Stop Regurgitating Content - Write What YOU Know

Hate is a strong word, but I do (almost) hate people who blog about topics they really know nothing about. They use other sources for information; they quote other people rather than having any real knowledge or personal experience. In short, they regurgitate content.

Regurgitate is very much the right word for it. For those who aren't sure what it means - think Mother bird bringing half eaten food for her baby birds, vomiting it up so they can eat without having to actually chew anything.

See? How appetizing is that? Why would you read something like that let alone be the one writing it and expecting people to come and read it. Readers want something to chew! Or, at least they want to do their own chewing. Reading recycled content is bland and boring, like an instruction manual, there is no life, no character, nothing personal. You could read the same stuff on half a dozen other sites or just pick up a book at the Library.

Most content regurgitaters write hoping to bring in traffic. They expect they just need to use enough keywords and the traffic will come. This doesn't work so well. Yes, Google will pick up your keywords. But, when you write on a network like HubPages, Google will also check to see how fresh and original your content is. Google will look for duplication.

If you were writing from your own experience, your own perspective and knowledge you would not be spewing out duplicate content. Too bad you didn't write about something YOU actually know about.

It isn't so hard to write what you know. Take the topic you think will attract readers and find an angle that works for you. Or, write about an entirely new topic. You are more interesting than you think you are. There are simple skills you have or small experiences you have discovered which other people would like to know about.

Finding angles is kind of a game really. Take any topic, say knitting a sweater (as an example). I have never knit a sweater. I'm not even a knitting person at all. But, I can write a post about knitting a sweater if I want to. I just give it a spin and find an angle that works for me. In my case I would write about my Grandmother and my Mother who do knit sweaters. My Grandmother knit a lot and even got into using a knitting machine. My Mother wishes she knit more, she still buys patterns and does get a few projects started but they don't all end up finished. She also tends to knit with big stitches so a hat could easily be converted to a tea cosy and a scarf she knit for my sister was so long she could wrap it around her whole body, like a mummy.

See how you find your own angle? Not so hard was it? Not so hard to read either. You can make almost any topic relevant to yourself. Not everything of course.

When you want to write about something you really don't know about or have any experience... STOP. Think. What can you offer a reader about this topic? If you can't come up with some original idea or a twist that can move the topic into something you do know about, you should not be writing that topic. If all you can do is regurgitate content, why bother? Why write such a boring, bland post?

Would you read a post by someone who has nothing new to say? A post that just says the same stuff another 50 posts all say? Unless you happen to be related to the writer and want to be nice... you're not likely to read something like that. It's not even as good as a re-run because even a re-run started out as something original when it was new. Your post will be secondhand, old new, a re-run right from the start.

If you have to write a topic you know nothing about - interview someone who does know about it. Get quotes and their experiences - but get the interview first hand. Send an email and request an interview. Most people are flattered and at least interested. Create and keep a schedule for the interview and the publish date. If they have a site they will likely give you some promotion too, telling other people to read your interview. You can interview a few people about the same topic. Give them all the same questions and write their answers in Q and A format so readers can compare how each person gave a different answer, had different thoughts and experiences to share.

The world is big. it has a lot of people on it. Somewhere there is something you can write about. First hand, new and unique and original content - something YOU know about so you can bring YOUR perspective and experience to the world.