Fixing dull content
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #185
We've all encountered it: the dust-dry, jargon-laden article; the empty-sounding social media update; the charmless, lifeless, pointless email newsletter.
Dull content is everywhere!
And the more of it you see, the more it stands out.
Thankfully, dull content does not have to be a terminal state of affairs.
With a few adjustments and a different approach, lifeless content can be revived, renewed, and and transformed into engaging, valuable material.
So, how do you resuscitate your terminally-ill material? Here are a few thoughts:
1. Know your audience. Understanding your audience goes beyond the general demographics of age, gender, and location.
Try delving into your readers’ pain points and addressing their aspirations.
What issues keep them up at night? What are they passionate about?
The more you understand their motivations, the more effectively you can tailor your material to resonate with them.
Create detailed personas to keep your audience top of mind.
2. Inject your personality. Too often, brands hide behind a veil of corporate language that sacrifices personality for perceived professionalism.
But we connect with people, not with cold, sterile business entities.
So why not inject your unique personality into your content.
Share anecdotes and experiences; include humour, share stories, and let your voice shine through. Don't be afraid to be yourself.
3. Tell stories. Storytelling is the fundamental human experience. It captivates, educates, excites, and entertains.
Rather than simply presenting dry facts and figures, bring them to life by telling a story.
Introduce relatable characters, create a sense of suspense, and provide a satisfying conclusion.
Narratives make your content stick in people's minds and encourage them to share it.
4. Embrace visuals. Visuals grab, hold, and direct people’s attention.
Break up text with high-quality images, infographics, videos, and even GIFs.
Visuals enhance the aesthetic appeal of your content and make it easier to digest and understand.
5. Offer value. Content created simply for the sake of creating content is a waste of everyone's time.
Every piece of material you create needs to offer something of genuine value to your audience, whether that’s by solving a problem, providing a unique perspective, or by offering a piece of practical advice.
Focus on providing actionable takeaways that your audience can implement in their own lives.
6. Experiment with other formats. Don't be afraid to experiment with different content formats.
Try creating short videos, podcasts, interactive quizzes, or even animated explainers.
Mixing up your formats keeps your content fresh and engaging, catering to different learning styles and preferences.
7. Make it easy to read. No one wants to wade through a wall of text.
Break up your content into short paragraphs, use headings and subheadings, and incorporate bullet points and itemized or numbered lists.
Use white space effectively to make your content visually appealing and easy to scan.
8. Promote and engage. As I’ve learned the hard way, creating great content is only half the battle.
You also need to promote it effectively and engage with your audience—I need to get much better at this so trust me, I get it!
Share your content on social media, participate in relevant online communities, and respond to comments and questions. Start a conversation.
Dull content doesn't have to be a permanent affliction.
By implementing these strategies, you can breathe new life into your content and transform it into a powerful tool for engagement and growth.
Remember, valuable, engaging content is the key to building a loyal audience and achieving your content marketing goals.
So, ditch the dullness and embrace the dynamic. Your audience will thank you for it.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Writing as therapy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.