Well-executed marketing content can attract, engage, and inform prospects like nothing else.
However, if you have ever created this type of material, you know it takes a significant amount of time and effort. And producing enough of it to support a content marketing strategy also takes a great deal of commitment.
What many companies don’t take advantage of is the fact that you can easily repurpose content. Now, some organizations think of that as “cheating,” and to be sure, if you simply tweak a few words and call the piece new, you will find yourself losing the trust and loyalty of your audience. But there are definitely ways that you can legitimately increase the value of the content you’ve worked so hard to develop.
- Breaking Up is Easy to Do — Long-form content like case studies and white papers often contain elements that work great as standalone items for sharing elsewhere. The charts, graphs, and other visual elements can be used to create an infographic. A data table can be pulled out and used in a blog post. How about putting the client quotes on your website?
- Get it Together — On the other hand, smaller pieces can pack a bigger punch when compiled into an e-book or “How To” guide. Pay attention to the common themes in the content you produce and use them to tie items together when appropriate.
- Keep it Current — Let me guess; you wrote something a year or two ago and already(!) changes in technology have made the information outdated? No problem. Add a new intro and/or conclusion to the piece explaining how things have changed and blamo, you’ve given it new life. In fact, the then-and-now perspective can be especially enlightening.
- Cross Pollinate — Giving an older piece of content a mention in a new one is an easy way to bring it to the forefront again and increase its value.
- Upon Further Review — Similar to updating a piece for changes in technology, if you’ve had a change-of-heart about a topic that you wrote about previously, share it! While it seems counterintuitive to add a counterpoint to your original piece, people will appreciate that you are open-minded and honest. (And let's be real, if you're not willing to adapt, you've got bigger issues.)
- What’s New? — It seems like every time you turn around there’s an innovative platform for sharing information, e.g. Slideshare and Instagram. Would that item you created last year make a fresh splash on a new channel? It’s certainly worth considering.
As with every asset your business possesses, you want to get all the value you can out of your marketing content. No, you don’t want to overuse materials, but there’s nothing wrong with getting them in front of a different audience or presenting them in new and compelling ways.
In most cases, a small, additional commitment of resources can produce a big impact. Just take a look at your content inventory with an eye toward repurposing and you’ll be surprised at what you see.
