Many personalities are overly focused on creating original content that has never been done before. Finding a perfect topic nobody else is doing is not a silver bullet. It’s an endless race to an unwinnable competition. Good luck with that. Someone else is almost surely doing it already. And if it’s a great idea that nobody is doing now, they will be soon. So forget about it, and refocus on unique performances. Instead, master the art of content curation.
Original Content
Echoes of originality are far and few between, like stumbling upon a unicorn in a dense forest. Yet, some content creators, motivated by audacity and vanity, insist on conjuring ideas that have never been uttered. They often overlook the treasure trove of tried-and-true ideas in favor of uncharted territory, frequently ending in a losing game.
Listeners may stifle a yawn, but at least the content is original, right? Well, not so fast.
Let’s cut to the chase. What truly matters isn’t the content’s novelty but an interesting performance. It sounds like juggling paradoxes, but the key is to properly curate content by turning otherwise common content into an original performance.
The Unicorn
Think about the last time you brainstormed a truly novel idea. Was it genuinely unprecedented? More often than not, what we perceive as the original content is a beautifully repackaged version of something we’ve experienced. Like a chef who repurposes leftovers into a gourmet dish, we often remix ideas, not invent them.
Seth Godin, marketing guru, found this out the hard way while hunting for an untouched book topic. Each time they were on the brink of submitting a proposal, it was like déjà vu:
EVERY TIME WE HAD AN IDEA, EVERY TIME WE WERE ABOUT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS ALREADY A BOOK ON THAT TOPIC. SOMEONE ELSE HAD ‘STOLEN’ MY IDEA BEFORE I EVEN HAD IT.
Chasing after an idea that’s never seen the light of day is much like a hamster running on a wheel: lots of energy spent but little progress made. So, why bother?
The Spotlight on Performance
The reality is your fans aren’t yearning for unheard-of content. The unique spice you add to even the most familiar ideas gets their hearts racing. Your personal touch, the you-ness in the content, that sets it apart.
Godin explains that no one is waiting for you to deliver something so earth-shatteringly unique that it’s never been conceived. If you attempt that, you may find yourself navigating uncharted waters without a compass or, worse, support.
Godin says:
No one expects you to do something so original, so unique, so off the wall that it has never been conceived of before. In fact, if you do that, it’s unlikely you will find the support you need to do much of anything with your idea.
Instead, harness the power of your unique persona to breathe life into existing content. After all, it’s not the content that transforms audiences into die-hard fans but your distinctive delivery.
Borrow, Adapt, and Make it Yours
Basketball legend Kobe Bryant wasn’t shy about admitting he ‘stole’ moves from his heroes. He reshaped them to fit his unique style and physique. He said:
I REALIZED I COULDN’T COMPLETELY PULL THEM OFF BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE THE SAME BODY TYPE AS THE GUYS I WAS THIEVING FROM. SO I HAD TO ADAPT THE MOVES TO MAKE THEM MY OWN.
There’s no shame in drawing inspiration from someone else’s idea. As writer Wilson Mizner puts it:
COPYING FROM ONE AUTHOR IS PLAGIARISM, BUT IF YOU COPY FROM MANY, IT’S RESEARCH.
So, be a savvy thief. Select the right ideas and craft them into a distinctive performance.
Conclusion
Original content is rare. It’s often a rehash of existing ideas. Radio personalities should focus less on fabricating novel content and more on delivering existing (familiar) content with a unique flair. This combination of familiar and fresh resonates with listeners.
Borrowing ideas is a smart strategy, as long as you shape the inspiration into a unique performance. Forget about the myth of originality and concentrate on crafting content in your character’s voice.
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Tracy Johnson is a talent coach and programming consultant. He’s the President/CEO of Tracy Johnson Media Group. His book Morning Radio has been described as The Bible of Personality Radio and has been used by personalities worldwide.