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How to Create the Perfect Google+ Post

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Written by ME. Stolen text on infographic by My Clever Agency. (I'm not linking to their website since they've stolen my content & the infographic has been receiving traffic after being shared by Bit Rebels, Social Media Today, and Google+ Plussers)

This is the text that was taken EXACTLY word for word from my article and I was not given credit for the text nor asked permission.  My article called Five Easy Steps to Bake the Perfect Google+ post was published in November 2012.

google+ postThis is how I create the perfect Google+ post:

1. Pick a fun, interesting or smart topic to post
Use trending topics if you need some help which is located on the home page on the right side of the screen. This is also a great place to find people who are currently on Google+ to start a conversation with them on their posts.
2. Choose a bright, full size photo to run with your post.
Do NOT drop a link and use the tiny photo.
3. Use hashtags so more people can find your content.
It’s a great way to meet people and for other people to find your cool posts as well.
4.  Engage with everyone who comments or shares your material. Communication and engagement can’t and won’t happen if you aren’t there.
5. Tag some friends that you think might be interested in reading your post.
My fifth point is tagging people but she changed the text slightly.
*#6 I ALWAYS CREDIT MY SOURCE!*
So, My Clever Agency, you have stolen text from my website on your infographic. I'm especially disappointed that you are a social media agency poaching content from my website.

Here's a little information you might also like from Plagiarism.org  from their website:

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?

Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like “copying” and “borrowing” can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

“ACCORDING TO THE MERRIAM-WEBSTER ONLINE DICTIONARY, TO “PLAGIARIZE” MEANS
• to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
• to use (another's production) without crediting the source
• to commit literary theft
• to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
Here's an article on my blog that you might also be interested in I’m as Mad as Hell and I’m Not Gonna Take This Anymore! A Tale of Copyright Infringement It's VERY disappointing to me that people continue to steal content from my blog. I freely share tons of my ideas and the ways that I do things on social media to help other people. If they had asked permission, I would have been thrilled to grant it. Even if they update it now, it doesn't really fix the problem.

Bottom line: I'm a very nice person but if you take my writing, I'll hunt you down and call you out for being a total JERK.

8/12/13 Note: They have updated the infographic and changed the text from my original text however the original infographic is still on the web. Google granted me the DMCA notice that I filed and they do not get any Google searchability for this post. They've requested that I remove the Google block but I don't feel that's the right thing to do.
Photo credit: BigStock

Article by Peg Fitzpatrick

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23 Comments

  1. Does not play nice with others is definitely what is coming to mind for them. Having your content stolen is horrible. I have not had my words stolen, that I am aware of, but my pictures have definitely been stolen off my site. So sorry this happened to you, Peg.

  2. Sorry this happened and hopeful that you will (if not already have) directly confronted them.

  3. First of all…those bastards! Second of all, thanks for the awesome tips! I had something similar happen to me. I was scouring the web one day doing keyword research etc, and stumbled on a website that was almost a mirror copy of our blog, and had ALL of our articles posted on it. I was pissed! I sent several emails to the owner of the site telling them how uncool that was…they never responded, however my threats of legal action must have worked as shortly thereafter the site came down…
    If you want to be taken seriously in the social space, you need to do only one thing. Be somewhat original! That does not mean you cannot share other people’s content, it just means when you do link back to the author. SHOW them that you appreciate them putting time and effort into providing YOU content! Thanks Peg!!

    1. hubze I know, right! (bastards…grumble) I’m glad you liked the tips.
      I’m really shocked at how many people just cut and paste text from websites. It sucks! At a former job I created complicated, yet entertaining text for our products and our competition cut and paste it to their site word for word. I think you have to fight these jerks and not let them get away with it. It’s ridiculous. 

      I love your whole second paragraph. Amen!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  4. annelizhannan Hi Anneliz – I’m still waiting to hear from them. They got lots of pings today but it was Sunday so I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. I’m hoping to hear something tomorrow.

  5. It’s funny to ,me that people engage in this behavior….knowing that THEY found your content online, so YOU can find THEIR thievery online just as easily….

    1. OneJillian It’s much harder to catch in an infographic, Jillian. And honestly, it’s not like I have time to look for this but when I find it I call them out. I’m thinking of looking into copyscape.
      But since you work for an agency, don’t you feel like that’s especially deceptive to use other people’s work to get business? Shameful.

      1. PegFitzpatrick that behavior is deceptive no matter who it comes from. i was always advocating full credit where possible. and it’s always possible to do SOME due diligence. Even if it’s to add in a source link in the post or if it’s a graphic like this, then credit to the source in the text on the graphic….
        To me, it just makes no sense to cut off an inroad to a future content/promotion partnership. I mean if they were good enough to steal from, they could be DYNOMITE to collaborate with. In my opinion, that is.

  6. You have the biggest heart and most willing spirit when it comes to sharing PegFitzpatrick, so for someone to feel that after all of that, they still need to steal from your blog? TOTALLY unacceptable. Even more unacceptable is their silence in all of this. Stand up and acknowledge what you did like a grown adult and do the right thing. Is that so hard? Unfortunately, it seems stealing and then hiding behind something or someone is the easier decision these days. So disappointing and I’m sure somewhat defeating for you as well. The good news? Karma will come calling! 🙂

    1. Rebekah Radice Thank you Rebekah. They did respond via email and updated the infographic on their site with my name on it.  But it’s already pretty viral on Pinterest, Google+ and big sites like Bit Rebels & Social Media Today. Bit Rebels updated their site for me which was awesome and Social Media Today asked me to write an article for them about it. I hope that the person who cut & pasted my text learned a lesson from being caught. I don’t know if they did.
      The karma they get is my information showing up on the Google search with theirs now.

  7. So not cool and so frustrating not to get credit for your work. Stealing others work is not clever and I am so glad you are calling them out on this. I hope you will keep us posted on how it goes and let us know what we can do to support your.

    1. lindacoleman28 Thank you Linda. They did update the infographic with my name and added a link to my blog in the text on the article per my republication information on my about page.

  8. PegFitzpatrick  I like your style!! I also like the google+ tips, but I have to honestly say that the way you publicly called them out was tastefully done while still getting your point across. Glad to see they gave you credit – it’s amazing what a little public shaming will do!!

    1. hautemissfit Thanks! It’s very frustrating to have your work stolen and who has time to track people down? But ultimately it was worth it to me in this instance.
      I appreciate your thoughts. 🙂

  9. PegFitzpatrickYou can send My Clever Agency a cease and desist notice, and tell her to remove it from her site. I’m sure you know an attorney or one reads your posts and could volunteer to send said letter. It’s really pretty simple.
    Perhaps we should all pop on over and tell My Clever Agency that she’s a plagiarizer? It’s pretty simple to give credit where credit is due. I’m a teacher, and I really hate plagiarizers–they are trying to take credit for someone else hard work and brilliance; they are the people who can’t do, so they steal other people’s work. It’s a nasty form of dishonesty.
      Good post. I’m not sure I have the hang of hashtages and tagging, but I’m trying to figure it out. Thanks for the excellent post.

    1. corafoerstner Thanks for your thoughts, Cora! I filed the notice with Google and it was approved so they don’t get “credit” for that post on Google. I need to add an update on the post, they did add a link back to my site after I called them out on it.

  10. This looks a lot like the post that Dustin Stout wrote too.  You should check him for plagiarism! LOL, that was a joke of course!  Still, it’s good…one question, why don’t you engage with me when I tag you and ask you things?  Isn’t that the very thing you’re telling us to do?

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