Your Writing Isn’t The Problem Your Content Is (How to Say Something Fresh)
5 strategies that give me original content and earn me $100s/month
It is easy to write online. Anyone can do it.
This explains why there’s bland content everywhere. The same ideas are recycled over and over. ChatGPT is causing an explosion in dull writing. This is both bad and good news for you.
Bad news — there’s more content competing for attention.
Good news — you’ll get noticed if your content is distinct
There is so much content online. It can feel impossible to write something new. And unless your content is fresh, clever writing tricks won’t be enough to get your stuff noticed.
I’ve developed 5 strategies to generate content that people want to read. This has grown my following to 800+ and earns me $100s/month on Medium.
Feel free to borrow any or all of them.
1. Go beyond the obvious
You’ll become a distinct voice if you take what others are saying and push it a little further.
Every niche has the same truths recycled. Boring platitudes are useless from overuse. You can make your content stand out. Take a common idea and:
- Tackle why people don’t practice it
- Give a specific technique on how to do it
- Deliver strong evidence that this truth matters
For example:
Creators are always told to tell more stories if they want to be great communicators.
So there’s no point in writing ‘tell more stories.’ No one needs that. Instead, find a way to go deeper into this popular idea:
- Identify why some creators don’t tell stories (scared, don’t have any, too hard work)
- Explain how to come up with new stories every week
- Offer a 3 part framework for storytelling
- Compare 2 adverts — story vs. non-story — and reveal the massive difference in results
Do this and you’ll become a thought leader in your field.
Become someone who adds value by going beyond the obvious.
2. Correct an obsession
Most writers see what the ‘experts’ write and repeat it. This leads to endless repetition and a cult following around certain ideas. I’ve seen this in many areas.
It is crucial to spot these so you can challenge them:
- Self-improvement has cold showers, morning routine & habits
- Investors are constantly directed to index funds
- Writers are told to write daily & be consistent
Eve Arnold does this brilliantly by mocking the promotion of complicated morning routines. She tried green smoothies, meditating, journaling, exercising, and reading. All before work. But it didn’t work. She has built $3k/month on Medium by getting up, drinking coffee, and writing. That’s her morning routine. Simple and effective.
This correction makes her writing stand out. It goes against what is heavily promoted.
When an idea is pushed too far it becomes unhelpful. You don’t have to write daily to be a writer. Habits are not the only way to improve yourself. Some investors enjoy being involved with their investments (the opposite of index funds).
This is your opportunity to be unique.
Spot when an idea is overcooked then challenge it. Your provocative insights will win you favour and help people.
Lance an obsession with your correction.
3. Offer real solutions for real problems
Your readers are selfish (present company excluded).
They want writers to solve their real problems. Consider your reader’s pain points. And find something that would help them. Don’t talk theory. Share what works.
Many writers discuss problems but few solve them.
A powerful tactic is to offer a solution that has worked for you. Write fewer ‘how-tos’ and more ‘how-I’. This provides powerful evidence. And gives you stories to share (and we know everyone loves stories).
Practicing your ideas will give you deeper insights. You’ll realise what works, what doesn’t, and why.
This is my whole writing strategy:
- Learn something
- Try it out
- Share this in public
You get bonus points if your solution is easy to do, with quick results & very likely to work.
Readers find this irresistible.
4. Say what isn’t being said
Most writers rephrase other writers. And drawing from the same small pool of content.
There’s a large pool of content missing somewhere. What aspects of your topic are people ignoring? Look at the common themes in your niche. Think about them. Identify what’s overlooked.
Great writers are great thinkers.
You need to be more than a wordsmith. You need to think hard. And have fresh thoughts. Regurgitating the same old stuff won’t get you read.
Take time to wrestle with the problems you and your audience face. Most writers want to make money. It seems out of reach unless you become big. But I discovered how new writers can earn money. Even if they are still small. Say what isn’t being said will win you fans.
Make space for original thoughts.
Here’s another example:
Creators are told consistency is the route to success. Write for years to build an audience. Most online creators don’t fail because they lack talent but because they stop and run out of steam.
You read this all the time.
But do you know what isn’t said? How to keep going when you see no results. So I wrote a story that offered 5 mental models to sustain your energy long-term. Stuff I’ve never seen anyone else say.
Zoom out to spot what are people missing. Then write about that.
If you are short of creativity. And none of these approaches work. Don’t worry Tactic 5 has you covered.
5. Breathe new life into old truths with a story
People never grow tired of stories
Even if someone already knows something. Hearing a story is entertaining and can offer a fresh perspective. If you can invoke strong emotions your story will be more engaging.
Personal stories work best but you can tell stories of others too. They don’t need to be dramatic. Ordinary real stories are more relatable. Look at the main ideas in your niche. Identify a personal story for each.
I tell stories about the harsh feedback I receive. When I want to quit. New ideas I have. My divorce. My dog. Anything can work.
Struggling to find stories? That’s an easy fix. At the end of every day record 1 story about something that happened. Pick the one that evokes the strongest emotions. Keep a record. Then refer to it whenever you need a story.
Stories are like catnip — use them liberally.
These 5 ideas will help you generate high-quality content. People will be desperate to read. Your writing will get noticed.
And that is the best feeling in the world.
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