There is no such thing as a business so dull you can’t create exciting and entertaining content. So if you’re struggling to think of ways to make your business interesting enough to write about, the problem isn’t with your business, it’s with your ideas. Or with how you’re approaching those ideas.
I get it, your business might be content-poor. You might do something super niche like weave fibres for industrial textiles or be a death doula but people still want to hear about your services and know more about your business.
All businesses can have a bit of pizazz. Sometimes it’s about adding more sparkle into your content or making your blogs more entertaining. Most of all, it’s about remembering why you started your business in the first place and bringing some of that passion to the content you write.
So let’s take a look at some traditionally boring industries and see how founders are shaking up their content.
Plume Group
Formerly Stephenson’s Law this legal firm takes tone of voice to perfection. Plume’s blog gives you Lawfully Good News and they like to ruffle feathers in the industry. The content is full of personality and wit. It carefully balances what you need to know alongside being a normal human being. None of that complex stuffy language you’d expect with legalese.
The headlines are simple and fun. Even dry subjects like IR35 are handled with good grace. Plume are showing there is no such thing as dull content when it comes to the law.
I Hate Numbers
Is there anything more dull than accounting? It’s all numbers, right? Exciting for people who love numbers, not so much for the rest of us. But let’s face it, we all need an accountant for our business at some point. And good accountants can save you more money than you need to invest.
For most of us creative peeps, the numbers side is dull and boring but we’re searching for it anyway because we all have questions. Usually around January time if we’re self-employed.
Yet, I Hate Numbers is the antithesis of boring. I mean, look at that tag line. It’s bold and cheeky and not in the slightest bit boring. And the business name? Something I say on a regular basis. This is an accountant who knows their customers and is making sure their content has an abundance of noise.
Again, the content answers the basic questions business owners and arts companies have. It’s keeping everything simple and to the point. No confusing language or trying to look clever, and in doing so feels like there is a human right behind the brand. There is, of course. He’s called Mahmood and you should get in touch with him if you need an accountant.
My Wonderful Life
Alright, what about death? Can death be an interesting enough subject to write about? I believe that the more helpful content we have around death, dying and funerals, the easier it will make it for someone when they are going through one of the worst times of their life.
Having clear and appropriate content can take away some of the pain and frustration. Imagine having to grieve a loved one while also negotiating crap websites? You want a service that reflects the life of your person.
Which is why I love My Wonderful Life. It is clearly on a mission to get people to think about death before it’s too late. From content in picking your funeral song, to considering the kind of service and casket you want. I’m rather taken with the idea of a shelving system coffin.
What this website shows you is that you don’t need to go too far from your purpose to make your business interesting to write about. You simply need to think about what your customers will want and need from you. Then put that in a clear format with appropriate language. And the copy on this website is beautifully written, not overly mawkish but getting the balance right between caring and communicating.
What can we learn from these examples?
If you are low on content ideas or you run a business that you think is a little on the dry side, the worst thing you can do is avoid creating content at all. Instead, see this as an opportunity to stand out from your competitors.
Think deeply about the kind of content that will be helpful to your customers and what they will be searching for. Then create content for every step of their journey.
Top tips to make your business interesting enough to write about:
- Keep your target audience at the heart of your content and answer the questions they are asking.
- Have a bit of lateral thinking around your subject. You are not talking about the thing you sell but what the thing you sell does for your customers.
- Bring in your personality. If you consider the impact on the environment, then talk about that because it means you will start to attract customers who value this.
- Use everyday English. If you need to use terminology, explain it. Talk to your readers like the people they are. No one is going to be impressed by flowery language, they will simply stop reading.
- Create content for your customer questions.
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