Have you ever got to the end of a groundbreaking article and be on the verge of publishing it when you randomly decide to Google your title, only to find someone else got there first – several months ago?
Cue sinking heart and general annoyance that your wonderful piece of literature won’t be dropping any jaws or raising any eyebrows. Or will it?
The truth is, barely anything is genuinely unique. Someone is likely to have had the very same idea before you – and published an article way before that hypothetical light bulb above your head has begun to flicker into life.
However, just because someone might have acted on the idea before you doesn’t mean you have to shy away and start again.
Why? Because all that matters is what you do with the idea.
More often than not, two different authors will have two entirely different spins on a subject. So even in cases where the topic is the same, the end result will be distinctive simply because it is you who wrote it.
Think about the newspapers. If there’s a big news story, the likelihood is that all of them will have it splashed across the front page - but every publication presents the news in a different way.
For starters, writing styles vary widely across different publications, and while one newspaper might only dedicate one page to a certain story, another might run a number of features or opinion columns on the same story in addition to the main article.
Transforming content
A generous helping of creative license as well as your personal opinions and take on things means you are well equipped to transform content into something original and truly make it your own.
For example, you might read a paragraph of a blog post that really speaks to you and transform it into an entire article. Or you might see an article which you like, wave your magic content wand and conjure up an infographic using the best bits combined with your own thoughts and research.
When it comes to creating unique content your best bet is to pick out your best and brightest for a team brainstorming session or hire the services of an established content marketing company teeming with ideas to give your brand the edge and put you at the top of the thought leadership board.
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Newsjacking: Riding the waves of breaking news
Jenny Maclean
