7 Strategies for Creating Original Content
According to research conducted by Curata, originality is a content marketer’s greatest challenge. Creating original content requires more time and creativity, but it is worthwhile:
- Unique content is much more likely to build an audience of returning readers.
- Search engines reward originality.
- People are less likely to link to over used content.
Originality is often thought to be synonymous with new ideas. Content doesn’t have to be a brand new topic that has never been covered to be original. Here are seven strategies for scoping out and creating original content:
1. Use the News: It is extremely difficult to compete with news networks and online publications dedicated to covering current topics, unless you have some extensive contacts or exclusive information. What you can do is put your own spin on the news in a way that is relevant to your industry and audience, making the perspective unique to you. For example, instead of covering an election in a way that is designed for the masses, you could discuss the conversations that happened over social media channels during a political debate. Provide a different lens for your audience to view a popular topic through.
2. Include Other Voices: Having someone else create or contribute to your content can be a great way to get a different perspective. This could be in the form of a guest blog post or interviewing other people on a topic of interest.
3. Read the Comments: When researching a topic on other blogs and online magazines be sure to check out the comments left behind by readers. The comments section is often full of questions, elaborations, and critique that can act as a compass when writing about a similar subject.
4. Mind the Gap: When you are writing about a topic that has been covered before, look for holes in the popular literature. Are they missing a major point? Is their article outdated? Add more depth, seek the most up-to-date research, and fill any gaps left by other writers.
5. Do Your Own Research: Rather than relying on the findings of others, go ahead conduct your own research. This could be an online survey, a poll, or asking in person. This is far more time consuming than building on the existing research, but can be great for delving deeper into topics and subjects that lack relevant research.
6. Change the Packaging: If you have covered a topic as a blog post and found it to be popular, try taking that content and re-formatting it for a different platform, such as slideshare (an online slide sharing platform). Content can be repackaged into infographics, prezis, slides, video, and assembled into eBooks. This helps you get your message across to all kinds of different readers.
7. Take it Personally: When in doubt, write about what you know. Who can talk about you, your work, or your brand better than you? Humanize your company and write about your journey or celebrate a milestone. Write an opinion piece expressing your views on relevant news and issues.
We hope this article has helped you in your endeavors!