Is Content Creation Driving You Crazy?
As content developers, we certainly get how challenging it can be – to create new, valuable and relevant content almost every single day in a world where people are already bombarded with an influx of information and data.
But it really doesn’t have to be that difficult. There is a way to create high engagement and traffic to your website and social media through the use of what they call repurposed content.
Repurposed content pretty much is what it sounds like: when you take a piece of content and change it to serve a different purpose.
According to HubSpot, “When you repurpose a piece of content […] you’re doing one of two things (or both): changing the format of the content, and/or changing the target audience for the content.”
The first step is, with the help of analytics, find a piece of content you published in the past that generated an increased amount of consumer interest. It can be the most viewed video you posted on your Facebook, a testimonial of what your customers are saying about you on their social media, or a blog post on your website.
Depending on the type of content you have, there are several ways to go about repurposing it:
1. Repost Same Content Using a Different Message – Take a header or an excerpt that reflects one of the main ideas expressed in the original copy and choose a relevant accompanying image. If the source of the repurposed content is a video, you can get creative and make a GIF. You can leave a quote on the photo or GIF, or leave it as it is. Add a link.
Here’s what Forbes tends to do with their articles. They repost the same article at least 8 times focusing on a different idea in each one of them.
Source: Forbes LinkedIn
When it comes to videos, TEDx uses a great approach to attract Facebook users’ attention by posting a short clip as a teaser for their usually lengthy inspirational talks. You can do the same with the video of your CEO or executive speaking at an event or any other video where you can break apart into smaller pieces and repurpose with a different message and/or for a different audience.
2. Create Infographics – A visual representation of data is much more easily digestable by consumers and is more prone to being shared across different platforms. There are also many websites, such as Canva, that offer ready-made templates for crafting appealing infographics without the need of installing a graphic design software.
Source: BlueGlass
3. Share behind-the-scenes footage or a case study. We all know the power o f video. Use snippets of videos you already have or film behind-the-scenes of a project you are working on. This method works for businesses that offer B2B services and can use testiomonials and deliverables from different projects. For example, use a past case study to write an educational/informative blog sharing key takeaways from the completion of that project. Or make a compilation of best practices on a particular service you offer with a common theme to share on social media.
4. Transform the article into a video or slideshow and vice versa. Extract the keywords and main ideas expressed in the original content and create slides on Slideshare, which has currently become one of the most important B2B social networks. You can easily add the presentation to your LinkedIn profile afterwards. Or use visual aids and animation to explain the same issue in a much more engaging and user interest generating video. Powtoon is one of many tools out there that can be applied here in case your company does not have an in-house designer.
Source: Socedo
5. Make a roundup post or e-book.
In case you reach a point where you are truly out of ideas and the content you have may not be easily transformed into other formats, there is nothing simpler than collecting the articles or videos you already have and giving them another shout-out in the form of a list (i.e. “How to…” or “Best… of 2019”) or an e-book.
Many people like to save things for later and read offline; therefore, an e-book is a great way to create downloadable content that can be accessed at any time and boost brand awareness.
Use any of these suggested methods and content marketing will soon become manageable, and most importantly effective.
Remember, your old content does have value. Repurposing it and giving it a lease on life will not only save you valuable time, but will also deliver valuable insights to your audience, making your content marketing strategy easier and stronger across all your marketing platforms.
by Agnese Zimele,
Blogger and Marketing Assistant