In A Dull Industry? How Content Marketing Can Still Work
Regardless of whether you sell leaf blowers online or provide financial planning advice to retirees, your industry is NOT as boring as you think it is.
One of the reasons you may be feeling like this is because you have been in it, AND at it for such a long time that you may feel like you are running out of content marketing ideas.
In fact, how many times have you heard someone tell you how funny, witty or interesting one of your loved ones were?
If you are like most, then your reaction may have been – “Really? I don't think so.”
This has less to do with what they are REALLY like, and more to do with the fact that you probably have been around them the longest.
Perhaps it's because you've just got dirty windows.
Wait, what?
Ever heard that joke about the guy that complained constantly day after day about his neighbors' laundry. It goes a little something like this…
“Meg, can you believe this! They are hanging out their dirty laundry AGAIN!”
The following day…
“Meg, for crying out loud, they are doing it AGAIN! Don't they have any pride? They're hanging out their dirty Laundry AGAIN!”
This happened day after day after day, until one day…
“Meg! Come quick! They FINALLY are hanging out some CLEAN laundry!”
“Oh no they aren't, I just cleaned our windows.”
Perhaps you just need to clean your windows and have a look at your content marketing strategy through a different lens.Click To Tweet
Here's a few ways you can jazz up that boring industry.
Switch Up The Delivery
Have you ever tried to read a book when you were already drained and tired?
Not much fun.
If you are like most people then you probably ended up falling face flat into the middle of that book.
Unfortunately, if you work in a so-called boring industry then you will need to utilize another vehicle of delivery when it comes to your content.
Are you selling leaf blowers?
Well, articles of several thousand words on the specs and features of the latest leaf blowers may intrigue some, but may not for most.
In fact, you just may be putting them to sleep quicker.
You can help to make the content more interesting, just in the vehicle you choose for delivery.
For example, a boring article on leaf blowers may not be so interesting, BUT a video on the latest leaf blowers blowing ridiculous things and such showcasing their features…well, now it's getting interesting.
Here's a great example:
Make Dull Content ACTUALLY Interesting
Please keep in mind that the word interesting is subjective.
What is interesting to some may not necessarily be interesting to other people.
The extent of HOW interesting something can be is only restricted to your imagination.
Think back to some of the earlier commercials on television and you'll see what we mean.
Glue.
Yeah…glue.
How in THE world do you make glue interesting?
When you talk about dull, perhaps it doesn't get any duller than GLUE.
Yet somehow decades later, the one commercial that may stick out in the minds of many is THAT one crazy glue commercial.
Take a trip down memory lane.
To emphasize the strength of the super glue adhesive, they used it to attach a hard hat to a beam on a building way up off the ground.
What was the only thing stopping the person wearing the hard hat from falling?
Yes, you guessed it – the super glue adhesive stuck between the helmet and the beam.
Dull?
Yes, the product itself may have been dull…the content and delivery?
Not at all.
You CAN make your content interesting; it's just a matter of how much you want to restrict your imagination.
Here are a few things you can answer when you are creating your content to help it become more interesting.
What Can You Do To Make Your Content Shocking Or Add Shock Value?
In the case of the super glue, you can probably see what the thought process could have possibly have been.
Things such as – What are some crazy things we can do to show how tough this glue really is?
What can we glue to emphasize this?
Not only does gluing a grown man's hardhat to a beam emphasize the strength it is capable of, BUT placing him high up in the air shows the confidence they have in their product.
Weak glue = Injured Dude
What Can You Do To Make Your Content Funny?
Let's go back to the leaf blower.
Leaf blowers are standard fare in yard work.
It makes the difficult task of sweeping up that much easier.
So what can you do to make it interesting?
Well, another thing to try out is humor.
How can you take your product and utilize humor to drive home your point?
For starters, you can emphasize the strength of the leaf blower.
Picture this: The video zooms in to show a yard worker with the latest and greatest leaf blower.
All over the yard you see him blowing and pushing, leaves, grass and other pieces of greenery with the push of a button.
The screen pans to a sign that says, “It's so powerful, and it'll dry even the toughest areas!”
The camera then pans to the man walking into a bedroom to dry his wife's wet and frizzy hair.
Okay, perhaps not that funny, but we think you get the picture.
Using humor in your content can go a long way, especially if your topic and industry is not the most interesting.
Take It One Step Further – Do It Bigger And Better
This takes some of the information we discussed earlier and pushes the boundaries and limits.
When you are developing ideas, there are tendencies to think a little smaller.
For example, in the first versions of that commercial, perhaps the creators thought – “Let's just hang the stuntman from the ceiling.”
As the envelope got pushed, because really how could it not have?
The creators probably said “No, higher.”
And…“No, higher.”
Then…“No, higher.”
This probably went on until the poor guy ended up several stories up off of the ground.
When you are looking to make your content marketing interesting, take it a step further, then another and see how much bigger and better you can do it until you start to get the feeling that your content just may be going viral.
There's an old saying that goes, to beat out your competition just do what they are doing, only better.Click To Tweet
Take a look at the content that's out there and take your marketing a step or two further.
Get Some Help
You probably have some GREAT ideas.
However, you are stuck with what you have in your head.
Unfortunately, there are probably others out there with some GREAT content marketing ideas as well, but you won't be able to hear them unless you ask AND listen.
Enlist some of the help of your team or even others in the industry you may know of.
If you are unable to reach out to these types of people, then reach out to others in your network and see what kinds of content ideas you may be able to glean from them.
Another thing that you can do is to take a look at what others in your industry are already doing.
NOTE: Do Not Copy! Yes, don't blatantly copy what other people are doing. However, you can take a look and see what is being done, what is being shared and what others see as interesting AND improve on it.
The saying goes that two heads are better than one, so enlist some help to get your creative juices flowing.
You'll be surprised at the ideas that start to come out on paper and in conversation when you actually START this kind of conversation.
Make It Important
What's important to some may not be important to others.
You can instantly make content important to someone if it's content they need to see right away.Click To Tweet
For example, the cheapest car batteries aren't that important to someone whose car is running just fine.
However, it's VERY important to someone on a budget whose car just died and needs a new car battery.
Along with the word important should be relevant.
You can make content that's dull, very interesting, and very relevant IF it's done so in a way that meets someone right where they are at, right when they need it.
Closing Thoughts
Your content and your industry are not as dull as you may think.
In fact, with a little cleaning of your windows and a little look through a different lens, you just may find that your industry is actually pretty interesting.
Maybe not as interesting as glue, but you get the picture (sorry to the glue manufacturers out there, we're just kidding).
Honestly, you have all you need to make your content marketing interesting right there between your two ears.
Your content is really only restricted to your own imagination.
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