What's one creative way you've repurposed existing content to extend its reach and lifespan?

My advice is to go back to basics and use your Search Console data to amend the existing content that you have in order to keep it fresh for both users and search engines. It’s not a particularly creative or revolutionary approach, but it works!

We recently launched our first interview video where one of our project managers answered questions about Drupal support. Instead of just keeping the video in YouTube, we decided to splice the videos into sections and upload them twice a month on our socials and link back to the full video in the caption. This way, we got six videos out of one recording and can keep it in front of our audience for 12 weeks!

There are so many ways to repurpose an existing piece of content. For example, a blog post can become 3-5 LinkedIn posts, 10 tweets, material for a podcast guest interview, an infographic, emails to share to your subscribers, and a video script — to name a few. When people think about repurposing, they often think of long-form content that is turned into smaller bite-sized pieces. But it can also go both ways: you can expand on an idea when there’s a demand for it. That said, I’d say one of the most creative ways I’ve repurposed my content was when I turned my content agency’s style guide into a bestselling book (“Writing for Humans and Robots”). The style guide started out as an attempt to clone myself and scale content creation, moving from being a freelance writer to the CEO and founder of my agency, The Blogsmith. Codifying the ideas in my head into a consistent process allowed me to produce work I can stand behind, even if I didn’t write or edit it myself.

Each year we organize existing content for an SEO refresh, whether adding new trends, new content sections, or updating information to be relevant to the current year as opposed to the previous year. This works great for fashion, travel, etc. It makes Google happy and your readers happy while being non-competitive with content already performing well.

We established a content repurposing pipeline. This tends to start with a blog post, which then becomes a podcast episode, and finally, TikTok / Reel clips. To extend this further, I take ideas from our existing content, and turn them into LinkedIn posts for my colleagues to share. I consider different personas when creating these post captions, to ensure that the content doesn't appear identical, and is a suitable tone-of-voice for different members of my organization!

I've found that created sets of mini series that dive into similar content topics is usually more appealing to audiences than one long form piece of content. Not only is the content more digestible, but you'll also encourage audience members to tune in for the next episode/piece of series.

At Startup House, we believe in the power of repurposing existing content to maximize its reach and lifespan. One creative way we've done this is by transforming our blog posts into engaging videos. By taking the key points and visuals from our written content and turning them into short, informative videos, we've been able to capture the attention of a wider audience on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. This not only breathes new life into our content but also allows us to connect with people who prefer consuming information in a more visual and interactive format. So, next time you have a blog post or article, consider giving it a video makeover to extend its reach and make a lasting impact!

By repurposing a research study into an interactive quiz or assessment, we can extend the reach and lifespan of the content. Users can actively participate, receiving personalized insights based on their answers. For example, a company that conducted a market research study on customer preferences for skincare products can transform their findings into an interactive quiz. Users would answer questions about their skincare needs and concerns, and based on their responses, they would receive personalized recommendations for the best-suited products. This repurposed content not only engages users but also generates shareable results, attracting new audiences and prolonging the life of the original research study.

One creative strategy we have used at our company to extend the reach of our content is by transforming dense research papers and complex data into fun and engaging infographics. These visually appealing infographics, packed with concise information, resonates well with our tech-savvy audience who often skim through larger documents, and has exponentially increased the viewership and lifespan of our content.

A creative way I've repurposed existing content is by initially transforming it into a concise PowerPoint presentation, focusing on design and less text. This format works well for sharing on LinkedIn and incorporating into email newsletters. Next, I convert the content into a video, expanding on the points made in the blog post. I aim to keep these videos under 10 minutes and enhance them with engaging graphics. These graphics, often data visualizations or standout quotes, are then used independently for further reach. I usually create about three per post, which are excellent for promotions later. Finally, I repurpose the video by extracting the audio to use in a podcast episode. This multi-channel approach maximizes the content's reach and lifespan.

To extend the reach and lifespan of existing content, repurpose blog posts as interactive quizzes or assessments. This engages the audience, providing a unique experience and encouraging active participation. For example, a company in the fitness industry could convert a blog post titled '10 Ways to Stay Fit at Home' into an interactive quiz where users assess their current fitness level and receive personalized recommendations. By transforming content into interactive quizzes, you not only extend its reach but also make it more shareable and memorable.

Compile existing content into a comprehensive case study showcasing real-life success stories related to the topic. This repurposing technique adds authenticity and credibility to the material, extending its reach and lifespan. For example, if the existing content is about a productivity tool, the case study could highlight different individuals or businesses that achieved remarkable results using the tool. This approach not only engages the audience but also attracts potential customers interested in similar outcomes.

One innovative technique that I used to reuse content and prolong its life was developing an interactive tool for decision-making based on a model of the full guide. The original material is an extensive tutorial on picking the most appropriate product in a particular industry. Content Deconstruction: Broke down the guide into its building blocks on criteria of decision-making in order to list important aspects that users take while choosing a product. Interactive Tool Development: Worked with developers to turn this decision-making model into an online tool that is user interactive. Users were able to type in their specific requirements and tastes. Personalized Recommendations: Real-time platform processing user inputs, integrated algorithms that created the personalized product recommendations determined by the guide. This offered an individualized and timely solution to address users’ particular requirements. Visual Enhancements: Rolled out the interactive tool through multiple channels, such as the website, social media and email newsletters. It is noteworthy that each of the promotions focused on how effective this tool was in simplifying decision-making and generating specific recommendations. User Engagement Campaigns: Ran ran user engagement activations whereby the audience was stripped to try out interactive tool, and share their results on social media. This led to a viral impact, where the reach increased naturally. Live Webinars and Demonstrations: We organized and hosted live webinars as well as online demonstrations that displayed the right way to approach this interactive tool. It did this by introducing a human element that gave users real-time access to ask questions. Feedback Loops for Iteration: Locally adapted interactive tool versions to meet a variety of language preferences The effect of this was an updated and continually renewable resource which not only rehashed current material, but that also maintained value in the eyes from its user base. The tool was used, not only to expand the reach of original guide but also become a continuous source of reference for target audience. This aimed at fostering more engagement with brand as well s interaction levels among multiple sessions

Think of an inspiring blog post gathering dust in your archives. Don't let that happen! Breathe new life into it by converting it into an engaging video script. A post's key message can come to life through animation, infographics, or even humour. Break your video into bite-sized social media snippets tailored to the platform's audience. And there comes a Big Boom! Suddenly, your posts come alive again, sparking new conversations and reaching new web corners. It's like recycling content into a viral festival.