience prefers a straight forward, non-conversational tone when communicating with you. Unfortunately, some of that stuff is out of your control. All you can do is make the best out of the hand you’re dealt. How do you make the best out of it? Make sure the content you’re producing is the absolute best content available to your customers.

Review your design aesthetic to ensure your layout makes sense for the recipient. Have you been using the same layout for 10 years? Maybe you consider switching it up. Do a thorough edit and assessment of the content you put together. Are there any areas that are repetitive? Could you tighten up your content anywhere? Are there opportunities to make it more scannable with lists or bullets? Could you add any helpful visuals to illustrate your point? Do your links lead to the most appropriate resource. If you ask yourself those types of questions, I’m sure you’ll find some opportunities to deliver the absolute BEST content to your customers, even if it does fall a little on the boring side.

When you’re tasked with writing about boring topics, it can feel like there’s no way out. But that doesn’t always have to be the case. When you follow these 4 simple steps to writing about boring topics, your boring topics will start to jump off the page and speak to your readers in a whole new way. Try out these strategies today!