You don’t have to be an experienced content marketer to know that the digital marketplace is an incredibly competitive business environment.
And, if you’re doing a good job and creating high quality, you can count on seeing your work copied, if not stolen outright, by your competitors.
So how can you possibly defend against plagiarists who operate outside the framework of social and legal norms? While this goal might seem impossible, there are a few steps you can take to make certain your content is copy-proof.
Create a Brand
One of your best protections against copy is to create content that’s so unique and so interesting that readers will only want to get it from. This isn’t easy, and it requires plenty of homework, but it’s effective.
One way to look at this dilemma is to think about poker advice. If Phil Ivey offered you poker advice, you’d take it. If some random online forum poster offered the same advice, you’d probably take it with a grain of salt.
Creating authoritative content takes time, but it pays off with loyal readers who won’t accept substitutes.
Create Out-of-the-Box Content
Quality is not your only defense against plagiarism, creativity works pretty well, too. In a recent posting on his Quicksprout blog, content guru Neil Patel suggest creating content in a variety of formats that are tough to copy.
One great example of this idea is a series of branded videos. Video production is a low cost option that’s available to anyone with a laptop and a bit of confidence.
Not only are videos a big hit with blog and social media users, they’re incredibly tough to copy wholesale.
Finally
The battle against content thieves isn’t one you’ll ever win completely, but it’s not a fight you have to back away from. Top notch, original content is something that your readers will welcome and, if you do it right, they won’t accept any substitutes.