Is Original Content Still Original?

Everyone in digital marketing knows it by now: content is the secret ingredient to increasing your brand’s leads, SEO rankings, and overall traffic.

So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty. What is original content? And how do you even produce it? Let’s chat.

What Is Original Content?

Imaginuity, an integrated marketing company, has a great definition of original content.

“Original content: (noun) Content that is new and unique. Such content is not only more useful to website visitors, but is also favored by search engines, with duplicated content often being penalized by most search engine algorithms.”

Just as Imaginuity implies, original content is content that hasn’t been produced or seen before. So, to frame it differently, an example of original content would NOT be a post from an Instagram meme account. (@f*ckjerry, I’m lookin’ at you). For content to be original, it has to have never been seen or done in that way before.

Here’s the thing though: It’s 2019! Is there anything even out there that hasn’t been said by someone somewhere yet!?

Authentic, unique content is incredibly hard to produce. We have constant, unlimited access to content at our fingertips, and in a world shaped by societal and industry standards, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.

But the benefits are tremendous. These are some of the biggest benefits that you’ll gain from creating original content:

• You’ll increase your brand’s credibility—use research and brand voice to establish authority.
• You’ll rank higher on Google—that SEO thing, yo.
• You’ll strengthen your internet presence—unique content offers endless opportunities to link to your page.
• You’ll connect to your audience create opportunities for individuals to identify with and trust your brand.
• You’ll generate more sales and leads—um, yes, please and thank you.

4 Ways To Produce Original Content

1. Be authentic.

Speak from your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This allows you to truly and authentically connect with your audience. 

Guess what? Hate to break it to you, but YOU are legitimately the only thing that truly makes you stand apart – YOU! In a previous post, we chatted about the key to building an effective brand: rooting your brand in truth, vulnerability, humility, and the celebration of your uniqueness. Doing this, and doing so authentically, makes it so much easier for people to relate to and connect with your brand. The same is true for content! The content your brand produces is a vehicle through which you can drive your brand’s message and reach audiences in a way that optimizes success.

2. Get social.

Create content likely to increase social shares and engagement. Do your research when producing content and communicate it using your authentic voice to add value to your reader.

In March of 2019, Oberlo shared social media statistics from 2019 that show that there are 3.2 billion social media users worldwide, and that number is on a constant incline. Oberlo notes that this equates to about 42% of the population. There’s a big opportunity for social engagement there. What’s more, is that in Buffer’s State of Social 2019, it was reported that 58% of marketers say that social media is very important to their overall marketing strategy. Of the remaining respondents, 30% said it’s “somewhat important.” So, essentially, 88% of marketers are saying that social media is an important piece of their marketing strategy. Also, please note that best practices (and experience) show that it’s much more effective to create specific content for specific platforms. Social is not a one-size-fits-all beast. It’s the queen of customization. 

3. Get emotional.

Create content that gives your audience the feels! Produce content that provokes a genuine, psychological response. People love stories.

According to Forbes, a 2016 study conducted by Tempkin Group found that “when individuals have a positive emotional association with a specific brand, they are 8.4 times more likely to trust the company, 7.1 times more likely to purchase more and 6.6 times more likely to forgive a company’s mistake.” If you’re a content marketer, you know your audience, so you know what emotions will impact and influence them. Tell an engaging story with your content. I, for one, cried while seeing a Campbell’s Soup sponsored ad today, and honestly, I’ll be darned if that didn’t give me a sudden craving for some comforting chicken noodle soup. Tap into those feels and you’ll bring something of value to share with your audience.

Also, I’m a sucker. I cry at a lot of things. So I’m pretty much the best guinea pig for most brands. There, I said it, let me have it! Give me the feels!

4. UGC, UGC, UGC!

Gain access to a continuous supply of unique content by using the real, authentic, original content from your community.

According to the Nielsen Consumer Trust Index, 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than they trust traditional advertising. Leveraging user-generated content can boost social media metrics, build brand awareness, increase internet presence, and develop your audience’s connection to your brand.

So yes, there is such a thing as original content! It just takes having the right knowledge and proper resources. In a world full of content, it’s tough to stand out. But with the right tools (and sprinkle of badass lady power), you’ll be well on your way to creating excellent, real original content.

Do you have any other tips you’d like to add here!? If so, shoot me an email at kiley@kileypeters.com and let’s chat!