You’ve already created some great content, so why not try recycling that older content into a different format and get the most out of it? Reusing and repurposing content can save time, boost views, engagement, and SEO, and increases your ROI.
The hard work has been done, all you need to do is find the right material, find a format that fits that material, and then re-purpose that content!
Repurpose
Taking a blog post of several hundred (or thousand) words and condensing it into an infographic, can make an old post new. Presenting the same information in a visual format can help your audience understand the information better, adding value to the post.
A study by Contently showed that infographics reached 54% more viewers than blog posts, and that completion rates rose 7% over blogs. Simple changes in format can have a dramatic effect on views and viewing habits, and that can make all the difference to your site’s visitors.
Your cost to repurpose content is significantly reduced from the cost of producing the original content, too. Since all the research and writing has been done, all that remains is to format the post properly – record a video, create a graphic, or however you choose to present the content.
Recycle
By reusing old content, you have a chance to reach a whole new group of potential customers. Some experimenting on Twitter by Tom Tunguz showed that reposted content received 75% of the original post’s numbers. That’s a lot of new views from an old piece of content.
Updating old posts with new information can also make them relevant again. In the digital world, the only certainty is change. Some tools or programs may have increased or decreased in relevancy, or entirely new ways of doing something may have been created.
A post from a year or two ago could still be a helpful resource with the updating of a few key pieces of information. Perhaps adding a few lines discussing increased functionality in a tool or discussing the increased popularity of a social network could make the content relevant again.
Reuse
You can combine several older blog posts into an e-book. If you have several posts relating to the same topic, you can create a new deliverable for your clients and a new lead converter for your business. This is an easy way to add value to your old content.
Making a video is a great way to make old content new. Video is, after all, the future of the internet – 74% of internet traffic will be video in 2017. Try turning an e-book into a webinar to increase engagement and present the material to a new audience. Shorter blog posts can be recorded for video or live streamed, taking advantage of a new technology and appealing to a new demographic.
Testing 1,2,3…
Recycled content can be used for A/B testing, too. If you had an under-performing piece of content, try altering the title and seeing how it does. This can give you valuable insights into future blog titles.
Repurposed content also provides an opportunity to refine your email templates. When content is reused, an entirely new email campaign should be launched to promote it. The results of each campaign can be studied and refinements made. Using A/B testing in concert with recycled content can provide insight into the direction of future campaigns.
SEO and Branding
Content recycling can have a positive impact on other aspects of your business as well. Different formats provide more opportunities for SEO enhancement. Keywords can be reinforced and links can be built if your repurposed content (with links) appears on other websites.
Your brand’s consistency can be improved as well. If you are delivering the same message on different platforms and media types, your image as an expert will be enhanced. More people will see you as an authority on a subject if your content is everywhere they look.
The End?
If you’re not repurposing content, you should be. Reused content provides a great source of material for content creators, adds value for your customers, and provides an opportunity for A/B testing. Pick your best performing material, choose the right format, and start recycling today!