Every company dreams of creating that one piece of content that takes the world by storm. They want to wake up one day and find out that their video suddenly has a million views and is blowing up the feeds of social media users everywhere. Of course, this rarely happens. Even when companies hire journalists, photographers and videographers, sometimes things just don’t go the way they were drawn up.
If this happens to you, it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. In fact, there may still be an audience for that very piece of content that was rejected en masse. You can turn a dud into a highly relevant piece, and you can do it more easily than you might think.
Repost It
There are certain times of the day that lend themselves to exposure on social media. For instance, statistics show that the best time to post on Facebook is weeknights between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM Eastern time. It’s very possible that people simply missed your post the first time around, whether because of timing or because Facebook’s wacky algorithms pushed your content to the bottom of the feeds of your followers.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying before – if you don’t succeed, try, try again. Try posting that same content in prime time, when you know people will be around to see what you have to say. You may find that people love your content this time around.
Retitle It
You may think you’ve struck gold with something you’ve written. And maybe you have. But if people don’t see it that way, you’ll never get the viral post you dreamed of having.
The good news is, you can fix that problem quite easily. Instead of giving your piece a vague title, use a bold title that grabs the attention of the viewer. “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Rich” is a much more compelling headline than “Tips for Saving Money”. You don’t have to stoop to clickbait tactics, but you can certainly spice things up and see how your audience responds.
Repurpose It
Sad as it is to say, not all content can be winners. But the same content that was once overlooked can become special if you put a new shine on it.
Repurposing content is a great way to get new life out of a concept that you know works. For instance, a blog post filled with numbers would make a great infographic. A well-written piece can be the soundtrack of a powerful video. You can even add to a piece you’ve written and create a white paper out of it. The possibilities are endless as long as you approach the situation with an open mind – and more importantly, as long as you don’t take your initial rejection personally.
Rejection on the Internet isn’t always what it seems to be. You very well could have a goldmine on your hands. It simply takes the right touch – and luck – to turn your work into the viral masterpiece you know it can be. Try changing things up a little and reposting your work at a time in which there are more people out there to receive your message. You may find your work reach popularity heights you never dreamed possible.
Bio: Bryan B is a freelance writer based in Long Island, NY. He has a master’s degree in Quality Management and a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. He also holds the Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification.
