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Do you often think your marketing content looks similar to what others are doing? If so, you are not the only one facing this problem. Instead, every other marketer feels he/she is creating what’s already published somewhere else. That’s the reason they always look for new ways to ensure that they avoid copying at all, both intentional and unintentional.
If you also care about the freshness of your promotional material, this guide is going to be invaluable for you. How? Well, we are going to reveal some of the best ways that help you produce original content to promote your brand.
However, before moving to them, let’s first understand if maintaining originality is just a choice or if it really has some kind of strong impact.
Why Marketing Content Needs To Be Fresh & Original?
First of all, be clear that freshness or originality is not optional. Instead, they play a pivotal role in defining the overall success and effectiveness of your marketing content.
Let’s learn what exactly happens when you avoid copying at all and prioritize originally created messaging.
- Builds trust with your audience, as people love to interact with brands that are genuine and transparent in their marketing.
- Improves engagement and shares because unique information is more likely to encourage users to take appreciative actions.
- Enhances your brand’s credibility by demonstrating that you are a thought leader in your niche and always put effort into creativity, not copying.
- Helps your content stand out from competitors, since originality attracts attention and differentiates your brand from others using recycled ideas.
- Improves search engine rankings, as search engines favor unique and high-quality content over duplicated material.
Practical Ways To Prevent Copying In Marketing Material
Staying away from content duplication is not as difficult as it seems. All you have to do is follow the right practices that keep you focused on originality while creating marketing material.
Here are the key strategies you can use to ensure your marketing content remains fresh and unique:
Review Competitor’s Content Deeply
Creating anything for your brand promotion shouldn’t be a blind action. Instead, you must have a firm eye on what others are doing so that you can ensure that you don’t copy their messaging.
So, before planning things and jumping into the creation process, analyze some of your competitors deeply.
Here is what you need to check about them:
- Content formats
- Topics covered
- Tone and style
- Unique elements
- Recurring statements
- Visual style
- Formatting patterns
- Word choice
With all these things in mind, you can not only find gaps but also come up with new ideas to create marketing material. This ensures that you publish something fresh that attracts and converts users.
Keep Research Material Organized
When researching topics or analyzing your competitors, you often come across ideas that you want to present differently. For example, it could be a statistic, a visual concept, or a unique approach to a subject.
To make sure you don’t copy the exact style or wording, you should not only record the research work but also organize it properly. Why? Because when you don’t do so, you might repeat the same words without even knowing about it.
So, even if it’s a single external stat, fact, figure, or quote, document it with appropriate referencing.
For that, you have the following three options:
- Save everything in digital note-taking apps.
- Create separate files on your PC for recording.
- Simply use sticky notes to remember sources.
Plan Every Piece Of Content Ahead
Poor planning is a common reason for unintentional copying in marketing content. Let’s say you start writing a copy without having a proper structure. In such a case, you are more likely to duplicate the wording of someone else, even if you don’t intend to do so.
Therefore, even if it’s a follow-up email for a retargeting campaign or a short blog post, don’t forget to plan it ahead. You can even add short notes in the outline about what not to discuss.
This way, you already know what specific things to write and what to avoid.
As a result, the chances of accidentally copying decrease notably. So, always structure every piece of content before creating it.
Follow the tips below for effective planning:
- Define the topic clearly
- Set objectives
- Outline key points
- Highlight areas to avoid
- Decide on format and length
- Schedule deadlines
Share Your Own Expertise & Insights
One of the most effective ways to prevent copying in marketing material is to share firsthand knowledge with your readers. This is especially useful when you write to target the top-of-the-funnel website visitors.
With your own expertise and insights, you can provide your readers with what they will not find anywhere else. This builds trust with them and also demonstrates your grip over the subject, presenting your brand as a thought leader among potential customers.
Besides that, you also get an edge in rankings, as search engines value expert-level information over generic details. To make the most of this approach:
- Include real-life stories
- Share original case studies
- Explain lessons learned
- Offer practical advice
- Provide your viewpoint
- Share original examples
Use AI As A Source Of Inspiration
AI could prove to be a helpful companion in creating content for brand promotion, but only if you use it correctly. Many marketers make the mistake of copying AI text word by word and adding it to their write-ups. This way, they not only rely on what AI often repeats but also run the risk of duplicating widely available content.
That’s why you must avoid this practice at all costs. Instead of considering AI as a shortcut to write marketing copy, think of it as a partner that provides inspirational ideas. Creative and ethical incorporation of AI can surely lead you to do something that has never been done yet.
Here are some ways to use AI properly:
- Brainstorm new angles for your topic.
- Generate outlines or content structures.
- Find topic variations for fresh perspectives.
- Get examples to inspire your own writing.
- Combine AI ideas with your personal insights.
Check For Unintended Plagiarism
With exposure to a variety of content during research, some phrases, sentences, or ideas may slip into your work unintentionally. These matches can kill the originality or freshness of your marketing material and lead to serious outcomes. That’s why, never ignore them at all.
To catch every instance of unintended similarity, check plagiarism online through a sophisticated originality tool. Fortunately, many such tools are freely available and give you full insights into how much of your written text is unique and where the plagiarized parts lie.
Once a plagiarism checker highlights duplication, fix it with the help of the following methods:
- Rephrase sentences that are too similar to the source.
- Replace phrases with your own original wording.
- Restructure paragraphs to change the flow of ideas.
- Add examples or insights unique to your experience.
- Cite sources if retaining a key fact or figure.
This final review makes you fully confident that you haven’t copied anything, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Attribute While Rephrasing If Needed
Whenever you add rephrased versions of others’ marketing statements, don’t add them directly to your content. Why? Because it still counts as copying. By doing so, you just change the words, not the idea. That’s why it’s essential that you attribute the original creator.
Otherwise, you might have to face different issues due to using duplicated text. And if you publish such material on the web, remember that search engines are smart enough to detect poor or unattributed rephrasing.
Therefore, it’s better that you give proper credit when you paraphrase things that belong to others. Besides that, also try to present the source text in a completely new way for freshness.
Instead of changing just a few words,
- Restructure all sentences
- Introduce new vocabulary
- Change voice if needed
- Merge what can be combined
- Break sentences without altering context.
All these practices help you ensure that your brand promotion campaigns feel fresh and original.
Don’t Use Randomly Saved Visuals
Marketing content doesn’t include just text. Instead, it also has stunning graphics that help you keep the readers engaged. But what if we say that the same visuals can put you in trouble when they are taken from random places?
Yes, this happens when you use images saved from the web without checking their copyright status. When you use such photos, you actually copy already published creatives, and this is more dangerous than copying text.
You may be wondering why. Well, visuals are protected under strict copyright rules, and using them without permission can lead to legal penalties. Therefore, never use an image when you are unsure about its licensing.
Instead, stay safe by adopting the below-mentioned approaches:
- Use only licensed images that clearly allow reuse.
- Prefer royalty-free platforms for commercial use.
- Create your own designs when possible.
- Keep proof of purchase or license.
The Final Words
Keeping your marketing content unique and fresh is not a formality. Rather, there are several reasons behind it that we have briefly mentioned in this article. We hope that they have enabled you to learn the importance of avoiding copying. Now that you are familiar with its significance, make sure that whatever you produce for brand promotion is original and free from any type of copied text. For that, the tips discussed above can help you a lot.