If you’re running a content marketing campaign, you likely have a large library of existing blog posts. Even if the traffic to these posts has dried up, the content still remains relevant.

How can you extract value from this older content?

Simple: by repurposing content.

Repurposing is the process where marketers repackage existing content to create new content types. This content can then be distributed on different platforms for added traffic and exposure.

Essentially, repurposing extends the lifetime value of your content manifold. It’s a crucial tactic in any marketer’s arsenal.

Here’s a step-by-step method to quickly repurpose your blog posts for content marketing:

Step #1: Identify content assets for repurposing

Your first step should be to identify content assets that are suitable for repurposing. While it’s tempting to pick your most popular posts first, you’ll see far better results by selecting posts that offer enough material for repurposing.

The best blog posts for repurposing usually have the following characteristics:

  • In-depth statistics and data.
  • Quotes, tweets and other similar snippets from leading industry authorities.
  • Short, pithy advice.
  • Visual content such as mini-infographics, graphs, charts, etc.

Step #2: Identify existing expertise

Your next step should be to identify what you’re already good at, then leveraging that expertise to make content production easy.

For example, if you have strong in-house design talent, it would be better to repurpose a blog post as an infographic or SlideShare than to turn it into an eBook (which would require writing talent).

Step #3: Identify best distribution channels

It’s important to have a distribution process in place before you start repurposing existing content. Getting this right depends on two factors:

  • Existing audience: Pick a distribution platform where you already have a strong presence. For example, if you have a strong following on LinkedIn but no presence on YouTube, it would be better to repurpose content as a SlideShare than as a video.
  • Distribution goals: Different platforms are suited for different distribution goals. If you want to attract B2B leads, you’ll see better results from LinkedIn. If you want social media traffic, a viral video will do better, and so on.

Once you’ve figured this out, you can start the actual repurposing process.

Step #4: Extract key information from existing content

To make the content repurposing process easier, extract key data from each blog post. For example, if the blog post has a lot of stats, make a list of all these stats and keep them in a separate document. You can then pass these onto your designer to create an infographic.

Step #5: Create and distribute

With all this data, you can start actually repurposing content. Depending on your existing expertise, this might be the easiest, or the hardest part of the process. For example, a business with a strong in-house design team and an established LinkedIn/Pinterest presence will find it relatively easy to convert a bunch of statistics into infographics and Slideshares.

It’s important to remember that content repurposing works best when you play to your strengths. Rather than refactoring content into formats and channels you have no prior experience in, you’ll see better results by leveraging your existing expertise.

Conclusion

Repurposing content is one of the smartest and cheapest ways to get more out of your existing content. It is also a great way to extend the reach of your brand and connect with new people on new platforms. The additional content is also great for search engine optimization (SEO). Follow the five-step process outlined above and you’ll find that repurposing content is both quick and fun!