Ways To Create Original Content To Help Grow Your Online Business

Content is a vital part of any small business these days, but it can be hard to find the time and inspiration to create new content let alone original ideas. With so much competition online and so much overconsumption of content out there, it's important to find ways to differentiate yourself from other content creators—and that doesn't mean creating more than anyone else. In this article, we'll explore simple approaches that can help you create original content for your business, helping you to sustain your business growth in the process!

Why is it so difficult to be original?

There's so much content online, it can be hard to feel like you have something truly original to offer. But the truth is that there are plenty of ways to create original content that helps grow your business. You just have to find your own voice and creative style. If you are finding it difficult to come up with original ideas for your content, consider whether the below things may be the source of your struggles.

Comparison:

When we constantly put ourselves up against others, comparing ourselves to those around us, this can cause our creativity to dry up really quickly.  Comparison is a natural creativity crusher! When we get caught up in comparison, it can often lead us to no longer creating from the space of original thought or idea, but rather, creating from a reference point of comparison.  This can cause us to create out of FOMO, trying to one up someone else, trying to emulate someone else, or trying to prove ourselves in comparison to someone else.  It also sets a tone of expectation around our creativity.  “To be successful, I must” is a rule we adopt due to comparing ourselves to others… adjusting our definitions of success to what we see around us instead of defining it for ourselves.

Secret Sauce:

When we see so many other folks claiming that they have the ‘secret’ to something… in other words, they are the ones that have the answers and therefore everyone else must be wrong… then this can cause us to get trapped in copying other people's expressions instead of developing our own.  There is no secret sauce other than our originality.  We EACH have a secret sauce in us, and it is our unique expression! You won't find that outside of yourself.  It is our responsibility to develop it ourselves.  Sure, it's easier just to copy others or ride off what others claim is ‘the only way’…but that won't help you create original content nor stand out.

Creativity burnout:

When we don't give our creativity time to rest, it can cause creativity burnout.  When we are too overtaken and busy with other things that also cause burnout, trying to tap into creativity can feel completely impossible.  Your creativity is like a child.  It needs love, care, nurturing, guidance, support, rest, to be fed, to be taught. The frontal cortex of our brain is said to be where creativity and creative thought occurs.  When we are under high levels of stress or anxiety (signs of burnout) it impairs our frontal cortex abilities, blocking creative flow in the process.  Burnout is one of the biggest causes of creative blocks.  

Fear:

When we don't trust our creativity (AKA we fear it / ourselves!) this can easily cause us to not be able to share original content.  I get it.  It can be quite scary to express ourselves and some of us have more risks attached to self expression than others.  Depending on your identity and lived experiences, some of the fear you may be attaching to sharing original ideas may be very real and very valid. It is our responsibility as creatives to work through this fear; to get curious about it, learn from it, heal what we can, accept what we can, and befriend our fear as an ally to our creative process.  Our fear can work for us or against us.

What does it mean to be original?

When we create original ideas, thoughts, content, or works of art…typically it looks like introducing a brand new idea, perspective, or point of view, but it can also revisit an old one - reframing it in a fresh way. Content becomes original when you can say that it's never before been published online in precisely the way you've shared it.

Creating original content, therefore, asks us to take our creativity seriously. To give it the space it needs to breathe, think, plan, strategize, design, develop, and express itself in the ways it wants to.

Creating original content is also about developing a relationship with ourselves and our originality.  We have to believe that we have thoughts, ideas, and modes of expression that are not only unique - but meaningful and worthy of being shared.

How to start creating original content

Use your own voice and tone for your content

When you're creating content for your online business, it's important to use your own voice and tone. You want people who visit your site or subscribe to your marketing channels to feel like they know who they're talking with--and that means using language that comes naturally from you as the writer.

If you try too hard with this one, it can come across as forced or fake (which is never good). So aim for authenticity instead!

Be real about what you're offering

If you want to create original content, the first thing you should do is be real about what you're offering. The more honest and transparent that your content is, the better chance it has at being shared in a positive way by others.

This doesn't mean that every piece of content has to be an autobiography or an expose on your life story (though if that's how it goes down for you, then great). What I mean here is simply sharing who YOU are--your struggles, mistakes and triumphs; why YOU are special; what makes YOU unique; why YOUR product/service/idea is best for others who might need help solving their problem(s).

Focus on your own unique story

The best way to create original content is by focusing on your own unique story, processes and approaches. As a business owner, you have something special to offer the world and it's important that you share what makes you who you are.

You should also be sharing things that help people build a relationship with your brand. This can include sharing interests, hobbies, passions, opinions, and personality traits. These simple details help humanize your brand and make customers feel like they really know who they're buying from. It also helps create brand relatability!

• Share your own stories, if you are comfortable with that. Behind the scenes content is great for this!

• If not, share other people's stories. Sharing case studies, testimonials and community feedback is great!

We all have a unique perspective and life experiences that others can relate to. Your story as well as experiences are worth sharing, but you need to figure out how it fits into your business goals and brand guidelines.

How to be yourself 

(and create content that reflects who you are!)

As we wrap up this article on ways to generate original content, here are some ideas to help you start feeling more comfortable to be yourself, which will ultimately lead to creating more authentic and stand out content!

Idea Generation Practice:

You know those most inopportune times when creative ideas flood in - like when we are in the shower or driving?  We want to replicate the qualities of those types of situations in our daily life with idea generation rituals so that we can access original ideas in more deliberate ways.  For me, I set aside every single morning for my idea generation practice.  During this time I write, journal, read up on topics that I am passionate about, and gather ideas.  Whatever comes up in this period of time typically gets brought into other areas of my life or work, whether it be turning something into a piece of content, bringing it up in conversation with folks or sharing it here in this newsletter! We have to stay engaged with the things we care about in order to develop ideas and receive downloads that can help us create original ideas. I also do an end of the day practice similar to my morning one, where I unplug from distractions, write down ideas that came up throughout the day, catch up on more reading and document any additional cool downloads I received throughout the day.

Find the gaps:

Another important aspect of generating original content is exploring and observing your industry, looking for gaps.  Chances are, there are trending topics that the bulk of your industry is currently talking about.  As well, there are trending topics that you are all about!  I encourage you to explore your industry looking to see where the gaps are: Where is the ball being dropped?  What do you do differently than the bulk of your industry?  What is your unique approach or perspective?  What makes your way helpful for your target audience? Where can your industry do better and how can you FILL the gap?

Share from your unique perspective:

This one is simple: No one has the perspective you do!  So, share from it.  Tap into what YOUR thoughts are about things.  Define what YOUR approach is to things.  We all work differently and have signature creative processes that work for US.  What is yours? Share it!

Tell your unique stories and experiences:

Similar to above, no one has the same experiences or stories that you do! So, share them!  Create case studies, share your stories about what you do and what it's like to work with you, talk about your experiences with certain things.  This can help you create thought leadership content that establishes unique and original content that cannot be duplicated.

Signature visual aesthetic:

Visuals are one of my favorite ways to self express, hence why I love design so much.  Creating your content is a way you can stand out originally!  Defining your brand style, your brand voice, your brand aesthetic and overall brand guidelines is one of the most potent ways to help you set a solid foundation for creating original content.  Your brand guidelines act as a literal guide to help you stay on track with creating original visual content that is unique to YOU!

Stop looking to others for the answers:

My last tip is really just a reiteration of some of which I stated above.  It is so imperative to protect your creativity, which requires us to instill boundaries around how much we look to others for the answers.  This, again, requires levels of self trust and nurturing of our own creative spirit.

As you can see, there are many ways to create original content for your business. You don't need to be an expert videographer or graphic designer to get started with this. In fact, the best way to get started is by just starting! It's not always easy at first, but as long as you keep trying and working towards creating better content over time then eventually it will become second nature.

Our Studio specializes in content strategy and design. We are happy to help if you are looking for someone to take the reigns on this aspect of your business! Reach out here.

Until next time…

Natalie Brite — DoGoodBiz