Repurposing content is one of those strategies that every content marketer knows they should be doing. The idea of recycling content to reach a wider audience is a great opportunity.
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What is Content Repurposing?
Repurposing content is the practice of taking one type of content and turning it into something else. Then, the new content typically is posted on social media or used for other purposes, such as lead magnets. Repurposing can involve the same family of content types (such as turning a blog post into a book or article) or shift from one type to another (for example, turning a book into a screenplay). Generally speaking, this practice helps content creators and marketers “stretch” their efforts and increase ROI.
Why Should You Repurpose Content?
Repurposing content (aka finding new ways to recycle your existing content) has a number of benefits, such as:
- Reaching a New Audience. Some users prefer visual infographics over text statistics. Some choose podcasts over ebooks. Reformatting your content for different mediums means appealing to more audiences and extending your reach.
- Dusting Off Forgotten Tales. We all have that book that hangs at the back of the bookshelf. It’s an old favorite, and when you eventually come across it, you might think to yourself “Hey, I should really read that book about flying whales again. It was great.” It might be months or even years before you stumble upon that old treasure. Repurposing your content puts that old favorite up front and center, ensuring that great content is never forgotten.
- Making the Most of Your Efforts. When you put a ton of effort into a piece of content, you’re immensely proud. But quality and pride aren’t all that’s required for success. There are all kinds of unseen factors that affect how well a content piece performs, and sometimes lady luck is on her lunch break. Repurposing content ensures that users who missed your epic blog post the first time around have a chance of seeing it for round two. It’s a second chance at content promotion.
- Boost Your SEO. Content in different formats on the same topic provides additional opportunities to target desired keyword phrases. Repurposed content outside your site can create backlinks to your site, boosting SEO.
- Reinforce your message. Repetition can be an essential part of sending a message that sinks in. Marketing’s Rule of 7 states that buyers need to hear your message seven times before they’ll close the deal. Repurposing goes a long ways toward reaching this quota.
- Gain extra authority. Publishing quality content in a variety of places on a single topic can help raise your profile in the industry and teach others to regard you as an expert. Quality content published across different mediums can raise your profile in the industry, helping you gain extra authority as an expert.
How to choose what content to repurpose
There are a number of places you can find content to repurpose, and it doesn’t always have to be your own. Turning a Quora question into a separate blog post is a good example.
However, when looking at your own content, there two things to look for when deciding whether a specific piece is worth repurposing:
Find your evergreen content
Evergreen content is always relevant, regardless of how much time goes by. It’s usually on a topic that will continually be searched and receive a genuine interest from your audience. It does not include fad topics or time-based information (like a Google algorithm change from 2012).
When deciding which of your content to repurpose, you should use only your evergreen content. This way, you know that your efforts will pay dividends for years to come.
Use your most popular content
Another way to find content that is worth repurposing is by looking at your most popular content.
- What has resonated with your audience the most?
- Which piece was shared the most on Facebook or Twitter?
- Which piece receives the most monthly traffic?
- Which of your videos has received the most views on YouTube?
Narrow down your top performing blog posts and videos by traffic, shares, and even comments (this will tell you how this piece has been perceived by your audience). Any piece with a high number in any of these areas is a good place to start.
How to repurpose your content (examples)
1. Turn a blog post into an ebook/guide or vice versa
The first idea on this list is to turn a blog post, or list of posts, into an ebook or downloadable guide. For example, say you wrote an article on each of the following topics:
Each of these topics are a subtopic of SEO. You could combine each of these topics into one in-depth ebook that you can then promote across your blog.
Is there a topic you cover frequently? Any collection of blogs on a topic can be repackaged into a guide or eBook on the subject.
A digital marketing provider may have blogs on Creating a Facebook Group, Marketing to a Facebook Group, Making Money with Your Facebook Group, How to Advertise to Facebook Groups, and Choosing Between Facebook Groups or Pages. They can collect these blogs into a comprehensive guide or eBook called “Everything You Need to Know to Build Your Business with Facebook Groups.”
Creating the guide or eBook is also an opportunity to update the blogs with new information.
2. Turn a blog article into an infographic
If you have a blog post or report with content that could be shown visually (like statistics), creating an infographic is another way to reformat that content.
You don’t need to hire a graphic designer to create one either. Tools like Canva, Piktochart, and Venngage all have drag-and-drop builders and templates that enable you to design an infographic on your own.
3. Turn a blog article or web page into a short video
Again, if you have a lengthy post or a resource page (like a glossary), you can break sections of that page down into short videos to then publish on YouTube.
4. Convert Internal Data to Case Studies
People appreciate proof that your product or service gets results. Shoppers love stories, and data builds trust.
When you have results that look great – share them! Data makes the basis for a compelling case study that will help shoppers trust your company.
5. Promote Blog Posts in Your Newsletter
If you have a list of solid email subscribers, don’t assume they see every blog you publish. To maximize the reach of your blog posts, consider promoting them in a weekly newsletter.
You can also revive old, popular posts by reformatting them into newsletters.
6. Select Popular Blog Posts for Podcast Topics
Unlike blogs and videos, podcasts are easy to consume on the go. People can listen in the car, on public transport, or at the gym.
If you and your team don’t feel confident recording podcasts, you can hire voice talent to record them for you. Start with a catchy intro and conclude with a call-to-action and position your company as an expert to a whole new audience.
7. Add YouTube Videos to Your Blog Posts
Starting your blog posts with an embedded video engages audiences who prefer visual learning. It also can boost your SEO. People love videos! Each month, 85% of all internet users watch video content on one of their devices.
For social media platforms, YouTube is second only to Facebook in its number of users. It is also a powerful SEO engine. Many people will still read the blog, but having a video at the top makes your content available across more than one platform.
8. Convert Interviews into Expert Advice eBooks
People love to hear from experts! They have stories and experiences to share. Interviews are easy to conduct, and they engage your audience. Often, the people you interview have their own audience, which expands your content’s reach.
You can use interviews for blog posts, podcasts, or videos. If you interview a few people on the same or related topics, the collection can make an outstanding expert advice eBook.
Your eBook is easy to download and read as people have time. It makes all of the interviews available to those who missed them the first time around.
9. Share Statistics as Twitter Posts
Want to get more leverage out of compelling statistics? Interesting facts and data about your company or industry make sharable Twitter posts.
You can also highlight statistics inside your post by turning them into individual tweetable elements. Add a click-to-tweet link to a statistic or create a Twitter-friendly image displaying exciting data.
10. Use Webinar or Livestream Content to Create Online Courses
Online courses effectively collect content into an easy-to-consume format that customers can absorb over time. Whether in blog posts, webinars, or live stream content, any topic cluster is a good source for online courses.
Online courses show off your business’ expertise and provide extra value.
Common methods of repurposing content
How do marketers repurpose their content? Depending on the original format (e.g., a blog post, a video, a podcast), there are many ways to recycle content in a fresh medium.
We asked marketers about the methods they personally use to repurpose content. This brought up interesting responses:
- The majority, 69%, of marketers reused content by turning it into an infographic
- 65% packaged content into videos and social media posts
- 52% repurposed content by publishing it on guest sites
- 46% said they turned content into another medium (e.g., repurposed a video into a blog post)
- 27% also adapted content into PDF format
- 23% packaged content into a podcast or an ebook
- 15% repurposed content into webinars and sideshows
- 13% reused content by sharing it as a Quora answer
Best Methods to Create Better Content Than Your Competitors
If you are sprucing up old articles or creating content to repurpose, here are four strategies to take the lead in your industry.
- Check your competitor’s content on the subject and include everything they include, plus more
- Add images, videos, and infographics
- Instead of appealing to a general audience, target specific niches with the same topic
- Get creative and strategic with a unique slant or approach to the topic
Wrapping up
Whether you are creating content with repurposing in mind or looking to mine what you’ve already got to expand your reach, using the same content across multiple formats saves time and effort while delivering your message to more people.
Any popular post, outstanding review, interesting static, or often-asked question provides an opportunity to deliver value to your customers. Build relationships through quality content.
But keep in mind: It’s not about simply copying and pasting. Reusing content is all about taking a unique angle and repackaging your content as per a platform’s unique requirements.
So what are you waiting for? Try out these expert tips to make the most of your content in no time.
Ready to Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Website?
Now that you have these tactics in your toolbox, you should be able to put together a simple strategy for getting more people to your site. Remember, though, that this isn’t a one-off exercise, nor do you have to try everything at once or use only one tactic at a time.
Try something. See if it works. If it fails, stick at it a little longer but bring something else into your roster. Most importantly, make sure the technical aspects of your site are running smoothly — if you need targeted audience, for example, we’ve got plans to suit any budget!
