I recently reported someone who writes an email newsletter that I love(d) because they blatantly ripped off another creator, and I caught them. The plagiarizer used the other creator's content word for word, and even employed the same font, newsletter styling, and emojis. I knew right away whose content it was because I follow them and know their style. And I had already read it!
The original poster is in the UK, and the copycat is in the US. The US business coach probably thought his readers would never know what he was doing. But the internet makes the world a small place, and I happened to follow both of them. The OP was grateful that I alerted him to the issue and told me it was almost a weekly occurrence for him to issue takedown requests (because his content is really GOOD!). The other guy? I unsubscribed and blocked his social media accounts and felt really skeeved out. And it made me think about people who've copied my vibe over the years.
I used to find it weird and super annoying when others would start using "my stuff"... my interesting words/phrasing, my sayings, my hashtags, the groups of emojis I use that are uniquely me.
It's similar to the feeling you get when you introduce someone to a friend, and later in conversation, they say "my friend xxx" and you're like, "Um, they were MY friend first, and I introduced you." They integrated your friend into their life and forgot where the connection came from.
Or have you come up with a good idea while chatting with someone, and later that person tells you about THEIR good idea that they're going to implement? Yep, I've been there quite a few times.
Or when a colleague "steals" the phrase you came up with for your email signature or business card? (This actually happened to me right after I got new business cards, and a person I worked with said, "That's great! I'm gonna steal that!" and she did. So we had the same exact phrase on our cards... 🙄) There's nothing that can really be done in a situation like that. All the words are out there, and anyone can use them... but there's a reason why we're all not writing Beatles songs. We don't all have the same way of using the raw materials available to us.
They say imitation is a form of flattery. When others adopt your unique style or phrases, it’s a sign that you’re influencing people and that your creativity resonates with them. It’s proof that what you’re putting out into the world is worth sharing.
And yet, I still find it mildly annoying.
Some people are blatant copycats. They know what they're doing, and they steal anyway. But I'm choosing to see my "borrowers" as fans who thought I was cool enough to bite my style and make it their own. So, I'll try to take it as a compliment and a sign of my influence, but I would still urge everyone to dig deep, be authentic, discover their own unique flair, and avoid making their identity an amalgamation of what everyone else is doing.
How do you maintain your unique voice in a world of constant inspiration and imitation? I have ideas to help you that I'd LOVE for you to "steal" with my permission! Click here to book a free personal branding chat.