According to novelist Christopher Booker, there are only seven basic plots to every book.
That means, essentially, every book has already been written. Been there, done that!
If you’re a content marketer or someone who is in charge of updating the company’s blog page every month, you’ll be all too familiar with the prospect of having to write about something that has been covered a thousand times before.
Thankfully, there’s always a way to put a unique spin on something. It’s why novelists, musicians and artists continue to produce stunningly original work.
You can do the same on your blog. Here’s how.
Find new questions people are asking about the topic
No matter how many times a particular topic has been covered, there’s always a new question to ask about it.
As time moves on and the topic and its audience evolve, there’ll be new demands and greater expectation placed on whatever it is you’re going to write about.
To demonstrate yourself as a true thought leader in this area, you need to research the latest questions people are asking – and answer them.
Put all of your personality into it
You could write a piece about a topic that’s identical to someone else’s take on it, but with the simple injection of your personality, it’ll come across entirely different and – if you get it right – far more engaging.
Newspaper columnists do this all the time, and you can do just the same in content marketing. Put all of your personality into the piece you’re writing – just be careful to ensure you’re speaking the right language for your audience.
Find a case study and link it in
If you have a willing client or partner who can offer some additional input on the topic, a case study is a brilliant way to put a unique spin on a common topic.
Find the right person, interview them, record the conversation and transcribe it. That can become the basis of your blog, and something which you can relatively easily form into a piece of content that will absolutely not have been published anywhere else.
A collaborative approach to content writing is a great way to not only get over writer’s block but to also ensure you deliver something genuinely interesting and which won’t have been read before.
Break it down and turn it into a series
Often, people will tackle topics in one big lump when it comes to content marketing. Rather than break the topic down into its constituent elements, they end up producing a relatively short blog that attempts to encapsulate everything.
There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but if you’re finding inspiration thin on the ground for a certain topic, try splitting it into different writing projects. This will give you ample opportunity to put a unique spin on each element and, as a bonus, give you plenty of content for your calendar!
Wrapping up
There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank page when you’re tasked with writing new, fresh content for your business.
Use our tips above, and you’ll quickly find your rhythm and produce blogs that stand firmly on their own two feet. For more awesome tips on copywriting check out our post with 26 tips to become a better copywriter.