Content repurposing – reusing content effectively
Marketing
Posted 21 Mar 2024
In the online marketing industry, a company’s success is heavily dependent on the content it creates. Producing high-quality material requires time, resources, and expertise. But what happens when the shine fades from the best content, and it disappears into the depths of the archive? The answer is content repurposing. This innovative strategy makes it possible to recycle existing content and exploit its potential once again.
Content repurposing (also known as “content recycling”) is the reuse of all or part of existing content in order to increase the reach of this content. Repurposed content is typically converted into a new format, for example, by turning a blog post into an infographic. This makes it easier to scale content and eliminates the need to rewrite every post. Instead, the existing content forms a basis for new content. By repurposing the content, it can be made accessible to a completely new audience, resulting in a larger target group. Furthermore, “recycling” creates more time for other tasks and there is no need to start again and again. In addition, content repurposing is a real SEO boost, because by revising and reusing existing content in different formats, the probability of being ranked more effectively by search engines is increased.
1. reformatting: For example, a blog post can be converted into a podcast format or an infographic. This presents the most important information both graphically and audio visually and appeals to the different senses and preferences of the target group.
2. updating and expanding: For example, older blog posts can be updated and expanded with new information. This not only gives the content new energy, but also demonstrates current expertise.
3. sharing on social media: Here, for example, longer articles can be divided into shorter sections and published as independent posts on various social media. This increases visibility and promotes engagement.
4. guest posts: In addition, existing content can act as the basis for guest posts on other platforms. This makes it possible to present your own expertise to a new audience.
Content repurposing can either save time – or create unnecessary extra work. The following mistakes should therefore be avoided:
1. reposting instead of repurposing: The aim is to generate different posts – and not to share the same content over and over again in an endless loop. It is worth creating a comprehensive basis from which different content can be generated. Just like with movies, for example. A spin-off with its own plot is created from the original story. The reference to the original material is still there, but the spin-off still stands on its own.
2. the “a lot helps a lot” mentality: Content repurposing means using relevant content multiple times. It does not mean reusing everything across the board according to the motto “the more, the better”, as this can quickly lead to readers becoming bored or even overwhelmed.
3. improvisation: It should be decided at an early stage whether the content should be reused, and which components should be adapted. Without forward planning, it will be chaotic and, in the worst case, time-consuming.
In order to understand the topic on a practical level, here is an example with four “recycled” ideas:
Assume that the existing content is an informative blog post about “Modern technologies in logistics“. The following options can be used for repurposing:
1. podcast episode: The main points of the blog post can be talked through in a podcast, and personal comments or interviews with experts can be added.
2. infographic: A visually appealing infographic can be made to showcase modern technology in a clear format.
3. video summary: key points of the blog post can be summarized in a short video and then uploaded to platforms such as Instagram in the form of a short reel.
4. guest post: Information from the blog post can be used to write a guest article for an industry-specific website or online magazine.
Content repurposing is a powerful strategy to get the most out of the content you’ve already created. By utilizing different formats and platforms, a wider audience can be reached, increasing the effectiveness of content marketing efforts. A creative approach should be taken to extend the life of the content and maximize the reach of the message.
Would you also like to “recycle” your content, but don’t know how? We are happy to help! Simply contact us at vibes@hbi.de.
Junior Communication Consultant at HBI Communication Helga Bailey GmbH
Annika Müller has been supporting HBI in the areas of PR and marketing since 2022.
As a Junior Communication Consultant, her responsibilities include the creation of professional articles & the conceptualization of social media postings.
Furthermore, Annika is involved in directly assisting our client work.
