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Recently, I commented on one of Maki’s post in dosh dosh and I discussed that repetitiveness isn’t necessarily a bad thing in regards to content.

“Great questions. ‘Good repetitiveness’ ……hmmm I’m wondering what kind of articles fall within that mold. “ (Maki)

It sounds kind of weird doesn’t it, Good repetitiveness? In reality however, many people use good repetitiveness and sometimes if done very well, it can be even more popular/interesting than the original.


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How Can Being Repetitive Be a Good Thing?

Oftentimes, when you hear something being repetitive, it’s generally considered a negative. In the context of good repetitiveness however, it can be a great thing. Let’s go over a few things first:

• In nearly any established niche, you are bound to write content that’s been written already and in many cases, it’s been written a lot.
• Articles usually do not cover every “side” of the story and thus leave room for expansion.
• Overlapping another person’s article itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s in the way you set yourself apart from that article.

With that in mind, as long as you bring “something to the table” when being repetitive, it definitely won’t come off as such.

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How to Use Repetitiveness Wisely: Give a Different Side to the Original Story to Make it Your Own

This is one of those “easier said than done” kind of things. Not every article can be used for good repetitiveness, but most can.

1. Consider using articles you thoroughly enjoyed. If you truly like an article for what its worth, then you’ll be able to bounce off ideas more naturally. You’ll have a good foundation or base which you can branch off different ideas and views from.
2. Combining that article with other articles that gave a different view. If the article was quite popular, there will be others who have developed their own opinions. Integrate parts of their article to the whole mix, thus giving you a whole section in your article to compare and contrast each side and develop your own thoughts into it. For example I use this in my article on ugly design.
3. Give new examples. Nothing illustrates your point more than examples. By giving new examples you are reinforcing your content’s validity and demonstrating your grasp on whatever subject or topic is at hand.
4. Ask questions. This is somewhat related to step one. When you are engaged in an article, you start to spring off questions and such. Instead of asking them all to the original poster(OP), consider answering them yourself first and then maybe asking the OP. Several times these questions are the catalyst for good repetitive articles.
5. Interact with your viewers and/or potential viewers. This ties in with steps three and four. Engaging with readers or potential readers can breathe new life into a stagnant topic. This can be done with polls, questions, etc. Include quotes from readers who you asked to give their thoughts on the subject at hand in your article.

Is This Really Being Repetitive However?

I was also thinking about this. Arguably, if you’re bringing something new to the original article, can it really be even called repetitive in the first place? In my opinion I think that technically, yes it can be. The reason is being that your article is based on someone else’s writing, or at least will be viewed as such if the viewers see your article after similar ones. Regardless if you agree or disagree with my branding of “good repetitiveness”, the main point is that when you discuss a topic that has been written about already, injecting new ideas or extending upon the original idea will remove the thought of being the colorless, boring, run-of-the-mill drivel from the reader’s mind.