When contacting blogs for my clients who I write guest posts for I am often asked the question, “Is the content original.”
Since I don’t want to get into an argument about semantics, I always say yes but the question should be, “Is the content unique?” because there is no such thing as original content on the Internet.
Just run a search for Top iPad Apps for… and see how many results you get. Or better yet, try searching for there are no new ideas. There are pages of articles discussing this very topic.
Fiction writers are taught this early on.
When crafting a story, writers of fiction know full well that all of the storylines have been used up over the years. But they also know that what separates Hemmingway from a trashy dime store novel is how the story is crafted.
Need another metaphor? Think of content in terms of music.
There are only a certain number of notes that a musician has to work with. However the way in which these notes are combined makes all the difference between random noise and a symphony. (By the way, this thought came from Netkid on the Warrior Forum.)
Doing it Different
To stand out among the 150 million+ blogs out there your content has to be different than the rest. It has to stand out among all of the other people who are writing on the same topic.
Seinfeld was undoubtedly one of the most popular sitcoms ever to grace the airwaves. People talked about it long after the show ended as possibly the best comedy show ever.
Then It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia came along.
While much more irreverent, the show followed Seinfeld’s proven formula to a T. Four friends, three male and one female, at conflict with just about everything making their way through everyday life events.
Even the characters mirror those from Seinfeld; Dennis provides a match for Jerry, Sweet Dee obviously takes on the Elaine role, Charlie makes a strong case for the show’s George and Mac plays a pretty good Kramer – even to the point of using the term “giddyup” on occasion.
And Frank, well he would be Neumann of course.
Not only did the crew from Sunny create a hysterical show, but they fared pretty well against the original in a poll taken by Gamespot.com with 36% of voters choosing Sunny as the better show and 58% voting for Seinfeld.
Uniqueness + Added Value = Success
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia wasn’t successful because they used the same formula as Seinfeld. It’s success came from taking a proven approach, making it unique and adding value to it.
The same approach should be taken when writing content for your blog.
Take for instance the ever popular Top Ten iPad Apps headline. You know that it is a successful title because it is a list and it is about iPad apps.
But if you simply rehash the same thing said by the other million people who wrote a similar post your readers wouldn’t make it past the first few lines. And those who do would most likely use the comment section to blast the article.
On the other hand, if you were to take this proven formula and put your own twist on it you give readers something that can actually help them. That added value separates you from the many others who are simply wasting their visitors’ time.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree with you there is never original content the question should be is the content unique. I always try to keep my content as unique as possible. Keep on the good work!
Linda recently posted..schiphol parkeren
It is best to save yourself time (as you do), rather than repeatedly having to explain the importance of unique content – When you approach a subject, do you carry out internet research and try to find a different angle?
James Todd recently posted..Dentists for nervous patients in and near Redditch – Worcestershire
Usually this is the approach I take. For instance if I find something in the news that I would like to write about, or a technique to teach, I try to come up with an approach that A) makes my content more interesting and B) covers something that isn’t offered.
That sounds like a good approach. Its relevant and up to date, therefore should be interesting to people who like keeping up to date and its a unique approach.
It is extremely annoying trying to find information on the web when the results seem to be littered with the same information!
I like your style!
James Todd recently posted..Dentists for nervous patients in and near Redditch – Worcestershire