Repurposing is the practice of using something for a goal other than its original one.
Repurposing anything involves either changing it to fit a new application or utilizing it in its original form. The custom doesn’t just apply to tangible objects.
Repurposing content and other content marketing material is typical practice.
Instead of coming up with brand-new visuals for a new campaign, a marketing company can repurpose content by utilizing content from an earlier, successful advertising campaign.
Here are 25 creative ways to repurpose content for the best results.
What Does It Mean to Repurpose Content?
Repurposing gives you the ability to build on something that was good, but may not have totally hit the mark or refresh an old piece of content.
Things change, and users don’t want to use old material. Have you ever searched for an article to post or reference, only to say “hmmm…this is what I need, but it’s from 2011!” And then you keep searching, only to choose your runner-up choice that isn’t quite as perfect for your needs because it was written within the past year.
There is a kind of unspoken expiration date on content. It’s not that no one will use or reference the article, but the value of it drops significantly after a year or two. And that expiration date depends a lot on the type of content.
What Kind of Content Might Need Repurposing?
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’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.
Any type of old content might be a good candidate for repurposing. Think about COVID-19 updates—are you still sharing any medical articles that were written in March of 2020?
Here is something that would have been relevant back when Facebook was still a novelty:
But Facebook currently has over 3 billion active users each month. The article also has a broken image link and puts likes in quotes because the term is new and still feels grammatically strange to him.
Yet, the title and probably some of the tips aren’t actually wrong. It’s just way past the expiration date. And who is really using it, except for a marketer who is purposely rounding up outdated content examples?
A lot of brands are doing this—they either leave old content to mold on the site or delete it, leaving broken links and wasted effort in their wake. You could be wasting some of your best content.
What is the Benefit of Repurposing Content?
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.
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 toward helping you do just that.
- You can save time by using previously published material again or by designing new content with repurposing in mind.
- You may already have the data to help you identify high-performing bits of content to reshape and redistribute.
- Search engine crawlers will often view you as an authoritative source when you have a number of articles focused on closely related targeted keywords.
- You’ll provide your readers with relevant information in a variety of formats.
- Reusing content enables you to quickly scale in content volume and audience size.
What is the Difference Between Repurposing and Plagiarizing?
Plagiarism in all forms is wrong. Whether it’s plagiarizing from another source or self-plagiarism, this practice only hurts the one who is plagiarizing.
It’s not only unfair to the original content creator but it is frowned upon by Google, which penalizes sites that use plagiarized content.
Repurposing, on the other hand, isn’t copying content.
Repurposing involves taking existing content and either adding to it or changing it materially, or putting it into a different format for public consumption.
How do You Repurpose Content?
Repurposing content entails employing one piece of content in many places or in alternative forms.
Start by looking at your stats if you want to repurpose current content for several platforms.
Keep in mind what has been successful and come up with ideas for new methods to provide the same material to your various target groups.
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 also 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.
If you believe there is no way to reuse the content you already have or will have, then take some inspiration from the following ideas.
30 Ways to Repurpose Content with Examples
Content is incredibly versatile by its very nature. Get creative, and experiment with the easiest transformative methods for your existing content first. You’ll be surprised at how much additional mileage has to offer!
1. Convert it to a script for voiceovers and closed-captioned videos
The “media” part of social media gets woefully neglected – blogs and landing pages are essential, but not every one of your potential customers enjoys reading, particularly if they’re pressed for time.
Instead, try to restructure the format of your content, using sub-headers as talking points or simply reading the article outright as a voiceover to videos showing appropriate work, prep, or views of your products.
Connecting time signatures on the voiceover and video will also allow you to upload the article as a closed-captioning script, making your videos – and already-written content – accessible to the deaf community and hard-of-hearing viewers.
2. Offer it to customers as an eBook download
Free offers always capture attention, so repackaging something that you already own, and have already paid for, creates a tidy win-win situation.
Isolate a landing page and paste it into a sales sheet or digital brochure copy with the initial article and offer it as a limited-time free offer.
You’ll get contact information for warm leads, your customers will feel they have bought-in value when it comes to your products, and you’ll be able to get additional usage out of content that would otherwise end up on the visual back burner as time stretched on.
3. New content linkbacks
Building authority is an uphill battle in the age of the Google search, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t attempt to stay topical. Whenever you have new content written, direct your freelance writer to touch on a previous subject that you already have content on and link back to that post.
This will help support traffic for both content pieces and keep older content relevant with no expensive fanfare or hyperbolic banner ads required.
4. Include it on the customer onboarding
Sending out a welcome email? Why not flesh it out with a little cut-and-paste (or better yet, a link to track traffic) straight from your existing content? You can even make mention of the source in your welcome message, and encourage your readers to “click through to read the rest” with a truncated passage at the end of the email.
You’ll be familiarizing them with the concept of turning to your pages and blog for answers in your expert subject matter and starting your relationship off on the right foot.
5. Spice up email campaigns
Weekly or monthly email newsletters are an excellent way to stay relevant and at the forefront of your customer’s minds, but filling them with content can be a challenge.
Using old blog posts is an excellent way to take the effort out of the process, allowing you to effectively ‘repackage’ existing articles and posts into a fresh new format. Unlike the normal “rules” of content, the older the better for this application. if you’re anxious to optimize your content, remember that means
6. Link from product/service pages
Your product pages are a rich, interactive platform to entice your customers – but only if they’re filled with content to enrich their buying experience.
While product descriptions pique interest, linking or including content helps your brand establish authority in the marketplace and helps buyers on the fence hop down – right into your checkout flow.
7. Turn it into a Landing Page
The humble A/B test can tell you a great deal – about your customers, about your company, and about the success of your various products. The most definitive pathways start with a targeted landing page, which is easy to flesh out when you lean on existing content.
Simply mix it up with a few well-defined “buy now” or “click here” buttons or banners, and you’re well on your way to determining the best way to capture attention and a higher volume of sales.
8. Offer a Udemy Course
If your content is long enough, consider expanding it even more and turning it into an online mini-course on Udemy or another course platform.
9. Turn it Into a Slide Presentation
Since you’re only putting your blog content in presentation form, this is one of the simpler methods to reuse it.
10. Create an Infographic
If your blog post contains a lot of data, facts, or stats, it might make an interesting infographic.
11. Source Authority Quotes
Does your content contain leadership quotes? If so, you could extract those and then design social media posts with them.
12. Record a Podcast
Record a podcast episode based on the content. Add lots of chatter around the content to make it less like you’re repeating a blog post.
13. Edit Stock Images
Stock images are often boring, but if you take old stock photos and make interesting edits, this is a form of content repurposing that can have great results.
14. Post Video Content Snippets
Make little videos from old content videos that you already have. Post them as Reels on Facebook or Instagram Shorts.
15. Post Video Outtakes
Scroll through your scrapped videos and repurpose the good stuff into fun or interesting video outtakes to post on YouTube or on your site.
16. Post Transcripts
If you have podcasts or webinars, you can repurpose that content into text transcripts.
17. Convert YouTube Videos Into Blog Posts
You can also turn video transcripts into blog posts by adding formatting and related content.
18. Make Videos From Podcasts
Whenever you record a new podcast episode, make a video of it as it happens. Then you can post the podcast video online.
19. Embed Podcasts
Repurpose podcasts by embedding them in whole or part thereof in your blog posts.
20. Update Older Content
Review older content that has performed well and repurpose it by updating it and adding new information.
21. Turn Testimonials Into Social Media Posts
Do some designing and use your testimonials as attractive social media posts.
22. Make a Drip Campaign
Use older blog posts as content for an email drip campaign.
23. Make a Demo
Turn a demo into a lead magnet.
24. Convert an Infographic
Turn an existing infographic into a listicle blog.
25. Make a Quiz
Convert an infographic into a quiz.
26. Repurpose Customer Service Questions
Make an FAQ page on your website from questions that your customer service team has been asked.
27. Repurpose Facts From Blog Posts
Make little “Did You Know” sideboards for your website from information from old blog posts.
28. Make a Newsletter
Use an old blog post to make a newsletter.
29. Do a Press Release
Turn a blog post into a press release
30. Bundle Blog Posts
Gather your best-performing blog posts and make an e-book out of them.
There are countless ways to repurpose content so it continues to work for your marketing goals.
Let the experts take care of repurposing your content. From creating listicles to writing press releases, you can outsource all of these content types with the help of freelance writers at WriterAccess.
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