Introduction
In the vast expanse of the digital age, content remains king. Yet, there’s an untapped kingdom in the piles of old content that content creators have amassed. It’s easy to forget the gems buried in the depths of our blogs or YouTube channels as we consistently strive to create fresh content. However, the art of repurposing content breathes new life into what you’ve already created, extending the reach of your original post and reinforcing your message across different platforms.
Why Repurpose Content?
The Multichannel Approach
Today’s digital landscape is no longer just about your blog post sitting comfortably on your website. It’s about that blog turning into a YouTube video, an infographic, or a series of engaging social media posts. It’s about being present, active, and visible across various platforms where your audience spends their time. This multichannel approach ensures that your valuable content reaches a wider audience, some of whom consume content differently.
Unveiling the Benefits
Repurposing content isn’t just a time-saver; it’s a strategic move in content marketing. By reshaping and redistributing existing content, you’re able to present your work to different audiences, thereby extending its lifespan and maximising your efforts. This approach is incredibly cost-effective, saving resources that would otherwise be spent creating content from scratch. Furthermore, it reinforces your message, giving your audience multiple interactions with your core content.
The Evergreen Content Factor
The internet never sleeps, and trends seem to change in the blink of an eye. However, certain topics are timeless, immune to the ebb and flow of online buzz. This evergreen content is a prime candidate for repurposing. By keeping your content updated and relevant, you ensure it continues to attract traffic, engage audiences, and rank well in search engine results.
Identifying Content Worth Repurposing
Navigating the extensive archive of content you’ve created over time might seem daunting. But, with a strategic approach, you can sift through your content and identify the pieces that hold the potential for repurposing. Here’s a guide to help you distinguish the gold from the glitter.
Analysing Popular Posts: Let the Analytics Lead the Way
Before diving into the mammoth task of repurposing, it’s essential to gauge where you should invest your energy. One reliable method is to delve into your analytics. Whether you’re using Google Analytics, a built-in tool from your blogging platform, or any other analytics software, the goal is the same: pinpoint the blog posts or content pieces that are performing exceptionally well.
Look out for articles with the highest traffic, lowest bounce rates, and most extended average session durations. These metrics often indicate that the content is resonating with your audience. Furthermore, don’t neglect older, high-performing posts. Even if they’ve lost some traction over time, they once drew in significant traffic, suggesting their topic or approach was of high value.
Recognising Evergreen Content: The Timeless Treasures
Evergreen content is a creator’s best friend. Unlike trend-driven topics that might lose relevance as time progresses, evergreen topics are perpetually in demand. These are the articles that continue to draw traffic, month after month, year after year, without significant promotional efforts.
The beauty of such content is its resistance to becoming outdated. Whether it’s a detailed guide on a fundamental topic, how-to articles, or foundational knowledge pieces, these posts remain relevant over extended periods. When considering repurposing content, evergreen topics should be on top of your list. They provide a steady stream of traffic and have proven their worth in terms of audience interest.
The Role of Feedback: Listen to Your Audience
While numbers can provide a lot of insights, they aren’t the only factor in deciding what content to repurpose. The feedback you receive from your audience is invaluable. Comments, shares, mentions on social media platforms, or even direct messages can serve as indicators of how a particular piece of content was received.
Remember that piece on ‘The Basics of Content Marketing’ where readers thanked you for the clarity, or that YouTube video tutorial that viewers found particularly useful? Those positive interactions are clear indicators of content that made an impact. Such posts are ripe for repurposing, given they’ve already struck a chord with your audience.
In conclusion, identifying content to repurpose isn’t a game of guesswork. By combining analytical insights with audience feedback and recognising the value of evergreen content, you can strategically select content that will offer the maximum return on your repurposing efforts.
Strategies for Repurposing Content
The process of repurposing is all about adapting and reshaping existing content to make it suitable for different platforms and audiences. When done correctly, a single piece of content can be moulded into various forms, each with the potential to tap into a different segment of your audience. Let’s delve into some effective strategies.
From Blog to Video: Speaking to the Visual Learners
YouTube and Other Video Platforms
With platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and even LinkedIn offering video capabilities, there’s a vast audience craving visual content. Here’s how you can transition from text to video:
- Storyboarding: Start by breaking down your long-form article into key points or sections. Each of these can represent a segment or scene in your video.
- Visual Elements: Incorporate graphics, animations, and relevant footage to make the video engaging and ensure it aligns with the content’s message.
- Narration: Use the original blog post as a script or create a condensed version for voice-over narration.
Refresh and Update: Staying in Tune with the Times
Blogs and Articles
The digital landscape is ever-evolving. What was relevant a year ago might now be outdated. Here’s how you can refresh your content:
- Current Data: Update any statistics or data points with the latest figures.
- Trending Topics: Integrate new trends or advancements related to the original post.
- SEO: Adjust the content based on current SEO best practices, ensuring it remains favourable for search engines.
Bite-Size Shares: Making Content Digestible
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Social media platforms are perfect for sharing bite-sized pieces of content. Here’s how:
- Graphics and Infographics: Turn data points or key facts from your content into visual graphics or infographics suitable for Instagram or Facebook posts.
- Quotes and Tips: Extract insightful quotes or tips and share them as individual posts, suitable for platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn.
- Stories & Reels: Use Instagram Stories or Reels to share short video clips or highlights from your content. This format is particularly engaging and offers a fresh perspective on older content.
Expanding the Discussion: Diving Deeper
Blogs and Podcasts
Sometimes, a topic deserves more than just a quick mention or a short post. In such cases, expansion is the way forward:
- Detailed Analysis: Take a previously brief mention of a concept and elaborate on it, providing readers with an in-depth understanding.
- Interviews: Convert a topic into a discussion by interviewing experts in the field. This can be shared as a longer blog post or even as a podcast episode.
- Case Studies: If your original post touched on a particular strategy or idea, present a real-world application of it in the form of a detailed case study.
Repurposing content isn’t merely about rehashing the old. It’s a strategic approach to content creation that ensures you get the maximum mileage out of every piece you produce. By tailoring your content for various platforms, you not only extend its lifespan but also enhance its reach and impact.
Platforms and Tools for Repurposing Content
Repurposing content effectively requires the right platforms for dissemination and the right tools for transformation. By understanding and leveraging these resources, you can ensure your content gets the attention it deserves, regardless of its format.
Comparing Blogging Platforms: From WordPress to Medium and Beyond
In today’s digital age, a multitude of blogging platforms exist, each with its unique strengths:
WordPress: Arguably the most popular platform, WordPress offers extensive customisation, plugins, and a vast community. It’s ideal for those wanting full control over their content’s presentation and SEO.
Medium: This platform is user-friendly, with a built-in audience keen on high-quality content. Medium’s minimalist design puts the focus squarely on the written word, making it a favourite among writers and readers alike.
Blogger: Owned by Google, Blogger is a free platform that integrates seamlessly with other Google services. While it might not offer as much customisation as WordPress, it’s straightforward and beginner-friendly.
Tools for Creating Content: Crafting, Converting, and Sharing
The right tool can make the process of repurposing both efficient and effective. Here are some notable mentions:
Canva: This online design platform is perfect for turning information from blogs into visually appealing graphics, infographics, or even presentations.
Anchor: If you’re venturing into podcasting, Anchor offers a free platform to record, edit, and distribute your episodes across various podcast directories.
Clipchamp: A browser-based video editing tool that’s great for creating video content out of existing blog posts or other forms of content.
Maximising SEO While Repurposing Content
Repurposing doesn’t mean ignoring SEO. In fact, it offers an opportunity to double down on optimisation efforts, ensuring that your content, old or new, continues to rank effectively.
The Role of the Search Engine: Keeping Content Visible and Viable
Optimised Headlines: Whether it’s for a video, podcast, or new blog post, always ensure your headlines are compelling and include target keywords.
Alt Text and Descriptions: If you’re repurposing content into images or videos, remember to include optimised alt text for images and meta descriptions for videos. This ensures search engines understand the content, aiding in better rankings.
Update and Maintain: Staying Relevant in a Dynamic Digital Landscape
Search engines value freshness. Even if you’re repurposing older content, it’s essential to:
Refresh Data: Make sure any statistics, facts, or data points are current.
Check Links: Ensure all internal and external links are working and lead to relevant pages. Broken links can harm SEO efforts.
Engage with Your Audience: Encourage comments, shares, and feedback. Regular engagement can indicate to search engines that your content is still relevant and valuable.
Repurposing is about reinvigorating and reintroducing your content. By using the right platforms, tools, and SEO strategies, you can give your older content a new lease of life and ensure it continues to drive engagement and conversions.
Case Study: A Success Story in Repurposing
Buffer’s Repurposing Strategy Pays Off
Buffer, a widely-used social media management tool, realised the potential of repurposing content a few years ago. Recognising the evolving trends and preferences of their audience, the team at Buffer decided to give their older, high-performing blog posts a fresh lease on life.
The Initial Challenge
Buffer’s blog had a vast library of articles that had been instrumental in building its community over the years. However, with the changing dynamics of content consumption, many of these posts weren’t getting the attention they once did. The challenge was to take this treasure trove of content and repackage it in a way that would appeal to their audience’s new preferences.
The Repurposing Strategy
From Blog to Podcast: Buffer started converting their top blog posts into podcast episodes. They would discuss the topics in these posts, often bringing in experts or team members for interviews.
Video Tutorials: Buffer took their how-to guides and transformed them into video content. This not only made the content more engaging but also allowed them to tap into platforms like YouTube.
Infographics and Visual Content: Recognising the power of visual content on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, Buffer converted data-heavy posts into easily digestible infographics.
The Results
Within months of implementing their repurposing strategy, Buffer saw a 120% increase in their blog traffic. Their YouTube channel subscribers skyrocketed, and their podcasts consistently made it to top marketing podcast charts.
Additionally, their infographics were widely shared on social media, leading to a significant increase in their Pinterest and Instagram followers.
The decision to repurpose wasn’t just about rejuvenating old content; it was about meeting their audience where they were and delivering value in the formats they preferred.
Conclusion: Embracing the Cycle of Content Creation
The digital landscape, vast and ever-evolving, beckons creators to adopt an adaptive, agile approach to content. It’s tempting to perceive content creation as a linear journey — where you craft a piece, share it, and then move on to the next. However, in reality, it’s far more cyclical and interconnected.
Understanding the Continual Process
Content doesn’t lose its value once it’s published. Its potential extends well beyond that first share or initial burst of engagement. The nature of digital consumption means that every piece you’ve created, every blog post, video, or social media post, can find new life and renewed purpose. It can be reshaped, updated, or redistributed to cater to new audiences or changing trends. This is the cycle of content creation – a dance of creation, sharing, repurposing, and revisiting.
Your Archive’s Untapped Potential
Within the depths of your content archives lies a wealth of opportunities. Every original post, every piece of content that resonated once, can do so again. By updating, repurposing, and rejuvenating these pieces, you not only maximise their value but also reaffirm your commitment to delivering high-quality content to your audience.
So, why wait? Dive deep into your content archives. Reflect on the impact of those popular posts from yesteryears. Recognise their potential in today’s context. By doing so, you embrace a holistic view of content creation, one that’s sustainable, efficient, and infinitely rewarding.
Embark on this rewarding journey. Give your content the chance to shine anew. After all, in the digital realm, old is not obsolete; it’s merely waiting for a fresh perspective.
Seems like good idea, nobody seems to talk about this, in the last marketing meetings nobody suggested this..