It is no stretch to say that social media dominates much of our lives. The great online connector is so effective that, as a result, our collective newsfeeds can easily become bland. How can social media marketers maintain their originality in the coming year?

It is a simple fact that we look at other people’s content to inspire our own. We check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and see a barrage of opinions, status updates, ads, photos and videos. After scrolling through these for several hours, we post our own opinions, status updates, ads, photos, and videos. Is it likely that our content will be remarkably similar to that of our peers? The answer, of course, is yes.

When a large mass of people all look at the same things, they tend to think the same things. This sort of collective consciousness is especially prevalent in social media. For example, look at today’s trending hashtags on Twitter. What you see is likely just the result of thousands of users symbiotically borrowing content from thousands of users.

When writing social media for our businesses, we should not let ourselves get caught in this cycle. Before writing content for your business, try to think of something unique before going to preexisting social media for inspiration. But, when you inevitably post something that has been said before, personalize it and make it your own. Your followers should recognize your business on social media for your distinct voice.

A new goal for 2016: be original. Try to be a distinct voice within your community.

See Social Media Explorer for more.