How to write content for a 'boring' industry and eventually fall in love with it

Think of some of the things you love in the world.

I love books and music.

I love aftershaves and nice-smelling soaps and shower gels (my skin is so soft oh!).

I love coffee bars and coffee culture.

I love fizzy drinks (but my teeth don't and have started letting me know about it!).

Would love to write about these subjects or for brands in these areas (and have done so in some cases).

But sometimes copywriters and other marketing professionals take on projects in industries, niches or sectors some people -- sometimes even the clients themselves!--perceive as 'boring'.

Every now and then, when colleagues have told me what they're working on, they've struggled to find enthusiasm for the project.

Of course, they still get smash it out the park (in a good way!).

But how do you motivate yourself and write good content for a 'boring' niche or one that's not lighting your fire?

Glad you asked! Because that's what I'm about to tell you now.

Save this article for a project you're having trouble connecting with it so you can power through that one and beyond.

Let's get it on.

Get curious and learn about the industry

This is your starting point, albeit a bit of an obvious one.

But here's the thing: the more you research your client's industry, the more you find yourself wanting to learn about it (so you can write better). It's like going down a rabbit hole on YouTube (we've all done it!), but a worthwhile one.

I remember when I first started learning about copywriting and did a self-study distance learning course. One of the assignments involved planning a brochure for a door company. Never thought I'd get so curious about the different properties of different woods and about different veneers, but there you go!

Why else is this important?

Now, call me sarky if you like, but knowing what you're talking about always helps when you're writing for a client!

You can't write top-notch content for them if you don't know anything about their field or industry itself.

And the more you learn, the more comfortably you'll be able to write because you'll have the knowledge and the confidence to move away from information sources and express the ideas more in your own words (doing this can also help you avoid a slap from Google for ripping off someone's content or from someone else doing so for plagiarism).

Not only this, but when something significant happens in your client's industry, your research will help you to understand the impact of the events.

What does it mean for your client?

What does it mean for their customers?

And how can each respond?

Understanding causes and effects is an important part of your research. You don't want to write a load of balderdash that leaves you and your client both looking clueless. And sorry to make you sweat, but you could have some real experts reading your writing, who can pull it apart as easily as Jeremy Hunt's latest budget.

Note that the more research you do, the easier it becomes to spot inaccuracies and inconsistencies written by others.

Where can you learn?

A training course on Linkedin Learning is a good place to begin if the platform offers ones relating to the client's industry. You can learn the fundamentals and build from there.

If you don't wish to dish out for a subscription or your client's industry isn't on there, try reading industry blogs. A benchmark organisation blog, such as a blog by a chartered institute blog, is a reliable source of information.

Some blogs -- not necessarily chartered institute blogs -- will even have "Ultimate Guide to"s and other articles that let you in on the basics or go into certain aspects of the industry or trade in depth. If you're not sure how reliable the information is, resolve your doubts by looking for benchmark sources or other reliable sources that back up what you've read.

Learn about your client's products and services

No matter what the industry is and no matter how high the snooze factor is, you need to understand the product(s) and/or services of the client you're writing for.

What are the main features and their benefits?

How do they help the client's customers?

What do your client's customers care about?

Learning about your client's products and services is crucial for two big reasons:

a) you see how the client and their offering fit into the context of the industry;

and b) you learn about why certain aspects of your client's business or organisation are significant to your customer.

Understanding your client's business will also help you to understand how changes or events in their industry could affect them and their customers, whether for better or for worse. Problems in the economy are an excellent (and obvious!) example of this.

Conduct SEO keyword research

As copywriters and content writers, we may concern ourselves primarily with words, but today we've got to get (even) more strategic with them.

Yes Linky copywriting pals, we've got to understand a little about the magical art of SEO -- the more, the better -- so the content has a better chance of appearing higher in search engines and getting more eyeballs on it.

But when you're researching an industry, keyword research isn't just about finding words and phrases to incorporate into content for traction in search engines (and to a smaller extent, social media).

You can use keyword research to find out what topics in your industry matter to your client's audience.

The more searches they have, the more you need to address them in your content, even if ranking for the search is going to be a tough gig. Because somebody out there on the internet is gagging for that information!

If a term or phrase has a low or medium search volume, you can try to bag yourself some tasty, lower hanging SEO fruit in the form of traffic and cover them yourself!

This isn't just about finding topics that matter though. It's all about going down that rabbit hole again! The more searches your keyword research reveals and more potential topics it unearths, the more you immerse yourself in your research. The more your curiosity grows and, as a result, enthusiasm for the industry and your project grows.

Right on!

Check your competitors' content

Checking competitors' content is a standard practice (and checking competitors' websites is a fab copywriting shortcut for SEO research and when you're pushed for time!).

You can use it to spot gaps between your content and your competitors' -- and then do it better, which is a good way to rank!

Never rip off someone else's content though. Take inspiration and do your own thing, but never just copy it outright. That's just not cool.

Rummaging around the blogs and other content of competitors isn't just a way to find topics of interest and keep your finger on the pulse though. It's a way to learn more about an industry or a specific topic in the industry and also to get some ideas about how to write (or not write) for a client in a certain field or industry.

So go over to a competitor's blog and have a nosey!

What do you learn about the industry?

How are they writing about the topic?

What interesting words and phrases are they using? Would they suit the client's brand as well?

Ideally, your competitors should be writing about their subject in an engaging, informative way.

If they're not, then you know what to do!

Join online forums and social media groups

Social media groups and online forums are tremendous spaces to do a bit of 'social listening'.

You can get your finger on the pulse and see what the hot topics in the industry are.

You can also see what's cheesing people off or where there's disagreement on issues in your client's industry. Popcorn at the ready!

These spaces have a certain feel, a certain vibe, about them that you can pick up on when you join them. They can light your fire for a certain topic or industry.

If there's a spat going on though, best keep out of it, no matter how passionate you've become about the topic.

Hurling poop around might feel good (not literally though because that's just disgusting!), but you never know who will see it.

Clients don't want to find you wading into online dust-ups with randoms on the internet, especially if you've not submitted their content on time. It's not a good look!

Eat the frog

The thing you resist doing the most is likely probably the thing you most need to be doing.

If you really find writing a certain project or piece of content so insanely boring and have been putting it off, then I hate to break it to you, but that's the one you should do or work on first.

Because if you can't get into the positive mental state necessary to perform the task successfully, it could take you longer.

Don't put yourself under more pressure by waiting until close to the deadline to complete it -- you're only going to feel less and less like doing it! Not ideal!

If you can't complete the task in one session, which is normally the case anyway with writing tasks, just make a start.

Because even just getting started will relieve (some of) the anxiety you've been feeling around the task.

As you build momentum and progress through the task, feelings of joy(!) will replace the anxiety. Okay, maybe not joy then, but definitely something better than what you were feeling when you started!

Think of the value of your work

Sometimes writing content for a particular industry or sector might not inspire you.

But remember the value of your work.

It matters to someone out there.

Your content could be helping to put food on the table for someone's family.

It could be helping to keep people in jobs.

It could be informing people about serious issues.

It could be supporting the marketing of someone providing an essential service.

Although writing content for a project you find uninteresting might not engage you as much as you'd like, it can still be highly rewarding.

Let the value you're providing drive you forward.

Remember your client is paying you to do a good job

Truth bomb coming in hot: your client's not paying you for your opinion; they're paying you -- and paying you well -- to write for their business.

Whether you find their business or industry boring or not really isn't their problem, unless it will affect how you write for them.

As Stephen King is thought to have put it: 'Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of just get up and go to work.'

So slip into your adult pants, sit with those uncomfortable feelings, whatever they may be, and get on with it.

Which will be much easier if you've already got some research behind you.

And guess what happens when you just roll up your sleeves and get stuck into a task?

Those negative feelings melt away.

Especially when the unstoppable state of 'flow' takes over.

So get yourself into 'the zone' and give the best of your content writing badass self for your client!

It's (almost) all about your mindset

In case you've not figured it out by now, this article isn't just about content writing methods for 'boring' industries, but also about adopting the right content writing mindset towards projects.

Regardless of what you think or feel about an industry, the secret is to immerse yourself in the research. Get curious and find out as much as you can. Throw yourself down those rabbit holes with gusto!

That curiosity you develop while you research will unlock your enthusiasm for the work and cancel out the more negative feelings.

Once you get some research behind you, whether industry research, client research, keyword research or scouring the forums and social media groups, you put yourself in the position to give your best.

Then it's a case of knuckling down, you content writing Trojan you!

So throw away that stash of energy drinks and follow the tips above. Those Red Bull wings are not needed!

Get some research down you and write some fantabulous content.

All the cool kids do it!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!