Some businesses are inherently more interesting than others. Wild animal reserve = interesting. Paper company = not so much (just ask Jim Halpert). If the product or service your company sells is dull, dry, and/or monotonous, you’ll need to get creative with your blog. You don’t have the flair of a film production company or the insight of a lab researching neuropsychology. Your industry isn’t naturally bloggable (yes, that is in fact a word), but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t have a blog. So today, we’re going to teach you how to write interesting blog posts even if your company is a total bore.
How to Write Interesting Blog Posts
- Learn How to Write Well. Learning how to write interesting blog posts begins with learning how to write. First, you’ll need to brush up on your grammar skills. You could take a course on the topic, read a good book, or simply study blogs that you find interesting and well written. Then, once you’ve got the basics under your belt, infuse your writing with style and personality. You’d be surprised how fascinating a blog post on pencils can be after you’ve added some choice vocabulary, played around with the syntax, and edited for style. Grammar, my friends. It’s sexy stuff.
- Brainstorm Types of Posts. Blogs are a malleable writing form. You don’t have to write every post the same way and considering how boring your business is, it would probably be best if you didn’t. Brainstorm types of posts that are applicable to your business. Some examples: tips and advice, how-to posts, industry news, definition of a product (ex: What is crown molding?), reviews, comparisons, a list of ideas, etc. Mix it up when you’re feeling bored.
- Write Attention-Grabbing Introductions. If the reader doesn’t like your first paragraph, what’s going to make them keep reading? This is where those top-notch writing skills will come in handy. As soon as the reader lands on your page, draw them into your conversation. Ask them a question. Make a clever statement. Humor them. Make them think. Your first paragraph should be charming, so don’t bog down the reader with technical jargon or bland facts. Ease them into it.
- Use Humor and Stories When Applicable. If you can inject your blog post with a little humor or a personal, relatable story, your readers will be far more interested in whatever it is you have to say. Sometimes it won’t fit into your topic, but if it ever does, use it and embrace it!
- Be Creative When Brainstorming Topics. This is especially important if your business is very limited in its products or services. For example, maybe your company only sells couches. Your thought process shouldn’t be, “I can write one post about couches and then . . . Well, I guess that’s it.” That kind of thinking isn’t sustainable for a blog. If you’re going to learn how to write interesting blog posts, you need to brainstorm. You could write about styles of couches, the history of couches, how to clean couches, choosing a couch fabric, choosing a couch color, couch sizes, the evolution of couches, how to fix a broken couch leg, etc. If you’re having trouble, ask around your office. Most companies (even dull ones) have more to talk about than you might think.
Some days it will be a struggle, believe me. But if you’re determined and learn to stretch your linguistic and creative muscles, you can learn how to write interesting blog posts. Good luck!
