Smarter Content Creation

Blogging is similar to jogging. You need to do it consistently and spend more than 30 seconds on it if you want to see results. However, it’s easy to get stuck in a routine of mediocrity or miss some scheduled blog posts on your content calendar. With eBooks, webinars, white papers, blog posts, and social media, a good inbound marketing strategy really relies on producing a lot of great content. That’s where repurposing comes in. It’s not stealing if you own the words.

Before we begin, I want to make it clear that I’m not promoting plagiarism in any way. Stealing another blogger’s hard work is a bad and unfair practice, and it can lead to serious legal trouble for your business. If you’re ever unsure whether you’ve copied someone else’s work, I recommend checking out the free resources from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab and considering some Copyscape credits. Here are some legitimate, non-spammy ways to reuse content that you already own:

1. Use powerful sentences from blog content to generate Tweets.

Identify clever quotations and powerful statistics from high-performing blog content and use it as text to promote your links on Twitter.

2. Write a really exceptional piece of blog content. Break it into a 3-part series.

You don’t need to stop at “25 Twitter Tips for 2013.” If you can compile 75 or 125 tips, write them all out and break the content up.

3. Utilize powerful YouTube videos.

Credit the original source and embed video content in your blog posts if you’re feeling low on inspiration.

Just give credit to the original source and plenty of original analysis in addition to the insights on the infographic.

5. Turn presentations into eBooks.

Some content creation experts recommend using PowerPoint as a tool for creating eBooks. Even if you prefer another platform, your presentation can act as a comprehensive outline.

6. Curate quotations or Tweets from thought leaders.

With full credit, use the thoughts of well-known people in your industry to create a list of the “Top 10 Trends.” Add original content and statistics to create a well-rounded piece of blog content or even an eBook.

7. Use original blog content to build an eBook.

Blog content is a natural fit for building out an eBook outline. Write an outline and search for instances on your blog where you’ve covered the smaller ideas mentioned in the eBook thoroughly. Edit the content carefully to ensure flow and voice are consistent, add an introduction, and you’re done!

8. Use an original eBook to build blog content.

Pick a 600-800 word excerpt from your latest eBook to act as a blog content and promote your latest offer.

9. Turn client emails into content.

Remember that time you issued a really thoughtful, 800-word email in response to a client question? With a few tweaks and an added image or two, it’s probably ready to be used on your blog.

10. Look offline.

Do you have any print training materials that directly address customer questions? With some edits, your sales teams’ customer FAQ tip sheet can likely be turned into a highly relevant series of blog content.

11. Turn webinars into an eBook.

If you’re building webinar decks for client and prospect informational sessions, they can easily be converted into eBooks.

12. Use quotes from customer testimonials in video.

Your prospects want to know how current clients are using your products, and how their experiences have been. If you’re currently collecting client insight, use quotations and client photos with permission to build a video. Paula Crerar, Content Marketing Director at Brainshark, states that “success stories told from the point of view of the customer give you unparalleled credibility.”

13. Use screen shots from video.

If you’re filming a tutorial video on how to use your product, take screenshots from the video or snap pictures during the session to build a simple infographic or a visually-enhanced tutorial blog post.

14. Film webinars for video content.

GoToWebinar and Skype both allow you to record tutorial sessions, which can quickly be edited and posted as informational blog content.

15. Look towards blog comments.

Start actively saving questions posed by your prospects and audience in the blog comments and your responses. Use these as a starting point for writing relevant content.

16. Revisit old blog posts.

Remember that really high-performing piece of blog content you wrote earlier this year about how to use Pinterest for business, before the social media network rolled out business pages? Update the content with fresh statistics and instructions.

17. Rework TOFu for different personas.

If you’ve released an eBook of highly technical case studies, the information could potentially be reworked into an entirely different content offer or series of blog posts for a less-sophisticated buyer persona.

How Do You Ethically Repurpose Content?

image credit: wall rife