How to Repurpose Content: 5 Great Ways to Give Existing Content a New Life

One of the toughest challenges content marketers face is keeping a steady stream of content flowing. After all, regular content creation can become a complicated endeavor.

And with all of the hard work and time put in to creating content, it seems like a waste to use it only once.

That is why breathing new life into existing materials by recycling content can become a great way of keeping regular content going out the door, and ensuring that you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck with each piece of content you create.

Repurposing content does not involve merely rehashing old blog entries or social media posts. It involves an entire content organization process consisting of reviewing, updating, and revising existing content to fit current needs and aims.

This discussion focuses on five great ways authors and publishers can give existing content a new life. By reviving and repurposing existing content, authors and publishers can remain consistent while engaging their audiences.

Managing Content Campaigns

One of the most effective ways of managing content campaigns is to recycle content. Nevertheless, the question is: “How to manage content campaigns?” The answer lies in knowing how to repurpose content.

Here are five key ways to give existing content a new life by reusing content.

Recycle content in social media posts.

They say that social media posts live forever. But what does “forever” truly mean?

In general, social media posts do not go away. Even after being deleted, they lurk somewhere, tucked away in a backup server.

But just because social media posts are never truly deleted does not mean they actually live forever.

For instance, commenting on a trending social issue may generate significant attention. But once the issue has dropped from the spotlight, the post no longer stays relevant. Nevertheless, the original post itself can lead to bigger and better things.

Here are three interesting ways to breathe new life into an existing social media post:

Expand on it. Expanding on the original idea contained in the post can lead to follow-up posts, blog entries, or video content. In particular, this follow-up content can delve deeper into a specific part of the topic, leading to more in-depth discussion.

Transfer it to another platform. A successful tweet may become an interesting Facebook post, for instance. Facebook offers much more freedom to elaborate on a point than Twitter’s 144 characters. In particular, linking multiple social media platforms allows authors and publishers to generate more incoming traffic.

Update it. Posts that contain specific information, stats, or figures may be relevant but outdated. Thus, updating existing posts can breathe new life into them by offering readers further insight into the original information presented.

Given social media’s importance, it is always worthwhile going through older posts to see which ones could be repurposed as part of an ongoing discussion with readers and followers.

Reuse content in free informational downloads.

Organizations across a wide range of industries and fields use free informational downloads to generate buzz around products, content, topics, or materials. For instance, manufacturers offer customers free product information downloads, such as product specifications, user manuals, and service instructions.

Beyond relevant product information, free downloads can become a great way to help rejuvenate older or languishing content.

Consider this situation:

A new publication generates a considerable amount of buzz. Readers purchase copies while the material is fresh. Over time, interest in the publication begins to wane. So, sales start to lag. Instead of allowing the publication to fizzle out quietly, why not use free informational downloads to give it a jolt?

For example, the publisher can publish excerpts on their website to entice new readers to purchase the publication. Similarly, posting free audio samples for download is a great way to increase hype.

Also, some publications simply run their course. For instance, organizations that publish annual reports can make previous years’ publications available for free download upon publishing the current year’s edition.

Please bear in mind that free downloads do not have to seem like “freebies” or “throw-aways.” Free downloads can offer significant value while helping promote fresh content, products, and services, or boosting sales. It all depends on the organization’s specific needs and circumstances.

Repurpose e-book content.

Transform an e-book into a blog. Authors usually go about this the other way around. They repurpose blogs into e-books. However, an e-book can become an interesting theme for a blog. Specific points, information, or ideas can be recycled and reworked into multiple blog entries. For instance, an e-book about gardening could have a considerable amount of topics related to planting, harvesting, tips, tools, and many other related topics.

Use an e-book as a podcast theme. E-books have so much untapped potential. It is often the case that e-books do not delve into topics as much as authors would like. In some instances, e-books may only scratch the surface. That situation changes in a podcast. A podcast allows authors to explore specific topics at great length. Given how podcasts work, there is a potentially unlimited number of topics and sub-topics to explore in podcast form. For example, an e-book focused on a specific historical event can lead to a wide discussion about the causes and effects surrounding that historical event.

Use an e-book for social media posts. Going through an e-book can reveal important tidbits and useful tips. Plus, it may contain quotable passages. All of these elements can be transformed into social media posts such as tweets or longer Facebook posts. With a bit of luck, social media posts can garner interest in the e-book, potentially reviving an older one or leading to a brand-new publication.

Above all, using one’s imagination is crucial in repurposing content. Looking at older content from different angles may reveal new ideas for fresh and interesting content.

Repurpose content to build new blogs.

Blogs lend themselves to many opportunities to repurpose content. There are virtually unlimited possibilities when repurposing content for blogs.

On the whole, blogs can be broken up into themes. For instance, an e-book on finance can open up new doors for blogs focused on specific topics such as credit, personal finance, financial planning, avoiding debt, debt management, boosting income, and saving money.

However, one thought that comes to mind is taking apart an old blog and repurposing blog content into a new one. There are two ways to go about this.

First, take a look at the most popular posts. These posts were popular for a reason. Perhaps they were trending topics that people wanted to learn about. Also, they may have been very well written. Additionally, the topic might have been especially relevant to the target audience. As a result, these popular posts can be spun into new, updated entries or radically transformed into an entirely new blog.

For example, a blog post on saving money got the most views of all. A new blog idea could be centered around saving money and managing debt. Similarly, the premise discussed in the original posts can be broken up into smaller chunks and discussed at greater length as part of a series.

Second, looking at where an old blog lost traction can reveal areas for improvement. For instance, a blog focused on fashion and beauty lost steam as topics veered more into exercise and nutrition than fashion. In this regard, resetting the blog to focus primarily on fashion topics can be a great way to revive old content. For instance, a five-year-old post on fall fashion can be updated to include the current year’s fall collection.

All in all, building new blogs from bits and pieces of older blogs can yield very useful ideas. Often, some ideas get cut short in blog posts. As such, rebooting an old blog can allow room to explore ideas that may have gotten shoved to the bottom of the pile.

Reuse content and research new materials.

Blogs, e-books, social media posts, and informational downloads have one thing in common: They require research. The research into building content can be more or less extensive, depending on the topic and material itself. For example, writing an e-book requires far more research than a short-form blog post.

After all, there is no need to do research again if it is already done.

There is also another highly important use for existing material: inspiration. Writers often get stuck thinking of ideas for new blog entries, e-books, social media posts, or merely putting ideas into words. Using existing content can help writers find inspiration for new ideas. Writers often need a little nudge to get momentum going.

How can a content creation service help repurpose content?

What happens when content seems to get stuck in neutral? How can authors and publishers kickstart older content into a new gear?

A content creation service can help repurpose content by acting as a pair of fresh eyes. Often, an objective third party can look at content and find nuances that could lead to bigger and better things. A professional content creation agency can put a fresh spin on existing content by sprucing up current content or producing entirely new material.

The greatest benefit of employing a content creation service lies in its experience. Experienced content creation agencies know what it takes to produce compelling content. Most important, they are adept at producing content that resonates with the author’s voice and the target audience’s interests. This combination allows ghostwriters to breathe new life into existing content.

In addition to being a pair of fresh eyes, enlisting a content creation service has three key benefits:

Trusted Writing Partners

A content creation service employs writers who can quickly become trusted writing partners for any author or publisher. Authors can share the workload with a writer, particularly when working on tight turnarounds.

Additionally, an experienced writer can become a type of accountability partner. This role is crucial, especially when projects begin to lose momentum. A trusted writer can spur continuous progress and development.

Impartial Editors

A content creation agency often provides editorial services. It works with authors and publishers to review existing content to improve and build on it. The key in this editorial role is the impartial, third-party perspective from an individual outside the content creation process.

An experienced content creation agency can provide useful insights into improving and developing material without having a vested emotional interest. This idea does not mean a content creation service hacks away at the material. Instead, this idea involves spotting untapped potential in existing materials. Ultimately, identifying untapped potential can lead to bigger and better ideas.

Adept Researchers

Writers working within a content creation agency are generally adept researchers.

While writers can draw on their academic backgrounds and experience, research is always required to produce top-quality work. These skills translate very well into repurposing content.

For instance, updating older blog posts requires researching new data and verifying facts. Those are two areas in which experienced writers excel. That is why it makes sense to employ a content creation service.

The Last Word

On the whole, a content creation service understands the psychology of content. Professional writers within content creation companies can navigate content organization systems. The entire content management process gets a boost when employing experienced writers.

So, when organizations think about how to manage content, the answer can be employing a content creation service. Getting experts to reuse content can breathe new life into existing content, leading to bigger and better things.