Tssss.
Another week. Another post.
How often have you written about the same topic? What else can you write?
At some point in our blogging journey, we all hit the same brick wall. We seem to have written about everything already. Even worse… hundreds of bloggers have written about the same topic, and we feel like a cow regurgitating grass.
Everything we write feels repetitive. Dull. Yuck.
How can you breathe life into those same old topics? How can you find your sense of fun again? And keep your readers glued to your last word, and coming back for more?
Adding a splash of color to boring topics is easier than you might think. Try the 4 fun methods below, and make dull topics shimmer and shine again.
Sound good?
1. Transport readers to a different scene
Imagine writing a blog post about the difference between features and benefits.
A feature is an aspect of a product, while a benefit explains what it does for its user.
That’s it.
Pretty dull, right?
So, how do you start the zillionth post about features and benefits?
Tell a simple story:
Imagine you haven’t cycled for years.
And you don’t know much about bikes.
But you want to get fit again, and biking seems fun.
You go to your local bike store and tell the super-sporty-looking shop assistant you’re looking for a bicycle to tour around the area. Leisurely.
He tells you full of enthusiasm a hybrid would be ideal and shows you a few popular models. This one has 24 gears and it has cantilever brakes. That one has a Shimano drivetrain and disc brakes. And here’s a model currently on offer – it has an aluminum frame and hydraulic disc brakes.
Huh?
The feature-spewing assistant makes the limitations of features instantly clear. This simple story pulls readers into the post. And once a web visitor has started reading, he’s more likely to read on.
To write a story for a boring topic:
- Imagine a scene showing why your topic is important
- Allow your readers to picture the scene by using vivid details
- Keep readers engaged by adding a dash of drama—you sense something won’t work when you notice the contrast between the super-sporty-looking assistant and the shopper wanting to tour leisurely around the area
- Keep your story short
Your readers are hurrying across the web trying to escape regurgitated content. They’re dying to be entertained. So, “transport” them away from their computer. Hook them with a quick story.
2. Apply the perfect antidote to dull generics
Generic statements are dull.
Because we can’t picture them in our mind. For instance:
- To improve my productivity, I decided to take more breaks
- To make your voice more dynamic, write shorter sentences
- Define your marketing goal before deciding on your content strategy
Each of the sentences above is quite abstract. A reader can’t visualize them. They first need to think about what a marketing goal is and what a content strategy is before they understand the meaning of the last sentence. And what is a shorter sentence? How does it look? And what do you do in a break?
When readers are in a hurry, do you think they stop to think about what a sentence exactly means?
Probably not.
Instead, they start skimming your article for concrete advice. Or they click away. And that’s when you might lose them forever.
So, to avoid boring your readers with generic statements, use examples to make your ideas concrete and vivid. Have you noticed how many examples have already been listed in this post? I didn’t simply tell you to use stories, I used an example from an old post. You’ve also read three examples of generic statements.
Here are two more posts buzzing with examples:
- How to Write a Sparkling Sentence uses examples from various brands
- How to Write Seductive Sales Copy Like Apple uses examples from Apple only
Fun examples make boring topics interesting. They make abstract ideas concrete. They engage readers and help them both understand and implement your advice. Examples—especially from well-known brands— instantly boost your credibility, because you show your knowledge is not only theoretical. You demonstrate that you know how to apply your advice.
To breathe life into boring old topics use vivid examples:
- Use a real case study
- Quickly create your own examples
- Scour the web for suitable examples
To save time when writing your articles, create a collection of examples in Evernote or set up a folder on your computer.
3. Decorate like cupcakes
Want to turn bland ingredients like flour and butter into cupcakes that look and taste delicious?
Use a spoonful of sugar and a touch of creativity.
Metaphors work the same—they add a splash of color to dull topics. Metaphors compare two unrelated topics (like writing and cooking). They make blah content more vivid, entertaining, and personal.
Have you noticed my love of metaphors?
I’ve compared a blog with a restaurant, a website with a hotel, and a smooth reading experience with cycling. (For more inspiration, check out these 14 metaphor examples.)
Sounds difficult?
You don’t need a special creative brain to generate metaphors. Give yourself permission to play:
- Define the key point your blog post should communicate
- Get away from your computer—I come up with better metaphors when I’m in the kitchen or out on my bike
- Focus your creativity by choosing one broad area e.g. sports or cooking
- Play around to find connections
- Choose the best metaphor
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Allow your mind to associate freely. Use colored pencils to scribble notes. Or draw simple stick-figure pictures.
A sense of play is key to being creative.
4. Create a festival of colors
Metaphors help make abstract topics concrete.
And once you’ve discovered how much fun metaphors are, it becomes easier to turn your blog post into visual content, too. Because a good metaphor already paints a clear picture in your reader’s mind.
Creating visual posts is fun—both for bloggers and for readers:
- Images can make your content more credible
- Images are processed quicker by our brains
- Images improve understanding and recall
By creating visual posts, you give yourself an opportunity to write about the same topic once again:
- Create drawings or infographics
- Create a SlideShare presentation
- Turn your blog post into a short video
Turning your blog posts into a visual story makes your content instantly more charming. And more memorable.
Stop blabbering on
There are no dull products, only dull writers.
~ David Ogilvy
When you’re bored with your content, rest assured: You’re boring the boots off your readers, too.
So find a way to re-engage with your topic. Follow your curiosity. Start writing poems. Draw pictures. Become a video whiz. Or take a break.
Re-invent your blog.
Because when you have fun, your enthusiasm shines through. And that ignites a spark of excitement in your readers.
Enjoy!
Special thanks to Julia who nudged me to write this post.
Recommended reading on creative blog writing
How to share the big picture without boring your readers
How to delight readers with 150-word stories
How to create fun metaphors
These are great tips to liven up a dull blog post. Good to have when you’re not feeling particularly motivated to write about the topic.
Thank you, these are a great inspiration.
Thank you, Don. That’s exactly how I use these tips, too. When I feel a little bored with my writing, I find a way to challenge myself with these tips. Happy writing!
Nice tips as always Henneke, thought of something that might be interesting. How about you do a short video and highlight one particular aspect of blogging. Maybe show (or how you create) a picture? Always wondered how your voice sounds? Great post as always, look forward to the video. As you say in a comment video loves visual learners.
I’ve created videos for my courses, but it takes me quite a lot of time (much more time than writing a blog post). This is why I’ve stuck to writing. I find it already hard to make enough time for my blog. But I take your point. It would be nice to do it!
If you’re just interested in hearing my voice (or accent!), then there’s a podcast here: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/valuable-content/
Thank you for stopping by, Joe 🙂
that’s really amazing 🙂 how easily you illustrated everything..
I wouldn’t say it was easy to illustrate this, but it was certainly fun! 🙂
Thanks Henneke for sharing another great fresh post with lots of useful info. I love the way you write and hope to get there some day 🙂
Keep practicing and you’ll get there. I’m writing much better than I did two years ago, too! 🙂
Hey Henneke,
The one thing I like to do sometimes with my post is to tell a story to get my point across. It does bore me when i do read blog post and they’re very robotic with their content. It doesn’t leave much for the imagination.
I also like to also play around with the content and use metaphors as well as use color. It does give your posts a little bit more pizzazz and it makes it more inviting for others. Especially if you keep writing about very similar topics over and over again. I try not to do this, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out like that LOL…
thanks for the advice and I hope you’re enjoying your week!
Precisely! That’s what I tell myself and what I do. Thanks again!
This was right on time for me. I often struggle with this very thing. I’ll start writing and think, didn’t you just write about this? Or even worse, Didn’t _________ just write about this? Ugh. It can be paralyzing sometimes. I love these idea! Thanks, Henneke!
Yes, I know it can be paralyzing.
Think about it this way: Everything has been said already, but nobody has said it yet with your voice.
So keep writing and don’t worry about what others write 🙂
Hi Henneke,
Welcome back and great post here.
This is my one “fear” with blogging. To write what EVERYONE has written about before. In fact, when I choose my topics to write about, I really labour over how many people have already said it and how I’m going to make it different or come from a different angle.
Like always, your advice about story telling is accurate and I try my best to incorporate some type of story into what I write. I need to do it more, however, and I can only get better by practicing more.
Thanks for this post, Henneke.
Have a great rest of the week.
– Andrew
I’m not sure exactly when or why it happened, but I stopped caring about what others write. I realized it was irrelevant.
The truth is this: Everything has been said already. But nobody has said it yet with your voice.
It’s liberating to focus on your own writing and your own audience. Try it! 🙂
Hi Henneke.
Happy to see you back from your break and hitting the mark with an awesomely helpful post right out of the gate!
Bloggers everywhere are talking about the power of storytelling. The difference with you is that you tell us *how* to come up with a story or a metaphor or some spark and sizzle. When I read a post like this one I’m inspired to put your teaching to work. Thank you for that.
Glad to see Henrietta back too. 🙂
And I’m happy to see your smiling face again, Melissa!
Thank you for your comment – there’s no bigger compliment for me than hearing you’re inspired by my writing 🙂
Hi Henneke
I’ve always wondered why is it that some blog posts I can read and enjoy every single word and don’t want it to end (like this one) then others, even though, the topic interests me I find myself getting distracted drifting of thinking about other stuff and even wanting to leave the page a quarter of the way in.
Now I know it’s all to do with the way the post is written I think it so important to tell a story and paint colorful pictures in your readers mind to hold their attention whether it’s an old topic or new topic.
I also agree that using metaphors allows us to absorbed what is being taught in a whole new way.
This article is a no-brainer to share hopefully some of those blogs I get stuck on find this and take heed.
Thanks for dropping an amazing article on us 🙂
Yesss – I know exactly what you say. I sometimes think I’m too impatient, but if some writers could make just a little more effort to make the content a little more interesting for their readers, then we’d keep reading on, wouldn’t we?
By the way, the other problem with boring content is often that authors try to write 2,000 words about something that could be said in 500 words. Business books often suffer from this bloated content symptom.
Thank you for sharing!
For sure, it is the new trend. If your readers love it, Google bots will love it too.
Well, it is truly the case with every writer. And when you’re writing SEO content, things keep coming back again and again. And there you’re stuck and bored. But you have given us a good idea to blog. Thank you
My first rule for enjoying writing content is to write for my readers rather than Google. Writing for robots surely sucks energy out of your posts. Who can have a conversation with crawling robots?
What’s good for your readers, is usually good for Google, too. So, I first write for my readers, and then polish my content a little so Google is happy, too.
Thank you very much Henneke, this is exactly the type of post I need as complete a beginer. So I have just one request: I am not an french nor an english native who want to blog in french languange, could you give me some encouragment? Thank you again. See you
I’m not a native English speaker and I blog in English. There’s absolutely no need to be a native speaker. Here’s a post with a selection of bloggers who blog in English but whose native language isn’t English: http://writinghappiness.com/non-native-english-bloggers/
Metaphors. They are the answer to almost everything.
Yes, now let’s find the metaphor that can help us achieve world peace!
Wonderful post, enjoyed reading it, kept my interest from start to finish.
Great! Thank you, Christina
You’ve just unfrozen my mind Henneke. Thank you for reminding me how to ‘loosen up’ my ideas. The metaphor is important when explaining technical subjects to the general reader. I also like your reminder to use diagrams that eliminate a 1000 words – I do it all the time. I’m also getting useful mileage from your other Popular Blog Posts. Thanks again – Paul
Yes, loosen up 🙂
Writing gets better when you enjoy playing with words.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog posts here. Nice to “meet” you, Paul.
Glad to see you’re back Henneke
Content that’s credible, easy to understand and sticks in your mind. That’s what we were missing!
Thanks for giving us the landing page check list in what I suspect was the middle of your holidays. You’re treating us too well.
P.S. I think there’s a podcast network that would be richer if you voice was added 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful compliment, Philip.
It feels good to be back. I was missing all you guys, too! Perhaps I’m a little addicted to blogging?
Hi Henneke,
Another awesome post! I love the tips you’ve shared here. Especially, when it is so true that we all come across a stage where creating content hits a plateau. It seems we are reiterating the same thing – the same topic that my peers are talking about. So true!
But yes, any topic can be presented in an interesting way – your tips are so helpful. #1 is something I have not tried but sounds very interesting. I can share stories, but I haven’t usually thought about sharing scenes 🙂 I should give this a try!
#3 is also a wonderful tip! It is all about creativity and yes it is important that we give ourselves permission to think freely and be creative!
Thanks once again for sharing these tips 🙂 Have a wonderful week 🙂
Cheers,
Jane.
Yep, so true. Everything has been said already, so why would we write another blog post? That’s how it feels doesn’t it?
By using these techniques, I’ve written about the same topics several times without getting bored!
Thank you for stopping by, Jane. I hope you’re having a good week, too.
Hi there! Thanks for another great post, my lady! I love the idea of infusing metaphors and stories into the content. These are definitely ways to infuse information with fun! Thank you!
And it’s important to have fun, right?
Thank you, Shannon. 🙂
Zowie. Henneke, I am there. I mean, I woke up this morning and said, “Yuck. Blogging.” I just a few minutes ago was thinking how attractive house cleaning seemed to be, and I just finished washing out the popcorn popper.
Stalling. I know.
This is exactly what I need to read. Maybe daily for a few days.
How did you know? 🙂
Ha yes, I knew you wanted to read this 🙂
It happens to all of us from time to time. And the more we procrastinate, the harder it becomes to get started.
Good to see you again, Katharine. Now stop doing household chores, and start writing your next blog post! 😉
You got it! 😉
Hi Henneke,
Great to see you back – hope you had a relaxing break.
This is great topic. It can be intimidating trying to think of new ways to approach a subject that’s been written about a lot. But, as you say, there’s always a different angle if you look for it.
Newspapers, magazines, TV etc face this problem too (stories resurface year after year in new clothes). And millions of songs have been written about ‘Love’, yet they all have subtle differences – and we don’t stop listening.
Exactly – stories and metaphors are great ways to tell the same thing again and again.
I also feel good to be back – it was great to slow down a little and catch up with other things over the last two weeks 🙂
Good to see you again, too!
Hi Henneke,
Thank you so much for introducing the world of metaphors to me.
I enjoy playing with them very much 🙂
One of my favorite metaphor posts you wrote is being a Beekeeper, Not a Zookeeper:
http://boostblogtraffic.com/online-career/
Great post!
Ha yes, I quite liked the beekeeper vs zookeeper metaphor, too.
In that case, I wasn’t even thinking about introducing a metaphor, it simply popped in my mind when I was editing my post. It’s weird how are brains work!
I absolutely agree, Benny. That Boost Blog Traffic post was one of my favourites too. 🙂
I appreciate metaphors too because I’m a very visual learner. I love it when someone tells a metaphorically rich story that helps me visualize what they’re talking about.
Thanks for sharing some great tips, Henneke!
I’m also a very visual learner. That’s probably why I like using metaphors and drawing pictures. Even when only using words, I still want to draw pictures in people’s minds 🙂
Thank you for stopping by again, Jenna!