Have you ever seen an email come into your inbox that feels like déjà vu? Like you’re getting the same thing again and again? We’ve all seen it. The sales page that seems oddly familiar. The email sequence that follows the same patterns and sounds like anyone could have sent it. The “About” page that mimics half the websites out there.
That is the result of templates and fill-in-the-blank approaches to content and copy. They don’t work. Not really.
I know this is a controversial stance, but bear with me as I make my case.
The Template Trap
I get it. Templates promise an end to struggling with the blank page. They offer a way out that’s easy. But are they really helping? I’d argue not.
Templates have several issues, including:
- Loss of Authentic Voice: When you pour your message into someone else’s container, you often sacrifice what makes you stand out. It’s no longer your voice shining through, but someone else’s idea of who you are.
- Pattern Recognition Fatigue: When your audience sees the same patterns on repeat, they tune out. If something feels familiar, they often dump out assuming (correctly and incorrectly) they’ve seen it before. This means you lose them just when you need them to tune into your message.
- Misalignment: Taking a paint-by-numbers approach robs you and your audience of any personal touches or voice. These cookie-cutter approaches rarely allow you to be you.
- Forced Narrative that Doesn’t Fit: Worse, your story gets shoved and distorted into a predetermined slot even if it doesn’t fit.
The sad truth is most businesses don’t realize this is what’s happening until after they’ve invested in templates and formulas that leave them sounding like everyone else.
The False Promise of Paint-by-Numbers Marketing
It’s easy to fall for the easy path that promises quick results. Just fill in the blank, follow the formula, and watch the magic happen.
They seem like a rope to those drowning in indecision, confusion, and overwhelm. But it’s all an illusion.
You can’t succeed by walking in someone else’s path, following their exact steps. Business (and life) doesn’t work like that. Even if they have the dream business you’d love to have.
Using a templated approach overlooks a key point: what worked for them happened because they followed their values, their voice, and their strategy.
Just because it worked for them doesn’t mean it will for you. Following someone else’s formula precisely means you are not only borrowing their strategy—you are trying to borrow their identity.
Understanding Structure vs. Following Formulas
Here’s the big distinction between the two, and there are differences. Structure and formula are not the same thing.
Formula dictates specific content in a rigid sequence with little room for adaptation.
Structure provides fundamental elements that work together while allowing infinite expression within that framework.
Let’s look at this through the lens of music. Basic chord progressions provide structure, but within that structure, you can write endless original songs. Without the structure, you get noise (or atonal music, which, depending on your preference, is cutting edge…or nonsense).
When you use rigid formulas, you get clichés and tired stories.
The Fundamental Story Blocks Approach
Story structure uses universal elements that work with the human brain and behavior. These story blocks help us craft stories that connect. This means you can:
- Create tension between what is and what is desired
- Ensure there is a purpose to the story and the journey
- Add in meaningful stakes (or consequences) from facing obstacles and challenges
- Offer a transformational ending that entices your audience to want an identical experience
- Share a resolution that fulfills the promise of your hook
These elements aren’t a template—they are ingredients to sprinkle into your copy and content so you can create something new and engaging.
Finding Freedom in Framework
When you understand structure rather than following formulas:
- You gain flexibility to adapt to different situations while remaining effective
- Your authentic voice and experience merge because structure supports your message rather than dictating it
- You create recognition without repetition by understanding principles rather than mimicking patterns
- You build transferrable skills rather than staying reliant on situation-specific scripts and outside writers
Your Story, Your Structure
The most effective approach combines understanding the fundamental structures while retaining the courage to express your unique perspective and story:
- Study the principles behind writing and storytelling
- Identify the universal elements that pull people into your message
- Learn why some structures and approaches work with the brain and human behavior
- Find out how to adapt these principles to your specific message, story, and business—all while staying true to your values and purpose
Fair warning: This approach requires more thought and effort than filling in templates. It demands a deeper understanding of how and why it all works—more than following predetermined steps. But it also creates something templates and formulas can never do: deliver a message that could only have come from you.
Beyond the Blueprint
The businesses and writers who stand out don’t just understand what works—they understand why it works. This intimate knowledge allows them to create instead of imitate.
Structure provides a foundation that makes creative expression possible. Without it, we flounder. With too rigid an interpretation, we blend in. But with the right balance, we can create stories and messages that connect.
Don’t believe me? I once had a client (who was himself a creative director for a web development agency) who challenged me to write an entire website using no silent letters! It was an insane challenge, but one I loved. He structured my approach and forced me to be creative in a way I had never been before. It ended up being one of my favorite projects of all time. Of course, during the edit rounds, we added back some of those silent letters to avoid awkward phrasing, but the result was far more creative than it would have been otherwise. All because of structure and restraints.
Now I am not saying you should challenge yourself this way before you are ready, but learning the building blocks of story, content, and copy will change your writing forever.
In a world of templates, AI, and formulas, understanding structure and story fundamentals gives you an advantage. It allows you to write with confidence, while adding your truth and message as only you can.
To learn more, sign up for the Figments & Fables’ Fable Cohort: Story Foundations Course. If you join from the waitlist, you can get 50% off our first session.