You should work hard to make your content unique. And when you succeed – you will be rewarded.
But being unique does not mean that no one else has ever uttered the words you are about to write.
Unique means that you are presenting a unique and valuable perspective.
Here are 11 easy-to-adopt techniques and tips to make your content stand out.
1. Use your own photos
Avoid stock photography and use your photos if possible.
No one likes to face endless blocks of text. Long sentences forming even longer paragraphs make us dizzy and send us gasping for air.
Photos make texts easier to read. Also, adding photos makes the text easier to understand and digest.
But everyone uses stock photos from websites and services like Pixabay and Canva.
And even though your photos may not be perfect. That is also a part of what makes them unique. And face it, most photos are good enough to be used on the web today.
Dare to use your photos, and you have instantly added a unique flavor to your website.
2. Create infographics and illustrations
For some niches, photos are not always practical or even possible.
But everyone can produce and use infographics and illustrations.
Several free graphics problems offer click-and-drag interfaces to create graphics and illustrations.
Canva is probably my favorite, and the program offers various graphics, elements, fonts, photos, and backgrounds.
Simply pick your format or template and start designing your unique creation.
Also, consider making your infographics and illustrations available for other websites. This is a great way to attract backlinks from other relevant websites.
3. Share your own experiences
Remember the valuable part of “unique and valuable”?
Well, here it is.
When you share your perspective and experiences, you add credibility and a unique flavor to your content.
Do not copy other people’s experiences. Speak your mind and share your experiences honestly.
4. Make your content actionable
Informational content is valuable. But your content must be actionable.
This does not mean that your content always needs to be a tutorial. But, it does mean that the content cannot be abstract.
Telling someone to “write better” is not helpful unless you explain how.
There are too many articles dealing with abstracts.
Make sure your points are easy to follow, understand and implement.
5. Dare not to write another “I agree” article
Do you have a unique perspective, experience, and data to back it up?
Then you need to scream it from the rooftops!
Do not be afraid to stand out—quite the opposite. Embrace the opportunity when it presents itself.
6. Write case studies and use your data
Case studies are a great way to generate unique and compelling content.
And when you use your data, you automatically own the project from start to finish.
Another plus is that case studies more or less write themselves as you work your way through the data analysis.
And do take the opportunity to create striking infographics to add another layer of uniqueness.
7. Be structured in your work
Know what you are going to write about before you start typing.
Do not confuse writing with research.
Research is an art where the journey will take you somewhere. Time spent researching will give you the knowledge and land you somewhere with something to share.
Writing is more of a science where you design a map with directions to that place and knowledge.
And you need to be structured if you want the reader to tag along to the end.
How can you know if your writing is structured?
Make sure your articles make sense even if you only read the sub-headings.
8. Always remember to add your secret sauce
We all have a writing style, whether we know it or not. Your writing style is a product of many factors, but your personality is one of them.
And do not be afraid to let your personality shine through when you write.
As writers, we also favor certain words in our writing. Consequently, we tend to overuse them.
This does not have to be a problem.
I will hazard a guess that you are a unique individual. And yes, I believe this is true for everyone.
Harness that uniqueness in your writing by adopting your style, tone, and perspective.
And no, I am not saying that you should necessarily share personal details or facts.
I am, however, saying that you should write your articles in your voice and let that be a part of your “secret sauce” on your path to success.
9. Always be prepared and a bit nervous when writing
Not worried, as in, I do not want to do this. I mean nervous, as in I got this. I need to do this well. I need to execute.
Writing an article should be like preparing for a speech at someone’s birthday or wedding.
You do not just show up and start talking.
Of course not.
You talk to family members and research anecdotes. You practice holding the speech in front of friends and family. You adapt. You improve. And then, on the day you perform.
Writing an article is not that different if you think about it.
You do research. And you practice a lot until you have a final draft. And then, when you finally publish your writing, it is like holding a speech.
Do not be casual about your writing. Instead, be prepared, crisp, and concise.
Your writing style can, of course, be casual and relaxed. But your writing needs to be exact and inspiring.
Always plan and prepare for excellence.
You would never improvise when giving a speech at a wedding.
Bring the same level of excellence and preparedness to your writing.
10. Create great headlines (and deliver)
Do take the extra time to write excellent headlines for your articles.
And then choose the best one.
And always deliver on the promises made in your title or headline.
Dare to be a bit provocative.
Your headline will work to get that click from the visitor.
But it is worth nothing unless your article delivers a superior user experience.
A search precedes each click on your link in the search engines. And that search was generated from the need to solve a problem or find information.
So always remember to be creative but remember the importance of delivering on the user experience.
Great headlines need to be backed up by even more excellent copy.
11. Use chatbots to interact & create user-driven content
You can think of chatbots as interactive FAQs on steroids.
Chatbots are computer programs that use pre-set words or phrases as triggers to hold a conversation with the visitor to a website.
You would install a chatbot on your website as a service. The chatbot will give the visitor a window where they can type questions.
The chatbot will, in turn, respond in real-time using your pre-written answers.
The general idea is that the chatbot will be directed to a live operator when and if needed. Chatbots are gaining in popularity, and there are several free alternatives.
But what if we use chatbots to deliver content to our visitors?
The visitor asks questions, and we reply with a preformatted answer with links to more information.
The chatbot will, if used correctly, allow the visitors to build their articles using our preformatted answers.
Chatbots are primarily used for support.
Still, chatbots can effectively deliver content in a unique, personalized, and user-triggered manner.
Summary and conclusion
To stand out, we need to have our voice.
And while it is hard to be unique, it is not difficult to add that special flavor that makes our content stand out.
This article listed 11 ways to add a unique flavor to your content and website.
And hopefully, you will be able to adopt some of them to make your content sing and stand out.
If you do. And if your content is good enough. Success will be yours to have.