Time poor? How to repurpose your content for maximum value
Do you struggle to be consistent on social media?
When I started my first business in 2013, I was well aware of the benefits of creating a blog. Or using a platform like LinkedIn to grow my business.
But not knowing what to write about — or how I’d find something different to post each day left me stuck and overwhelmed. So I stopped, even before I started!
And as a coach who helps individuals start or grow their businesses, I know I’m not alone.
For entrepreneurs, creating content helps you share your expertise and grow your business. As a professional, it’s a great way to develop your personal brand and attract new clients. By investing the time upfront, you’ll build a body of work which supports people year after year.
Everything changed at the end of 2018 when I made a commitment to show up consistently. For over 2 years, I’ve shared unique tips and insights most weekdays to support my audience.
I’ve created a system which requires me to create one piece of long-form content a fortnight. Then, I repurpose it in several ways. This saves time and helps me share my message with minimal effort — over and over again!
Find it tough to come up with endless content ideas?
Read on to learn seven easy ways to repurpose ONE single piece of content. You’ll walk away with a clear strategy to help you create the most value with your content — in less time!
TIP #1 — CREATE ONE MAIN PIECE OF CONTENT
Commit to producing ONE unique piece of content — consistently. Select a frequency which works for you. Weekly is ideal, but once or twice a month is also fantastic.
Choose a method you’re excited to create and one which plays to your strengths. Consider building a You-Tube channel if you’re a confident presenter who shines on video. If you have a knack for interviewing or enjoy speaking, podcasting could be a good option.
For those starting out, video or podcasts may be overwhelming. So keep it simple and begin by writing regular blog posts.
TIP #2 — RE-PURPOSE ON YOUR WEBSITE
Always host your main piece of content on your website. This should be the hub for all your unique and valuable content. Remember — you don’t own your social profiles, You-Tube channel or podcasting platforms!
Embed videos or audio files into your website. Then, repurpose this content by uploading the transcript or show notes as a blog post.
TIP #3 — RE-DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR LIST
Another easy way to repurpose your content is to share it with your email list. As a business owner, it’s advisable to consistently build a list of existing clients and prospects. Then to nurture this list, by sharing regular insights, ideas or other content of value.
This ensures you build trust with your audience and long-term relationships over time. Because most people won’t buy the first time they come into contact with your work.
There are many ways to do this. You can send a monthly newsletter to your list sharing key pieces of content, updates and new offers.
I share my latest blog post as soon as it goes live each fortnight. The email includes the blog introduction, the benefits of reading it and a link to view the full post on my website. I do this because my blog posts are longer but it also has the added benefit of driving traffic back to my site.
You can apply the same strategy for emails linking to podcast episodes or videos.
If your posts are shorter, there’s the option of sharing your entire blog post in an email. This can be a smart approach as readers are often distracted or time poor. And so may not always click through to an external link to view your content.
TIP #4 — RE-POST TO SOCIAL MEDIA
A simple way to repurpose your regular content is to post it to social media. By sharing it to each of your social media channels at least once when the content goes live.
I copy and paste the ‘intro’ of my blog post and re-use it for these one-off social media posts. You can also re-post the show notes or summary of your podcast or video in the same way. Always include one clear call to action which directs the viewer to your website to check out the full post.
When re-posting your content, it’s important to tweak it to the individual platform. As an example, I use professional business photos on LinkedIn. But for Instagram, I’ll use a blend of those with customised graphics and some personal images.
LinkedIn posts have a more limited word count. So, be succinct with your posts and include the link in the comments section. Facebook gives you more space to share the original content and a link in the post itself.
With social media, less is always more. You’re much better off investing the time and being consistent on one channel. Rather than using a scattered approach across several platforms.
TIP #5 — RE-USE AS QUICK TIPS
Turn your primary piece of content into many smaller posts. Each individual step, strategy or idea in your blog, podcast or video can become a piece of unique content.
Here’s a simple way to do this. After publishing a new blog post, I’ll go through it to highlight any snippets to be re-used as quick tips or quotes. Then, I share them as individual posts on social media and link back to the original content.
TIP #6 — RE-WORK INTO 2 MINUTE VIDEOS
A similar approach is to repurpose one tip or idea into a short 2-3 minute video. I use this strategy to create a weekly video, which I share to social media.
Then, I include a call to action which directs the viewer back to the main piece of content on my website. Or, I ask a question to create a discussion and engagement around my video.
TIP #7 — RE-SHARE AGAIN AND AGAIN
As well as creating a new piece of content every week or two, don’t forget to re-share existing pieces! You can re-post both the full original piece of content — or short snippets — to social media.
Here’s an example of how I do this on LinkedIn.
First, I’ll share the original blog post to LinkedIn (linking it back to my website) as soon as the post goes live. I’ll then take pieces from my original blog to create short-form posts on LinkedIn. Two weeks later, I repurpose my blog as a LinkedIn article, which is always visible on my profile.
Finally, I then re-share the LinkedIn article, my original blog or short posts created from it. I do this several weeks or months later and keep recycling each piece of content again and again over time.
These tips have helped my clients and I be consistent with our content creation. So we can share our message and expertise on a regular basis to build our business — in less time. I hope they support you too!
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Stacey Back is a Career Strategist, Leadership Coach + Founder of Profile Careers. She helps high-achievers at a career crossroads find the work that lights them up, increase their income, impact and create a career + life on their terms. Stacey works virtually with individuals and organisations based across the globe.