Copycats 😾

Yeah, it happens (like to me recently).  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Issue #76 | February 6th, 2024 Hi, it's Pat! Throughout your journey as a growing creator and entrepreneur, people will copy you. The bigger you get, the more often it will happen, and despite what people say, it doesn’t feel great. Over the years, I’ve heard every imaginable positive spin about this: - “To imitate someone is to pay the person a genuine compliment.” - “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” - “It means you’re doing something right.” - “It’ll force you to stay competitive and keep innovating.” - “There’s plenty of room for everyone, live in abundance.” I mean, I hear that… but, that doesn’t necessarily make me feel better about it. You will likely come across this at some point in your journey — you may already be dealing with this right now. Either way, I’ve got you. My solution for this? Become inimitable. ​ Let’s create a moat for your creator castle so that no one, not even the most skilled creator, could ever copy what you really do. Let’s get unstuck. QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” —Herman Melville THE STORY The inspiration for this newsletter comes from a real-life situation where another brand copied something I’d done. I’m not going to mention any names, but I wanted to let you know that this happened recently. Also, I’m not worried at all. Now, of course, there are legal measures you can take to protect your brand and products. Copyrights, trademarks, patents, and having the right legal team can all help when the rules have clearly been broken. With that said, someone else might do something similar to you without breaking any rules at all. This is where things start to enter a gray area. Maybe someone published an article that was very similar to yours. It may have even had a similar title. Titles of blog posts and ideas aren’t anything you can own. Also, it’s hard to determine who was first. You may have published or released something before someone else, but what if they had the idea before you? Perhaps they were just working on it for longer. At what point does a person own the right to “claim” something like this? Outside of formal rules and laws, there’s an unwritten etiquette among entrepreneurs to consider. This makes it even more difficult — even then, we’re not on a green on a golf course where we can clearly see all the “lines” we’re not supposed to stand on. So, what do we do? Here are 3 principles to help combat copycats over time: #1. Innovate Continuously: Stay ahead by constantly evolving and improving your products, services, or content. By the time a copycat catches up, you’re already onto the next big thing. This not only establishes you as a leader in your field but also keeps your brand fresh and exciting for your audience. #2. Build a Strong Brand Identity: Develop a unique brand voice and image that are hard to replicate. This includes your visual branding, the way you communicate with your audience, and the overall experience you provide. A strong, distinctive brand creates loyal customers who are less likely to switch to a competitor, even if the competitor offers something similar. You want your brand to be distinctive enough that when a person sees a copycat, they immediately know where their branding originates from. In fact, your community can step up to support you and call out those copycats when it happens. To achieve this, you need a strong identity and an understanding of why people choose your content over others. #3. Focus on Community and Customer Relationships: In my opinion, this is the most crucial aspect, and it’s why SPI has fully embraced community since 2020. You must create a strong bond with your audience or customer base. Engage with them, understand their needs, and build a community around your brand. People are less likely to switch to a competitor if they feel a personal connection to your brand and are invested in your community. Beyond the content or product, it becomes about how the community makes a person feel, and that connection is almost impossible to replicate. Remember, while legal protections are important, the strength of your brand often lies in how you connect with your audience and how you continue to innovate and differentiate yourself in the market. No matter what, keep going, keep innovating, and keep showing up for your audience. Do that, and the copycats will come — but they’ll only be drifting behind your lead. You got this. SPONSORED BY CONVERTKIT Grow Your Email List Passively Add a new, passive list growth channel to your 2024 strategy with ConvertKit Recommendations. Set up your profile in the Creator Network and increase the chances of your content getting noticed and your subscriber list growing from recommendations of other creators — even when you’re out playing with your kids, grocery shopping, or setting up your next big launch. Just set up and let it go. [Start Growing Today!]( SPI NEWS AND EVENTS Interested in launching and growing a thriving community? Sign up for the All-Access Pass by February 8th to join our Community Business Blueprint Course Accelerator. Learn alongside a supportive cohort of like-minded professionals and gain the skills to build an online space aligned with your business goals. Discover insights into designing a community business model, identifying ideal members, and establishing a solid foundation for success. Want to learn more? [Click here to sign up for the All-Access Pass!](=)​ Ready to kickstart your business journey? Shift your focus from the how to the now and conquer those fears holding you back from a shot at life-changing success! Check out the latest Smart Passive Income Podcast episode, where Pat Flynn and Noah Kagan discuss the secrets to reshaping your mindset to achieve success. [Tune in]() to learn the keys to commitment, taking bold action, and making those small yet impactful improvements. Be sure to [click "Follow"]() on your podcast player of choice to subscribe and get our latest episodes! Hey there, incredible reader! We love that you've made it to the end of the newsletter! Your dedication doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, we're eager to hear what you love most about Unstuck. [Click here to submit your testimonial]() — you might get featured on our brand-new website. Your insights will inspire others and play a crucial role in our community’s growth. We appreciate you! DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK What do you call fake potatoes? Imi-taters. What do you call common potatoes? Common-taters. 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