Innovation Over Imitation: How to Create Unique, Valuable Content Consistently

Companies and content creators have a lot of noise to contend with these days. AI tools and LLMs like ChatGPT add another layer to challenge conventional content strategies. 

Keyword and SEO-driven content is no longer an effective long-term approach to acquiring traffic and building audiences organically. 

Here is a quick guide to building a successful content strategy in 2025 using consistency and perseverance over hacks and trends.

Have something valuable to say

If you're going to build an audience in today's highly competitive, attention-grabbing landscape, you'd better have something interesting and unique to say.

Every time you publish, ask yourself, "Does this add value?"

Develop an internal barometer where you're brutally honest with yourself—do you find what you're saying interesting? Is what you're publishing unique and engaging?

I've used this quote every week, but it's important to reiterate:

"If they think it's remarkable, then it's remarkable. If you think it is, who cares." — Seth Godin

How to develop valuable ideas

The best way to develop ideas is through writing. I always start with a pen and paper. I usually sit somewhere quiet without my phone and other distractions.

If you're working in a team, use this method to develop content concepts before you collaborate so you're prepared and can share valuable, thoughtful ideas.

Ideas come at odd times, so I use Apple Notes to capture them in a single "Ideas" note. When it gets full, I copy the contents to Notion or Google Docs and grab them when I'm ready to write about the topic or idea.

I start with an overall concept and jot bullet-point ideas to develop it using a pen and paper. These don't have to be in any order; the goal is to get as much on the paper as possible. As you get into a flow, you'll think of ways to expand on each bullet with more bullets, one-liners, and single paragraphs.

Eventually, you'll have a list of ideas and content to expand on. Once I'm happy with an outline and can convert it to an article, I switch to a word processor. 

I prefer Grammarly because I can write and edit simultaneously, which saves a lot of time editing later. Grammarly's minimalist word processor and features allow me to focus on writing without getting distracted by formatting and other features.

Publish across multiple platforms

Many successful content creators recommend focusing on one platform at a time. Master that one and add the next. The problem with this approach is you're starting from scratch with every platform you add.

I recommend a hybrid approach. Publish your long-form content across multiple platforms and focus on mastering one at a time. For example, you publish articles to your blog, LinkedIn, Medium, X, and Substack, but you focus on engaging and optimizing LinkedIn before moving on to the next.

This strategy allows you to build audiences across all platforms simultaneously and provides a solid foundation and content history. When you have a robust framework and automated strategy for one platform, you shift focus to the next, and so on.

Focus on consistency—avoid trends and hacks

The biggest mistake content teams and individual creators make is jumping on trends and hacks. Avoid these like the plague! Hacks and trends distract you from executing a consistent strategy and creating great content.

Consistency beats hacking the algorithms every time! Hacks get discovered, and people lose interest once they see through "the formula."

Some excellent examples of creators who have built solid audiences through consistency are:

• Tom Kuegler started on Medium and is now on Substack. Tom has published many articles across both platforms, constantly testing and learning. 
• Justin Welsh publishes at the same time daily on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. His content and courses have built him a multi-million dollar business.
• Blaine Anderson is a dating guru with massive Instagram and YouTube followings. Blaine offers interesting dating advice for men feeding a successful consultancy business.

These three creators have a formula and framework for success. They publish consistently, offer unique insights, andengage with their audiences instead of using gimmicky tricks and hacks to lure people into viewing their content. 

Copy their consistency and perseverance, not their content and strategy.

Audience feedback as a source of innovation

As you grow and build rapport with your audience, they will engage and share feedback. Avoid getting sucked into only the positive comments; like those, share a thank you, and move on.

Negative feedback is often the best source of innovation. But, not all negative feedback is valuable. Look for comments where someone challenges your words with a reason—constructive criticism.

People who leave thoughtful replies often have experience with the subject matter and can offer meaningful advice on how to grow and improve.

Our first instinct is to argue our case; instead, ask questions. Try to extract their full meaning, thought process, and perspective. You might learn something new to inspire the next big idea.