Avoid Copy Cat Content

This isn’t a debate about copyright infringement or plagiarism. This isn’t a discussion on what is moral or ethical. If you have to specify to your writers that the content they provide “must pass the plagiarism test” then you are doing it wrong.

You need a better writer who will stand up to tell you that you must provide the base substance. You know your industry, so it is your responsibility to choose the topics that interest your core audience. A great content writer can work with you on this, but the point is that you should never instruct writers to look at competitors for ideas. Nor should you leave it up to a writer to take this shortcut.

Copycat content is not original. It is not valuable. Utilize a duplicate checker, and verify if the content is plagiarized or unique. Always publish content that is unique. Plagiarized content causes damage to your professional career and a thief is a person who doesn’t know enough to produce original ideas on their own.

You’re also missing the point of content marketing—which is to earn loyalty from a targeted audience by establishing unique brand identity, voice, and perspective. Authority simply can’t be faked and it certainly cannot be copied either.

At the end of the day, you are nothing more than one option to your leads. One option out of many. You can choose to stand out as a one-of-a-kind brand and earn loyalty, or you can cheat with copycat content. Only one will provide long term success… so choose wisely.