As you create website content, you want to impress, educate and entertain those who read your carefully-crafted documents. Sometimes, this is easy, like when you have a fascinating topic in which you are knowledgeable. However, sometimes you may be presented with a topic that is, for lack of a better word, boring. As an online technical writing specialist, I deal with this every day. While I do know about topics like plumbing, roofing and HVAC, it sometimes seems like writing about those subjects is tedious for me. I assume that content that was boring to write would be rather boring to read. When I find that my topics are on the dry side, I have to find new ways to spin them—creating content that is not only informative, but interesting, too. Next time you find yourself writing about a stale subject, consider these ways to bring life your work.
- Make It Current – For instance, if you are writing about a local roofing company, you have plenty of opportunities to write about the recent flooding, unseasonably dry conditions or big snowstorm. This works for other industries too. If you are writing about engagement rings, perhaps you could cover the big New Year’s Eve celebration downtown—mentioning, of course, what a great proposal opportunity it can be.
- Create a Tutorial – People read blog posts and articles when they can learn something from it. Are you writing content for an HVAC service? Perhaps a blog post telling consumers step by step how to change their furnace filter would be a good post. In addition to being interesting, these tutorials often bring in a lot of organic search engine traffic.
- Try a Different Approach – If you have been writing all your content in third person, try creating a piece in second or first for a change. These are both a bit more personal in nature and give you the chance to make the content connect better with the reader.
- Consider an FAQ Approach – Instead of writing an article about a swimming pool cleaning service and the benefits of using one of these companies, could you make the content into a frequently asked questions page? Changing the same exact information into a question and answer page can allow you to cover the same content but change the entire feel of the piece.
- Showcase a Style – House painting isn’t always the most engaging topic. However, there are plenty of houses out there that have beautiful paint jobs that would wow a reader. See if you can get ahold of one of these images and discuss the steps taken to achieve it. Don’t forget to add in references to your painting company. This makes for a style piece like you would find in a magazine—and is a lot of fun to read.
Creating content for many industries is not necessarily as interesting as writing the Great American Novel—but, if you are patient and put care into your work, you can achieve excellent results. Spend some time looking over the pages you admire and see what strategies they employ. You may find the perfect idea for your next page or post.
Tracy S is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
