Running a business is a multifaceted job that can spread you thin regarding time and resources. If you’re doing the job right, your business should be growing in some capacity. That growth can often come at a cost: sacrificing attention and effort to areas that may not be as glamorous as others.
Thankfully, there are many different ways to ensure you’re putting your time and resources in the best place possible.
My favorite is content repurposing. It’s the best way to multiply your message, be cohesive and consistent with your content, and massively increase your visibility.
What Is Content Repurposing?
Content repurposing is a way to leverage existing content to present it in a fresh new light. By taking that blog post you wrote on your website and making an infographic out of it so you can publish it on Pinterest, for example, you’re essentially giving yourself two pieces of new content from what would have been one.
You could also use existing content like eBooks, videos, or presentations and turn them into slideshows (for SlideShare) or whitepapers (for sending out to clients).
The benefits of content repurposing are plentiful. For starters, you get more mileage out of your existing content. Instead of just having one piece on the blog that gets 1,000 views over six months, you could take that one blog post, turn it into a podcast, video, eBook, etc., and get closer to reaching an audience you might not have otherwise reached.
- What is your purpose?
When deciding what content to repurpose and how to do it well, it’s essential to understand why you are creating this piece of content.
If the goal of your business is to educate your audience, then you want to leverage that content for new audiences that may not be familiar with the subject matter.
If the goal of your content is to drive more leads on your website (and ultimately more conversions), you can take that same piece and repurpose it as a guest post for other popular blogging platforms.
Having a clear sense of the purpose of your repurposed content will help you know how to make it effective and what medium to use.
- Audit Your Existing Content
Before repurposing your content, it’s important to audit your current resources. Looking at the content you have already created for your ideal client will help you discover what gaps you need to fill with your new content.
You can also find content that needs just a little tweaking or updating to reach your ideal audience. It’s also an excellent way to generate some fresh ideas for content that may otherwise have been overlooked or not thought about yet.
- Repurpose High-Performing Content
Keeping tabs on your analytics is crucial for many aspects of your business, and your content interaction is no different. By paying attention to the content that’s performing well (e.g., getting shared on social, linked to by other websites, etc.), you can repurpose similar content using the same messaging and build off of the success you’ve already seen.
The best part about this is that it’s a low-risk move for your business. Instead of investing tons of time and resources into developing something new, you can take the content you’ve already got and make it work for you again (and again).
The key here is not to be afraid of your past successes. After all, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!
Bottom Line
Make the most of your existing content by repurposing it for different audiences and channels. This can help bring some freshness to older pieces, but it’s also a great way to introduce new messaging without developing something brand new.
By taking high-performing content and leveraging it for new channels, you’re reaching a broader audience than you would have otherwise. With repurposing, the possibilities for growth are endless.