You may be part of a well-oiled content marketing machine, but no content campaign is without its flaws. Maybe you had a few pieces that didn’t quite match your expectations, or perhaps you’re simply out of ideas. It happens. It’s possible that your blog content writers may need a little change of direction to help your content reach its potential. And you might just find that spark by taking a look at the past.
Repurposing content marketing isn’t lazy, nor is it an easy way out. It’s a phenomenal way to provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of readers, with a minimal amount of effort required on your part.
What is Repurposing?
It’s natural to initially dismiss repurposing because of the connotations of the name. However, repurposing doesn’t mean reposting an exact copy of an old piece. Instead, repurposing gives you the ability to build on something that was good, but may not have totally hit the mark.
Repurposing gives you the ability to flesh out the flaws in prior work, making it better than ever. This is especially true with pieces that didn’t draw a lot of attention for whatever reason. All you have to do is spruce it up, give it a nice new shine, and unveil it to your audience. Since so few people saw the initial post, they won’t notice any duplicate content. Meanwhile, those who have never seen the material will be blown away.
Repurposing Best Practices
There are many ways you can use repurposing to your advantages. Here are some suggestions to help get you started.
- Converting an existing article into a list-based article is a great way to give new life to an already solid piece.
- Breaking down one piece into several relevant articles can expand your reach and add credibility to your organization’s reputation.
- Adding to an older article or list not only gives you a brand new piece of content with very little work, but it shows readers that you’re the first to act on emerging trends.
- Using different marketing channels can help you to gain massive exposure with just one piece of content. For instance, words spoken during a YouTube video could be used as the text for an article on your website.
Does it Work?
One of the best things about repurposing content is that it’s not branded as such. All readers care about is getting the information they need, when they need it. They’re not concerned about the origins of that work. And even if they did notice similarities to other content, they’re happy to have all of their relevant information in one source.
Besides, if there’s one thing we’ve learned in recent years, it’s that people don’t mind familiarity as long as they’re getting something out of it. Of the six highest grossing movies released in 2015, five are remakes or sequels. Clearly, those moviegoers didn’t mind seeing something they’ve already seen. They were just happy to be entertained in a unique and creative way. And that’s what you should have in mind as you approach your content.
Someone who’s just learning about your company will always judge you by what benefit they can receive right now from your content. It doesn’t matter if you have to occasionally refresh an old article to make that happen. Your only goal should be to deliver the best content possible. Repurposing goes a long way towards helping you do just that.
Writer Bio: Bryan B is a freelance writer based in Long Island, NY. He did not repurpose any of this piece.
