As a content marketer, you know that creating high-quality, engaging content is essential for attracting and retaining your target audience. However, consistently coming up with fresh ideas and producing new pieces from scratch can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. That‘s where content repurposing comes in.
Content repurposing is the practice of transforming existing content into new formats or updating it for different channels and audiences. By leveraging your best-performing pieces, you can maximize their value, reach new people, and drive better results with less effort.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into the benefits of repurposing content, share strategies for choosing the right pieces to repurpose, and provide inspiring examples and ideas you can apply to your own content marketing strategy. Let‘s get started!
Why Repurpose Content? The Top Benefits
Before we explore how to repurpose content effectively, let‘s first examine why it‘s such a powerful technique. Here are some of the top benefits:
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Extend the lifespan of your best content. According to a study by Buzzsumo, 50% of blog posts get 75% or more of their total shares in the first three days after publication. By repurposing high-performing pieces into new formats, you can continue driving traffic and engagement long after the initial buzz has faded.
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Reach new audiences and cater to different learning styles. People consume content in various ways – some prefer reading blog posts, while others enjoy watching videos or listening to podcasts. By diversifying your content formats, you can expand your reach and make your ideas accessible to a wider range of people.
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Reinforce your message and build authority. On average, prospects need to hear a message seven times before they take action. Repurposing allows you to deliver your key insights across multiple touchpoints, increasing the chances of them resonating with your audience. Plus, covering a topic comprehensively helps establish your brand as a go-to resource in your niche.
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Save time and fill your editorial calendar more efficiently. Coming up with new content ideas and creating original pieces from scratch can be time-consuming. By repurposing existing content, you can maintain a consistent publishing schedule without sacrificing quality or burning out your team.
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Boost SEO and drive more organic traffic. Creating optimized content in various formats gives you more opportunities to rank for target keywords and claim valuable search engine real estate. By linking repurposed pieces back to the original, you can also build internal links and signal the topical relevance of your site to search engines.
Now that we‘ve covered the why, let‘s explore the how. Here‘s a step-by-step process for choosing the right content to repurpose:
How to Choose the Right Content to Repurpose
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Identify your top-performing pieces. Dive into your analytics to determine which blog posts, videos, podcasts, or other content assets have generated the most traffic, engagement, and conversions. These are prime candidates for repurposing, as they‘ve already proven their value and resonance with your audience.
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Look for evergreen content. Prioritize repurposing timeless, evergreen content that will remain relevant and valuable to your audience for years to come. While newsjacking or covering trending topics can be effective in the short term, evergreen pieces tend to deliver more bang for your buck in the long run.
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Evaluate the depth and breadth of each piece. Comprehensive, in-depth content that covers a topic from multiple angles is ideal for repurposing. These "pillar" or "cornerstone" pieces can easily be broken down into bite-sized chunks or expanded upon in various formats.
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Consider alignment with business goals and audience needs. Choose content that aligns with your current marketing objectives and addresses your target audience‘s pain points, interests, and frequently asked questions. By focusing on topics that are both timely and relevant to your brand, you can maximize the impact of your repurposing efforts.
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Assess the repurposing potential of each piece. Not all content lends itself equally well to repurposing. Consider the format, structure, and information in each piece and brainstorm ways it could be transformed or built upon. Listicles, how-to guides, and data-driven posts tend to be especially versatile.
| Original Format | Repurposing Potential Score (1-5) | Repurposing Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form blog post | 5 | Break into a series of shorter posts, create an infographic, record a podcast episode |
| Webinar recording | 4 | Write a recap blog post, create social media graphics with key quotes, develop a worksheet or template |
| Customer case study | 3 | Develop a testimonial video, write a press release, create a SlideShare presentation |
| Data report | 5 | Design an infographic, write a blog post with key takeaways, host a webinar to discuss findings |
By systematically evaluating your content library and prioritizing pieces with the highest repurposing potential, you can create a focused, efficient plan for getting the most mileage out of your best work.
10 Creative Ideas for Repurposing Your Content
Now that you‘ve identified the content you want to repurpose, it‘s time to get creative. Here are 10 ideas to inspire your own repurposing efforts, along with real-world examples of brands that have executed them successfully:
- Transform a blog post into a podcast episode. Take a high-performing blog post and use it as the basis for an engaging podcast episode. Expand upon the key points, provide additional examples and anecdotes, and invite guest experts to share their insights.
Example: The team at Buffer turned their blog post on remote work into a podcast episode, featuring interviews with remote workers and leaders from various industries.
- Create a video series from a how-to guide. Break down a comprehensive tutorial or guide into a series of shorter, actionable video lessons. Demonstrate each step visually and provide clear, concise instructions that viewers can easily follow along with.
Example: HubSpot repurposed their ultimate guide to Instagram marketing into a series of short, snackable videos optimized for social media.
- Design an infographic from a data-heavy post. Take a blog post or report that‘s packed with statistics and key findings and distill it into a visually appealing infographic. Use charts, graphs, and icons to make the data more digestible and shareable.
Example: Orbit Media Studios created an infographic based on their annual blogging survey, which garnered thousands of shares and backlinks from authoritative sites like Social Media Examiner and Content Marketing Institute.
- Turn customer success stories into case studies. Identify your most compelling customer stories and turn them into detailed case studies that highlight the challenges, solutions, and results achieved. Include specific metrics and testimonials to boost credibility.
Example: Zapier regularly features customer success stories on their blog, which they later repurpose into PDF case studies, social media posts, and email campaigns.
- Compile blog posts into an ebook or whitepaper. Curate a series of related blog posts and combine them into a comprehensive ebook or whitepaper. Add an introduction, conclusion, and transitions to create a cohesive narrative and provide additional value.
Example: The team at Unbounce compiled their best blog posts on landing page optimization into an ebook called "The Ultimate Guide to Landing Page Optimization," which has been downloaded thousands of times.
- Repurpose webinar content into blog posts and slide decks. Take the key insights and takeaways from a webinar and turn them into a recap blog post or series of posts. You can also create a SlideShare presentation with the webinar slides and promote it on social media.
Example: Moz repurposes their Whiteboard Friday videos into blog posts, complete with transcripts, key takeaways, and additional resources.
- Create social media graphics from quotes and statistics. Extract compelling quotes or statistics from your content and turn them into eye-catching social media graphics. Use tools like Canva or Adobe Spark to design visually appealing images that are optimized for each platform.
Example: Shopify regularly shares quotes and insights from their blog posts and case studies on their social media channels, using branded templates and hashtags to increase visibility and engagement.
- Develop an email course from a long-form guide. Break down a comprehensive guide or ebook into a series of bite-sized lessons that can be delivered via email over the course of several days or weeks. Include actionable tips, exercises, and resources to help subscribers implement what they‘ve learned.
Example: The team at CoSchedule turned their "Headline Writing Guide" into a 5-day email course that helped subscribers write more compelling headlines for their blog posts and social media updates.
- Create a worksheet or template from a how-to post. Take a step-by-step tutorial or guide and turn it into a practical, downloadable worksheet or template that readers can use to apply the advice in their own work. This not only provides additional value but also serves as a lead magnet to grow your email list.
Example: The team at Smart Passive Income created a "Podcast Cheat Sheet" based on their blog post on starting a podcast, which has been downloaded by thousands of aspiring podcasters.
- Host a Q&A session or Twitter chat on a popular topic. Identify a topic that resonates with your audience and host a live Q&A session or Twitter chat to dive deeper into the subject matter. Encourage participants to ask questions, share their own experiences, and engage with one another. You can then repurpose the highlights into a blog post or social media content.
Example: The team at SEMrush hosts regular Twitter chats on topics like content marketing, SEO, and social media, which they later compile into blog posts and email newsletters.
By implementing these repurposing ideas and putting your own unique spin on them, you can breathe new life into your content and reach new audiences across multiple channels.
Real-World Examples of Successful Content Repurposing
To further illustrate the power of content repurposing, let‘s take a look at some brands and thought leaders who have leveraged this technique to drive impressive results:
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HubSpot‘s Blog Post-to-Ebook Strategy: HubSpot is known for its comprehensive guides and ebooks on various marketing topics. Many of these resources started as blog posts that performed well and were later expanded into longer-form content. For example, their "Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing" ebook was originally a series of blog posts that garnered thousands of views and shares.
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Jay Baer‘s "Talk Triggers" Repurposing Approach: Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert, is a master at repurposing his content across multiple channels. When he launched his book "Talk Triggers," he repurposed the core concepts into a series of blog posts, podcasts, videos, and social media updates. He also created a companion workbook and online course to provide additional value to readers.
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Neil Patel‘s YouTube-to-Blog Post Formula: Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, regularly repurposes his popular YouTube videos into blog posts on his website. He includes a video transcript, key takeaways, and additional examples to make the content more comprehensive and SEO-friendly. This approach has helped him attract millions of visitors to his blog each month.
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Moz‘s Whiteboard Friday Video Series: Moz‘s Whiteboard Friday is a weekly video series featuring expert advice on SEO, content marketing, and digital marketing. Each video is repurposed into a blog post with a transcript, screenshots, and additional resources. This approach has helped Moz build a loyal following and establish itself as a go-to resource for marketers.
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Buffer‘s Repurposing Experiment: In 2015, the team at Buffer conducted a month-long experiment where they only repurposed existing content rather than creating anything new. They updated and republished old blog posts, created new social media graphics, and turned blog posts into email newsletters. The result? A 4% increase in organic search traffic and nearly 200,000 additional views on SlideShare.
By studying these examples and applying the lessons learned to your own content marketing strategy, you can start seeing the benefits of repurposing for yourself.
Conclusion
Content repurposing is a powerful technique that every marketer should have in their toolkit. By leveraging your best-performing pieces and transforming them into new formats, you can extend their lifespan, reach new audiences, and drive better results with less effort.
To get started with content repurposing, follow these steps:
- Identify your top-performing, evergreen content that aligns with your business goals and audience needs.
- Evaluate the repurposing potential of each piece and brainstorm ideas for transforming it into new formats.
- Prioritize your repurposing efforts based on potential impact and resources required.
- Execute your repurposing plan, tracking performance and optimizing as you go.
- Continuously evaluate your content library for new repurposing opportunities and iterate on your strategy over time.
By making content repurposing a core part of your marketing strategy, you can maximize the value of your best ideas, establish your brand as an authority in your niche, and drive sustainable growth for your business.
So what are you waiting for? Start repurposing your content today and see the results for yourself!
