Using content we already have is a powerful tool that sometimes gets forgotten about. It is all too easy to dismiss what’s done as done and see using it again as a bit of a cop out. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Reusing content is not simply doing the same thing again, it’s about updating it, applying the same thinking but in a different way – taking a successful piece of content and making it work harder. This reuse helps provide a consistency in the tone of voice, messaging and highlights key attributes of the marketing message.
According to a Hubspot analysis 76% of a blog’s monthly views came from “old” posts i.e. content not published in the current month. Which, in essence, tells us that even if no new content was published, the blog would still be generating a good level of traffic, delivering brand messages and hopefully generating leads. Of course, this doesn’t mean that blog pieces will produce traffic on their own, awareness generating work is still needed. But when spaced out appropriately, that single piece of content can go a long way.
To take advantage of this, successful content should always be considered for repurposing. This could take the form of updating a blog post with new, relevant data, or turning the contents into social media posts. Think about what other forms a particular piece of content can take as well. A white paper, for example, can be the source of several blog posts, which in turn can become social media content, and even form the basis for a webinar. And all the above is easily converted into an email newsletter to stimulate further engagement.
This type of repurposing gives scale to marketing messages – extending their life and allowing marketers to utilise a successful piece for several different audiences – i.e., a technical white paper for engineers, but an infographic with key details for the consumer. The benefits of this approach will be seen in engagement levels across social media, blog lead generation and an SEO boost, to name just a few possibilities.
All of this highlights that repurposing, optimizing and recycling existing content should be a factor when planning any marketing strategy. The approach can yield a quick return while other, original content is being developed, which in turn will help feed the optimization pipeline a bit further down the line.
That is why content repurposing matters.
