The never-ending demands of content mean that it is almost impossible to have a truly original content idea. 252,000 pages are created each day, so there is bound to be some overlap. What you can be aware of is when you are creating content because you liked a blog post or even social media post that you saw elsewhere. This is where you need to be mindful of if you are copying or writing something inspired by another creator.
What Are the Ethics of Creating Content Inspired by Someone Else?
The line has become a little blurred recently with social media and the mindset of jumping on trends so that your content becomes more visible. We are already seeing that spill into long-form content like video content or blogs. It’s even become normal to review content from elsewhere during podcast episodes.
Let’s look at where the line between inspiration and copying sits in various situations because it’s not a black-and-white thing.
Crediting Other Content Creators
At the bare minimum, you need to credit the person you are inspired by so that they can share in whatever that content brings you. How you credit the creator will depend on the situation.
If you are developing an idea from a blog post or YouTube video, then mention that the base idea was from that creator and link the specific blog post or YouTube video.
If you are developing an idea from social media content, consider embedding the content into your blog post and linking to the creator’s social media account.
If you are responding to someone else’s views on a particular topic, briefly summarise their views and link to where they shared these views. This is also great for transparency.
Trending Content
Jumping on trends and new stories is a great way to gain new traffic. The key to doing it in an ethical way and a way that stands out from all the other content is to find a unique point of view. Think about what you can bring to the table.
If you are referencing or responding to what another person has said about the topic, reference the person and link to where they said it.
Commenting on Content You Consume
Let’s say you’ve watched a video, listened to a podcast, or read a blog post that really got you thinking, and you want to share what you learned with your followers. Great!
Be upfront about the fact that you are writing this article because of the original piece of content. This can be as simple as:
- “I was reading Atomic Habits by James Clear the other day, and it got me thinking…
- “Have you watched that video by X yet? (This video here) I watched it last night, and I really think that it raises some interesting questions about how we look at our finances.”
When Does Inspiration Cross into Copying?
The alternate title for this section is How Not to Copy.
There are a few simple ways you can ensure that you are staying on the inspiration side of the line and not crossing into copying:
- Give credit where credit is due (if in doubt, credit the original creator)
- Look for a unique angle or perspective on the topic
- Seek inspiration from content outside of your niche
- Share examples from your life and your work
- Do a deep dive into one aspect of the original content
- Take the original content one step further – if you were thinking of it as a series, what would be the next article? Write that instead
How Can I Keep My Content Ideas Original?
There is no real way to make sure your content is 100% original. Nobody has ever written anything similar or ever will again. Unfortunately, that is just not possible with the amount of content on the internet.
The best thing to aim for is to write content that truly represents you and your values, and provides value to your clients. You are a unique person; your clients are unique people, so that will add an element of uniqueness to your content. Instead of thinking about how to write a blog post that’s never been written before, write an article that is completely tailored to your ideal clients.