Ways to Repurpose Content
Due to a content-saturated market, brands face the unique challenge of staying top-of-mind among consumers without necessarily having something new to say every day. Regularly publishing new content can help improve SEO ratings and attract new customers, but it can also result in sharing the same story over and over again. Most companies only have a few relevant announcements and updates throughout the year, so what can they do to promote new, fresh and interesting content?
Hint: Apply a fresh perspective and voice on an older but still relevant topic. Whether you have already written several blogs on one topic or are promoting the same contest year after year, odds are, you can reap the benefits of repurposing content with the right tips and tricks.
Spinning Old News
It’s always a good idea to approach content creation with the intention of bringing something new to the table. However, content has a relatively short lifespan. Once a blog is ready to go, it can be shared on social media for a few weeks and sent out in an e-newsletter to drive traffic, but can quickly become stagnant. This is why it’s helpful to put a fresh spin on a tried and true subject that’s already relevant to your brand.
Consider the following best practices when writing a new piece on an older subject:
Conduct new research
If you’re using dated statistics to back up your claims, it may be time to conduct new research to ensure these opinions are still accurate. Whether you choose to conduct your own independent survey through platforms like SurveyMonkey with a specific audience, or use a survey partner such as The Harris Poll, you can pair new statistics with old content to bring it up to date. Additionally, new research can provide multiple opportunities to get your brand press coverage and lead to additional pieces of content.
Transform with design
If you have several articles or blogs that feature worthy content, consider transforming those pieces through graphic design. For instance, you can develop an educational infographic or several social media graphics to share with your audience. Social media posts paired with engaging images perform much better than those without. Tools like Canva have made it easy for companies and marketing professionals of any size to develop well designed graphics and sharable content for numerous platforms. You can also pull previously approved copy and facts into sales sheets and brochures.
Jump on a trend
Some companies have attempted to perfect the art of “trendjacking” or “newsjacking,” where a brand brings their own perspective to a current trend. From the #10YearChallenge which allowed people and brands to share images of themselves from a decade ago to new memes promoting humor about a current topic, using a trend to promote old content can be a great method. Understanding your audience is key when deciding whether to jump on a trend, as not all trends will be relevant to your brand. Additionally, trends have exceptionally short lives, so it’s best not to dedicate too much time to creating content for a single trend when a new one is just around the corner.
Make a video
Over the last several years, video has become the dominant way for brands to engage with their target audiences. Whether you use Facebook Live to record a live event or develop a short but visually appealing animated video, video is much more likely to connect with consumers in today’s digital market and can be a great way to reuse content and make it feel brand new. Videos can even feature members of your team. Perhaps you conducted research a year ago that is still relevant. You can develop a video that showcases your CEO or another business leader explaining the research and its impact on your industry and the future.
Share content in new ways
Blogs, social media and newsletters are all excellent ways to regularly promote content. Take it one step further and expand your reach by incorporating additional tactics. Consider launching or speaking on a podcast or developing a webinar series. Not only does this provide you with a new avenue to share old content, but it helps grow your audience and further promote your brand in ways that work for today’s consumers.
What’s Old is New Again
As marketing professionals, we’re constantly seeking new ways to create and promote content that will help brands enhance their awareness and authority. Thankfully, there are endless ways to put a new spin on what at first might seem like a tired topic. All it takes is a little creativity and an open mind. From infographics to brochures to videos to podcasts, there are many forms your content can take to engage your customers and build your brand.
Content marketing doesn’t have to be a challenge. Contact us today to learn how we can create engaging content for your B2B brand to share across its many communication channels.
Alex Weiss is a Senior Account Executive at Mulberry Marketing Communications, an award-winning full-service B2B communications agency based in Chicago, London and Australia. She combines her creative writing background and B2B experience to bring client campaigns to life.
