How to Have Unique Content

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Unique website content is something that is difficult to find these days. Some manufacturers / vendors want to have complete control over their content. So, every time you get a data feed or go to download a product-based link from an affiliate network you get the same content that thousands of other affiliates have access to. Youre stuck without a lot of access to unique content, which we all know can lead to better rankings, higher consumer satisfaction, more sales and more money.

Whats an affiliate to do? Here are some content suggestions:

• Dedicate time to writing your own brief descriptions or body copy for products. Youll have unique content that will help you stand out from the crowd.
• Ask your affiliate manager if they have any alternate copy available and if you can use it. Often youll see a standardized field such as brief description being placed into data feeds. If your partner site features paragraphs that go into more detail about a product, see if you can use those instead.
• Ask about alternate images. Draw more attention to your site by using an image that no one else uses.
• Add small details to the provided standard content. Research the product and see if something you find important wasnt included in the standard description. If you think its a feature that could help sell the piece, add it on.
• Add a creative personal touch. Tell a story about using the product if you own it. Be funny and add relevant content about using that product that wasnt mentioned elsewhere.
• Remember the old selling adage. Tell someone something that nobody else did and youve got a competitive advantage.
• Write to a sixth-grade level. If a consumer doesnt know what something means, they will leave your site to find out what it means. You may lose that customer to a competitor that explained everything in plain and simple language.
• Dont make general references that date your content. Talking about the title of a song from 1972 might fit your copy perfectly, but if a 20-year-old reads it and has never heard of the song you might have just lost them too.
• Use contractions whenever you can. Contractions read more like the way people speak and sound friendlier.
• Dont use slang. You might make a point that no one outside of your hometown or generation would understand.
• Dont rely solely on spell-check. Read whatever you write out loud. Or have someone else read it out loud and help you edit. A well-worded, grammatically correct presentation goes a long way to saying professional.

In all instances, you should be aware of the copyrights for the materials youre working with and ask for any needed permission. The top partners in our program strive to always add something unique to the presentation of our products, often going so far as to writing unique content or product reviews. As long as you follow whatever simple guidelines your affiliate manager lays out, youre going to be on your way to better profits.

Laura Parvey-Connors is marketing analyst and designer at Vanns, Inc. Matt Ranta is marketing manager at Vanns, Inc.

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