How can you ensure original content?

1 Define your purpose and audience

Before you start writing, you need to have a clear idea of why you are creating content and who you are creating it for. What is your goal, your message, your value proposition? Who is your target audience, their needs, their pain points, their interests? By defining your purpose and audience, you can tailor your content to their expectations and preferences, and avoid creating generic or irrelevant content that will not resonate with them.

2 Research your topic and sources

Original content does not mean that you have to reinvent the wheel or avoid using any existing information. On the contrary, original content means that you have to research your topic thoroughly and use credible and reliable sources to support your claims and arguments. However, you also have to avoid copying or paraphrasing other people's content without proper attribution or citation. This is not only unethical, but also harmful for your reputation and SEO ranking. To avoid plagiarism, you have to use quotation marks, footnotes, references, or links to acknowledge the original source of any borrowed content. You can also use tools like Copyscape or Grammarly to check your content for any unintentional plagiarism.

3 Add your own voice and perspective

One of the best ways to ensure original content is to add your own voice and perspective to your writing. This means that you have to express your opinions, insights, experiences, or stories that are relevant and unique to your topic and audience. By adding your own voice and perspective, you can make your content more personal, authentic, and engaging, and differentiate yourself from your competitors. You can also use techniques like storytelling, humor, emotion, or analogy to make your content more memorable and relatable.

4 Use different formats and media

Another way to ensure original content is to use different formats and media to present your information and ideas. Depending on your topic and audience, you can use formats like articles, blogs, newsletters, ebooks, infographics, videos, podcasts, webinars, or quizzes to create content that suits your purpose and style. You can also use media like images, audio, video, or interactive elements to enhance your content and make it more appealing and dynamic. However, you have to make sure that any format or media you use is relevant, high-quality, and original. You can use tools like Canva, Unsplash, or Lumen5 to create or find original and free media for your content.

5 Update and optimize your content

Finally, to ensure original content, you have to update and optimize your content regularly. This means that you have to keep track of any changes or developments in your topic and industry, and revise your content accordingly. You also have to monitor your content performance and feedback, and improve your content based on the data and insights you collect. By updating and optimizing your content, you can ensure that your content is accurate, relevant, and valuable for your audience and SEO ranking. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or Yoast SEO to update and optimize your content.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?