5 Reasons to Write Original Content

In today’s digital marketplace, content is the new currency.

But with so much content already available, how can you cut through the clutter? 

Nobody wants to read what they’ve already read before. In order to make the most of your content marketing efforts, your content needs to be original.

But what is original content?

Original content is exactly what it sounds like, it’s content you’ve created yourself. You can’t just copy or reword somebody else’s content and slap your own name on it!

But it doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel every time you post either. Giving your opinion or a fresh angle on current topics is original content too! You can use others’ ideas, statistics, or quotes, but make sure you give credit! As long as your content passes a plagiarism test and isn’t a reworded copy, it’s unique.

In order to get the most out of your content marketing efforts you need to create original content, here are five reasons why original content is important.

1. Boost your reputation

Creating original content is a great way to cut through the content clutter and get an edge on your competitors. Exploring new ideas and opinions within your niche that nobody has thought of before will boost your reputation and help to position your brand as an industry leader. 

Original content builds your credibility and establishes authority. If you’re consistently publishing fresh content that resonates with your audience they’ll trust you as a knowledgeable source for information, establishing trust and building loyalty that’ll lead to conversions.

Likewise, if you can bring new ideas or a fresh new angle to the playing field, you’ll be rewarded with backlinks from authoritative sites – if the experts are talking about you then you’ll be viewed as an expert too!

2. Connect with your audience

In the early days of content marketing, it was common practice to use clickbait and keyword stuffing to trick people into viewing their site. Naturally, these visitors would leave immediately, taking their trust in you with them. 

Your audience isn’t stupid, they’ll catch on to your sketchy behavior and it won’t sit well with them. To keep customers engaged, you need to give them something to talk about!

Nobody wants to engage with content that’s already been published to death if you aren’t creating value or bringing a new angle

Original content keeps your audience engaged, duplicate content will have them missing in action. They’ve already read it, they don’t want to read it again. 

By publishing original content that your audience genuinely wants to see, they’ll actually want to read and engage with it. 

The key point of creating original content is creating content your customers can connect with. Once you understand your audience and know who you’re talking to, you can create tailored content that really excites them. By listening to their needs, it’ll help to strengthen your relationship & show them you’re willing to go out of your way for your customers.

Good, original content effortlessly promotes brand engagement. Your customers will want to comment and share and get involved in the conversation. It’s essentially free advertising!

3. Drive traffic

If you provide unique, valuable content, that’s on topics people are searching for, you’re going to increase your blog traffic. They may even bookmark and subscribe to your email list. The more return visits your site gets, the more likely these visitors are to make a purchase

Original content builds your brand. Your content is the face of your business online, so writing in a particular style or adding flair personal to your brand is a great way to personify your business! 

Originality makes your content more recognizable. If you do it well enough, your customers will begin to recognize your brand solely on your style of content. The more they read your content, the more ingrained your brand will be in their head. Soon enough, visiting your website will become their instinct when seeking products or information within your industry. 

4. Rank higher in search engines

Search engines love original content! – Google (quite literally) eats it up!

Google’s E-A-T ranking factor stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness”, by publishing original content, you’re hitting all three birds with one stone. 

Search engines rank content based on what they think their users will get the most value out of. E-A-T and other factors determine your page rank, but if you want to keep it simple it all boils down to publishing high-quality, original content. As google’s algorithm is becoming more humanlike, if your viewers find value in your content Google probably will too.

Google doesn’t just prioritize relevant content – it has to be unique too! Duplicate content is ignored by Google, you can’t be sneaky and reword either – Google can spot a copycat!

Unique content will also reward you with more backlinks as people reference and build on your ideas. These backlinks also play part in increasing your SEO as well as your overall authority.   

Your SEO writing efforts will be a lot easier if your content is original 

5. Generate leads

96% of your customers don’t buy on their first visit. Most of these visitors leave after 8 seconds, which leaves marketers wondering, “How can I capture my audience’s attention and keep them engaged for longer than 8 seconds?” 

Consumers are getting better at recognizing the difference between a sales pitch and genuine content. Websites alone are typically based around selling a product, a product your customers don’t know they want yet. Of course, they aren’t going to be engaged. 

When you publish content in the form of social media, blog articles, etc, you can hook in customers by creating content tailored to their needs and guiding them towards your product or service. 

But, in order to generate sales, your content needs to be original.

Don’t copy content created for somebody else’s audience!

Original content allows you to promote your product without being a salesman. This is achieved by strategically targeting their pain points and offering genuinely helpful insights, including your product as the solution

Copying somebody else’s content doesn’t give it the same personal touch, it doesn’t draw your audience in and get them interested in your product the same way creating your own content for your own audience does!

The bottom line

As consumers get better at recognizing sketchy marketing strategies, originality is essential for staying afloat in the sea of online content. It benefits your content marketing by 

• Boosting your reputation
• Helping you better engage with your audience
• Drive more traffic to your site
• Improving your SEO
  
• Generate more leads

Content gives your business a face online, original content gives your business personality. While it’s important that your content is original, it also needs to be high-quality and appealing to your audience. If you can’t provide them value, they’ll take their business elsewhere.

Content creation isn’t for everyone. As a busy business owner, it’s hard to write great content when there’s already enough work on your plate. But it’s well worth it!