Repurposing Your Content For New Media

Don't let good content go to waste. Columnist Jordan Kasteler tells you how to take your most popular content and breathe new life into it on a different platform.

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I know what you’re thinking: Doesn’t repurposing old content go against all content marketing advice?

You’re right to be concerned. Google punishes duplicate content heavily. It’s one of the biggest no-nos in SEO and online marketing.

But repurposing old content is a little different. It involves breaking up existing content and putting it into a new format — for example, turning videos into podcasts or turning blog posts into ebooks.

It’s a noisy world out there. Much of what you’re saying has already been said. Trying to continuously produce fresh, new, 100 percent unique content over and over is exhausting.

This strategy breathes new life into your content, letting you cast a wider net on multiple marketing channels. It’s ideal if you’re keen on:

  • Reaching new audiences.
  • Putting your best work in the spotlight.
  • Getting more bang for your marketing buck.

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this work for your business.

Repurposing Your Content For New Media

What Content Should You Use?

The first step is finding the perfect content to repurpose. There are three main types of content you’ve produced that will work especially well for repurposing.

  1. Your most popular content.

These are the posts, interviews or webinars that drove the most traffic to your website. They’re also the ones that got the best feedback from your audience.

  1. The content with the most engagement.

This is the content that struck a chord with your audience. It’s the pot-stirring opinion pieces you put out that sparked a reaction.

Look at the content with the most shares, likes, comments and interaction. Those are the ones your audience wants to see more of from you.

Finding the content with the most engagement might not be as easy as it seems. I use a tool called Social Crawlytics to uncover my most shared posts. This is a free tool that allows you to pull up the URLs that saw the most engagement on your website. It’s fast, free and simple to use.

  1. Evergreen content.

Your brand probably has some content that never seems to change. No matter how many years ago you produced it, the subject matter remains relevant. It’s evergreen and can easily be repurposed into another helpful piece of information for your audience.

How To Repurpose Content In A Smart Way

With the content in hand, now it’s time to start the reworking process. No matter what type of content you chose — video, blog post or podcast — you have the opportunity to turn it into something new, unique and compelling.

Here are seven ideas to get you started.

  1. Turn webinars into short videos.

After a webinar, you have a rather long (usually one-hour) video of your most recent brain dump. This video contains nuggets of helpful information that can be reused for other marketing purposes.

Instead of letting your webinar only hit home one time, split it up into bite-sized clips. There’s plenty of technology to help. For example, Filmora is a video editing tool that seamlessly lets you split up your long videos.

Once you have your bite-sized clips, put them on YouTube. Optimize them with titles such as “How to…” or “XYZ Guide to…”

You’ll get more exposure from audiences looking for the exact information you’re providing. You can also add these videos directly to your website for your customers to use as a resource.

  1. Combine old blog posts into guides.

Typically, blog posts have a narrow focus. They offer quick and dirty guides and information about specific aspects of your product.

Merge several of these blog posts together, and you’ll have a lengthy, informative, helpful guide. All you need to do then is slap on an introduction and conclusion, and you have the makings of your next lead magnet or product to sell.

It’s simple. It’s easy. And it immediately makes your brand look like a bigger thought leader in your industry.

  1. Use statistics as social media posts.

Did you put together a blog post stuffed with statistics and compelling information? Pull those statistics out and use them as quick social media posts.

Statistics are eye-catching. They tell a story while establishing your credibility. Use them to back your point on social media, then redirect your audience to your blog post.

Want to enhance your exposure even more? Use Canva or ShareAsImage to create social media friendly graphics. These will give your statistics new life.

  1. Turn blog posts into an email series.

Want to grow your list? Offer a free, informative email series by repurposing your old blog posts and turning them into a mini e-course.

People new to your website haven’t read everything you’ve written. They won’t see some of your best work unless you put it front and center. An email series is a fantastic way to do this.

Creating your email series is simple. Using email marketing tools, such as MailChimp or Emma, you can create an auto-responder for a specific list.

Make small tweaks to each of your blog posts to turn them into an email format. Then, schedule them to send out one day apart to create your very own mini e-course.

  1. Make your video into a podcast.

Without question, podcasts are some of the hottest content marketing tools today. People are listening to more podcasts while driving, walking the dog or out for a run.

If you have fun, entertaining evergreen videos buried on your YouTube channel, turn them into a podcast for your audience.

There are a few tools out there that let you do this quickly and easily. One of my favorites is YTPodcaster.

To do this, download the app through the website, install it, and then go back to the website. Type in your YouTube username and click “Get It.” iTunes will then open, and you’ll have your videos in podcast format. Sync them with your Podcast channel, and you’re set.

  1. Create an expert advice e-book out of podcast interviews.

If your podcast is like so many others out there, you probably interview experts from time to time. These expert interviews are gold.

People love to hear from big names and successful people. However, not everyone listens to podcasts. To reach a wider audience, turn your podcast interviews into a downloadable ebook. With the promise to receive expert advice, your audience will happily hand over their email address (or in some cases, their money) to see what you’ve put together.

  1. Turn blog posts into an infographic.

Infographics aren’t anything new. These informational images remain one of the hottest forms of content online. However, they have evolved.

Data visualization company Column Five put together their own infographic to show how this popular tool is changing for the better. They cite three main trends that are driving new ways of storytelling:

  1. Modular design. This means breaking down infographics into smaller sections to be viewed all together or individually.
  1. Storytelling. Infographics can also be used as a guide on a Web page. Brands control the story being told through imagery and compelling copy.
  1. Divisible content. Infographics will soon be the repurposed into other forms of content, such as blog posts or presentations. By being able to divide up your infographic, you can add sections of it to new forms of content, expanding your reach.

What’s Next?

Repurposing is a smart way to revitalize your most popular content. Maximize the reach of your best stuff by turning it into something new and exciting on a new platform.

Your loyal fans will love the refresher in a new medium. You’ll attract new audiences and build your brand faster with this smart content marketing approach.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Jordan Kasteler
Contributor
Jordan Kasteler is the SEO Director of Hennessey Consulting. His work experience ranges from co-founding BlueGlass Interactive, in-house SEO at Overstock.com, marketing strategy at PETA, and agency-level SEO & marketing. Jordan is also an international conference speaker, columnist, and book author of A to Z: Social Media Marketing.

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