How to copy content with elegance
Copying sounds bad, and “copying with elegance” sounds like an even bigger crime. In the context of this article, though, “copying with elegance” really is just a simplification of the cognitive work that goes into content creation.
A striking piece of content is rarely 100% original. There are always bits and pieces that are taken from or inspired by works that you have seen, heard of, or consumed before. What makes truly good content is the ability to morph in your own thoughts, experiences, emotions, resources, and creativity to take the existing sample to the next level.
It’s like cooking. You start off with someone’s recipe, and maybe gradually learn to adjust it based on others’ inputs or add your own touch. Or, you don’t adjust the existing recipe because it is already delicious enough for you.
However, in Content Marketing, you cannot simply take a recipe, serve it to an audience, and expect they will be satisfied with the taste. Even though you like the way it is cooked, your audience might be looking for something sweeter, saltier, or more lemony.
While a striking piece of content is rarely completely original, it is almost always copied well.
In this article, I will share my notes on how to copy content cautiously, mindfully, and with elegance.
Shake off the FOMO
Copy the why
Optimize the implementation
Shake off the FOMO
I often receive content pitches which start with “Other companies have been doing this recently,” “Our competitor just published XYZ,” or “It is now a trend to.” I’m always very curious to hear about the campaigns (the way a fashionista is keen to check out an up and coming brand) until the person goes, “We should also do it.”
When asked why, they will most likely say, “Because it is working for others” or “We can’t miss out on the trend” or “If others are doing this, it must be helpful.”
Spotting trends is a great start to evaluate additions to your current content tactics. It is, however, not where your evaluation process should end. “Other people are doing this” is not a good enough reason to start. It is simply an observation, not a decision criteria.
The first step of copying with elegance is accepting that you cannot copy everything, and you will not miss out on anything if you choose to drop a trend.
Of course, today’s world is more competitive every second and we all thrive to keep up. It’s scary to see competitors benefit from a campaign that we don’t have. It’s also unbearable to sit on an idea from another industry which our competitors haven’t discovered yet. But, truth is, not all good things are for you, for your goals, or for your audience’s needs.
If your copying efforts are driven by the fear of missing out, it’s time to stop. Other companies are implementing this tactic for a reason. Our job isn’t copying the trend; It is to copy the reason behind the trend.
Copy the why
If “other people are doing this” is not a good enough decision-making motivation, what is?
The decision criteria to copy an existing tactic are WHY others have started doing it. There should always be a goal or purpose behind a tactic, and thus it is important to figure out:
What is the goal the others are trying to achieve? What was the problem they are trying to solve?
Do our goals align with theirs? Do we encounter the same problems to solve?
Sometimes, the “why” even simply lies in resources. Some companies have a massive variety of products and a huge department of human workforce for each product line. In this case, they might set up individual social media pages for each product line. On the other hand, a startup with a two-person Marketing team might not be able to manage multiple pages at once, or even need to as there is only one product.
To copy elegantly means to be able to identify how fitting a tactic can be for your problem statement, goal, and resources.
What you can try is throwing your ideas into the Hanging Fruits vs. Business Impact Eisenhower matrix I shared in January, which should help guide your copycat assessment.
Optimize the implementation
The process of drilling down to the “why” should help you change from copying the format to copying the concept. Better yet, while copying the concept, you also have the chance to optimize implementation for your goals and audience.
In addition to the “why,” here are some variables that I include in my evaluation to copy:
Resources (often the first and most important factors that managers and teams evaluate when facing proposals)
Audience (always adapt the tactic to your audience’s needs)
Potential Impact (which bigger goal this might contribute to)
Content (you shouldn't copy 100%, so what is an interesting and different angle?)
Quick Starts (experiments to test results with low risk)
Instead of making a suggestion that stops at the what-others-did level: “This company provides takeaway one-pagers as part of their webinar follow-up emails. I find it very helpful. Let’s try this.”
You can now put together a strong proposal which considers the “why” and optimizes the implementation: “This company provides takeaway one-pagers as part of their webinar follow-up emails. This might help us drive webinar recording view rates and post-webinar interactions, and potentially be a nurturing touchpoint. Have we received similar feedback from our attendees? What are the most frequently requested material post-webinar other than the recording? We have a relatively tight team. Maybe we can experiment first with providing a full list of Q&As that happened during the webinar.”
Ultimately, copying elegantly means to take one existing idea and make it yours–the way you add a pinch more pepper to your meal or alter the length of your jeans.
Like many others, I started off my Content Marketing career drawing inspirations from brilliant examples and I believe it has been the most effective way to learn. However, growth only comes from thoughtful and elegant copying. I hope my notes will help you go beyond copying what is obvious, and arrive at copying what is valuable.
Here’s a Content Marketer writing to fellow Content Marketers. Place your commas!