Once upon a time, replacing old for new was considered wasteful. Instead, our ancestors would mend, reuse, repurpose and recycle to get the maximum life out of everything possible and save for a rainy day.
Then everything became cheaper and more accessible, and soon it was out with the old and in with the new.
Somehow, that sentiment became attached to the idea of repurposing content.
If you’re like a lot of people, you probably slave away on regular fresh new content
and avoid repurposing like the plague. If so, you’re missing a trick.
Not convinced? Let’s take a look at some of the top content repurposing myths.
Myth #1 It makes you sound repetitive, and people will stop following you
First of all, repurposing isn’t writing the same thing by rearranging the words. That would indeed be repetitive and a turn-off to your followers.
But what if you turned your blog post into a YouTube video? That would attract a whole new audience. Or how about a Facebook Live where followers could ask questions, and you could go into more detail about that post?
Far from losing followers, repurposing content in different formats will expand your reach and attract more followers.
Some people are turned off by long-form content, at least initially. By repurposing content on short-form platforms like Instagram or Twitter could catch the eye of a whole new audience who become intrigued enough to read your original content.
Pose a killer question or make an outrageous statement that is at the heart of your new content, and you’ll gain followers, not lose them.
Myth #2 It takes more time
More time than writing fresh content?
Think about it. What’s more efficient than taking an idea you’ve already spent time developing and using it in different ways?
For example, you could extend original content into a series of articles, podcasts, or videos. The original content can provide the structure for several pieces of content.
Alternatively, you could save significant time by theming months, using fresh content at the start, and repurposing as the month progresses. If that initial content is detailed and packed with all the information that followers value, repurposing allows you to market that high-value post differently.
Bite-size take-home info, listicles, Q&A, the list is almost endless, and all of it can come from content that’s repurposed.
As long as you have a system for tracking CTAs, topics, and themes, repurposing will be much more efficient and time-saving than trying to write something completely new several times a week.
Myth #3 It’s not as engaging as new content
Content can only engage people that see it.
If you want more engagement, you have to find your audience and interact with them, rather than hoping they’ll come and find you.
Posting new content to your core followers day after day is fine, but what if it’s not in a format other people like to engage with? Maybe they prefer to listen on their commute or get into a discussion on LinkedIn?
Taking your new content and repurposing it for different audiences increases engagement and establishes you as an authority in your field to more people, particularly if you encourage debate and discussion.
For instance, you could take the one stellar piece of content and invite a relevant guest to talk about it on your podcast, or it could be the basis of a thought-provoking Tweet or Facebook post.
It’s essentially the same content, but you’re taking it to new audiences on different platforms: That’s real engagement.
Repurposing is a smart tool.
Far from being lazy, repurposing content offers more value to your followers and makes much better use of your time.
The core content may be similar, but with creativity, you can offer new angles, expand on your message and go into more detail simply by reusing content in different ways. There’s no better way to maximize the power of your thought leadership and expertise.
The truth is, our ancestors had the right idea.
Interested in learning more about repurposing?? Check out the Visibilty Insider Place.
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