First, you need to start with a good foundation. I like to start with a white paper or webinar or byline or blog post or even a recorded executive interview. The base content should be educational and non-promotional, and it should include tips people can use. I worked on a 200-page eBook for one of my clients that I’m still finding ways to promote several years later. But it doesn’t have to be 200 pages; as long as you have a good base of content (as little as two or three pages even), you may already have what you need.
A webinar can be recorded and transcribed. That transcription can be made into written content in the form of a byline, blog or white paper. A blog post or white paper can become a webinar, and so on.
So, once you have the base content, here’s some other ways you can reuse it.
1. Create an infographic
In today’s world, imagery is everything and visual content is easily consumed. Does your content have some good stats? Does it tell a story? Can you describe your content visually? Think about an infographic. You can put it on your blog, promote it on social, and many media outlets publish infographics so you can even get some good publicity out of it. I recently helped one of my clients refresh some of their older marketing materials – we took a series of three-page profiles on each of their products that was focused on their target audiences (who they are, what their typical day is like, etc.) and turned them into short and snappy one-page Infographics they could promote on social and use as one-page handouts.
2. Host a Twitter hour
I love these because you can promote them like events, and at the end you have yet another piece of content you can reuse. Basically, use the content you have to create a series of tweets and supporting images (a number of social scheduling platforms will allow you to design your own images so you don’t necessarily need a design program to do it), and pick a time and date to host it. Like with a webinar, pick a time that is optimal for your target audience; I work with many B2B technology clients, so during the work day around lunch is often a good time. Then, simply put out a post every 5 minutes during that hour. And once the Twitter hour is over, you can take the social images and make them into a Slideshare that you can continue to promote.
3. Create an eBook
If you have a series of articles (blog posts, newsletter articles, bylines etc.) that are geared to a similar topic, consider pulling them together into an eBook. I recommend having a good number of them – about 10-12 articles – to tie together under an umbrella theme. And promote through your usual channels (social, email to your database, third-party content syndication program, etc.)
4. Pitch content to reporters as a byline or story angle
Does your content have some good stats in it or a quote from a leading analyst or influencer? Is it educational? Draft a pitch that can be sent to media that cover that space, as a potential article for them to write or offer to write a byline for publication in their outlet.
Your content may have a longer shelf life than you think. If it’s good, find ways to keep promoting it in different forms – you’ll be amazed at how much new life you can get from it!
Need help refreshing your content? Reach out.
