From Reads to Leads is a newsletter for writers who want more. It's about marketing. Strategy. Positioning. Operations. Results. And yes, it talks about writing too. But through a marketing lens. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next email.
In today's newsletter:
If it's not interesting, nobody is going to consume the value. No matter how much value you've crammed in.
The real problem in the industry isn’t a lack of value. It's boring content.
Same keywords.
Same angles.
Same structures.
💤 Zizz
Here's how we create content that's actually interesting (with examples of our recent work at Zmist & Copy, where we are doing more than your typical ChatGPT-enabled writer) 👇
When you're creating content to promote your company, you're naturally biased. You're trying to persuade people that your product, your approach, your idea is the best. The problem? Audiences can smell that bias. And they don’t trust it.
In one survey of professionals responsible for purchasing software, respondents said they rely on Google…but don’t trust software companies to provide impartial information.
In fact, B2B software companies ranked as the least trusted source.
So, buyers prefer to zone out of company content. Alarming? Yep.
That’s a trust gap you can’t ignore.
The solution? Ground your message in real data.
One of our clients ran a survey with 200 European tech leaders. We analyzed that proprietary data to build a credible case for full-cycle software development – the solution our client offers. With this data, our message is much more persuasive.
Anyone can hop on Google and rewrite someone else’s ideas. And now, with AI, you can let ChatGPT do the work. But that’s not what makes content interesting.
What’s interesting is sourcing information directly from people who know their stuff.
Take 1LIMS, for example. To write an article about food safety management in manufacturing plants, we talked to Dr. Lars Fieseler, Head of the food microbiology research group at Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
First, he told something we had no way of finding out on our own (like the fact that food contamination is more often caused by poor hygiene on the production floor than by pathogens in raw materials). Second, his insights gave the piece depth and authority.
That’s the difference between content that fills space and content that actually matters.
Don't recycle the same boring opinions and “insights” repeated on every corner. Interview someone. Then quote them directly, or use their ideas indirectly.
Who can you interview?
For example, for Bridge, a company that provides tech talent sourcing services in Latin America, we interviewed their local Mexican recruiter to write an article about labor laws and regulations. We learned a lot about the Mexican job market from this interview.
Noticed how raw artifacts stole the stage from perfectly designed PDFs and ebooks? In a world where polished design is easy to produce, raw is the new human.
People are far more interested in a real screenshot from an actual work doc than an over-designed infographic. That’s why Reforge artifacts blow up online, and why LinkedIn posts sharing real templates get flooded with comments.
For example, in an article we wrote for Fleet Chaser about fleet management software features, we included a real document their team uses to prioritize features. It's authentic. And that’s what makes people care.
Even the most common boring topic can become interesting if you choose an interesting angle. When picking one, play against expectations.
Here is what I mean:
Take this headline: “What bananas can tell us about supply chains.” It’s unexpected. That’s the kind of angle that earns clicks.
Here’s another example: after running a positioning workshop for Ukrainian software development companies, I decided to retell my presentation using a story angle. I wrote five dialogue-style episodes where a marketing manager is talking to a CEO trying to figure out how to differentiate their company during internal meetings.
It's more relatable and fun, than a usual "how to” guide. And it was fun to write.
So many good ideas are wasted behind boring intros. Your intro is the most important part of your piece. Don’t waste it.
Start with your main takeaway. Right away. This approach is called BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front), a standard in U.S. military communication. Journalists use it too: they open with the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” in what’s called the lede.
But for some reason, content writers are “trained” to warm up first. That’s why so many pieces begin with vague lines like “The industry is growing.” No one needs that. Get to the point.
Some examples of good intros from our work:
“Fleet management comes with a headache the size of a dump truck.” (source)
“You’ve likely noticed – energy costs are rising fast. Every year, they increase by an average of 3%, putting a significant strain on commercial buildings. (source)
"The cost of AI depends heavily on the use case. AI projects usually fall into one of these scenarios: Building a bespoke deep learning model from scratch; Adapting a pre-trained model to your specific data and needs (fine-tuning); Integrating an AI-powered feature into your app via an API or existing tool” (source)
Most marketing teams care more about making sure their writers learn how to write SEO-optimized content, than how to build good arguments.
That’s a problem.
Weak argumentation is why so much content feels like fluff. ChatGPT isn’t immune to this either. It can mimic the shape of an argument, but often lacks real depth. Logical gaps, vague claims, and empty conclusions are common. In other words, it sounds nice, but says nothing.
A strong argument includes four parts: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, and Counterclaims. You can read more about it here.
To level up your writing, use Dialectics. Here’s how it works:
For example:
Thesis: AI replaces jobs and floods the internet with generic content. Writing tasks used to require skill. Now content production is commoditized.
Antithesis: But there’s another side. If everyone can now produce decent content, then standing out requires more than just writing. It requires strategy, differentiation, and original thinking. In other words, marketers are finally being forced to actually think like marketers.
Synthesis: So while AI disrupts traditional roles, it also raises the stakes.
(Also check out my Linkedin post on this topic)
It’s one of the few places where you’ll still find real, unfiltered language, untouched by ChatGPT or corporate polish. Reddit is a goldmine for discovering how people actually think and talk. It’s full of surprising insights, fresh angles, and honest counterpoints.
Better yet, it helps you build credibility. Referencing Reddit discussions can make your claims feel more grounded and less biased.
We use it all the time to support points in our content. For example, when comparing our client’s product to competitors, we found a Reddit thread where users complained that Fleetio (Fleet Chaser’s competitor) had too many unnecessary features. We used that as social proof to support why a simpler solution made more sense. It’s not marketing spin. It’s what real users are saying.
Ignore anything that isn't. There're enough content writers writing boring stuff.
Now, go write something that you’d stop scrolling for.
Send it to me when you do. I want to see it.
My newly redesigned website is now live! Do you like my new design?
Kate
P.S. If we aren't connected already, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you like this newsletter, please refer your friends.
P.P.S. Need a hand with content? Fix your mediocrity problem with Zmist & Copy
People are more motivated by the threat of losing than they are by the prospect of winning. That’s why addressing people’s problems or fears works so well in marketing. Discover 8 problem-oriented copywriting formulas you can experiment with.
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