Creating fresh content is one of the most important things a business can do to increase brand visibility, engage customers, and support higher conversion rates.
That doesn’t mean, however, that your previously-written content can’t continue to work hard for you long after it’s initially posted.
More and more companies that outsource content creation are discovering the value in reframing, reposting, and restructuring content to get the biggest bang for their proverbial budget buck.
Here’s how you can make your own existing content stretch further:
Perform a Content Audit
Teaching old content to do new tricks won’t work if you don’t know what you already have in your arsenal.
Take some time and determine what content you have at your disposal as well as which pieces garnered the most interest.
The highest traffic, the most social media shares, the best conversion rates – use whichever metric or combination of metrics that has the biggest positive impact for your company.
Note that audits are the perfect time to set up rules for future content structure. Naming conventions for URLs for example, work best for ongoing “refreshes” if dates aren’t included.
Instructing your content writers to aim for “evergreen” status is also an excellent move, as this will give you even more flexibility to revisit and/or update that post subject in the future.
Determine How You’ll Revisit Content
Just as consistency is important in original posting schedules, it should be a key feature of revisited content.
Creating a “greatest hits” post at the same time each week, will emphasize to your readers that your blog has longevity and a wide variety of both new and seasoned content to browse.
It opens an acceptable window to look into the past and takes a little pressure off of what is likely a demanding content future.
News in any industry has its slow periods, and if you commit to an aggressive posting schedule without the organic subject matter you need to build on, your posts may come off as repetitive or insubstantial.
Here are a few popular choices for refreshing existing content:
- Updates: are the technical specs, data, or innovations mentioned in your original post still relevant? Could a short blurb or update be added to bring that content to current day? Writing an update is shorter and easier than writing a fresh post!
- Rewrites: Do you have a secondary posting opportunity or content platform available? Work with your seasoned content creator to preserve the intent and ideas of an original post while restructuring it into fresh, organic content. If you’re able to secure a guest post on an industry blog, this is an excellent, low-stress technique. Depending on the blog or company hosting your guest post, an internal link to their content or site can even be included in the rewritten content as a nod to collaboration.
- How-To / Quoting: When outsourcing content creation, you can request that your writer add a quote or blurb from a previous blog post to support new points, or help with a how-to guide. This has the added benefit of further positioning your company as an authority on the subject.
Remember, its important to treat your content as an ongoing asset, not a consumable resource.
With a little TLC and a content creation specialist in your corner, the posts you make today could continue to buoy interest in your company for years to come.
It’s time to look at your older content with a discerning eye: chances are there’s conversion-boosting treasure just waiting to be unearthed.
Delany M is a seasoned blogger who creates new content for WriterAccess clients and staff! See how outsourcing your content creation can draw more eyes to your website.
