A lot of effort can go into developing content. Take a blog post, for example. It gets posted, possibly sent in an email and then maybe shared via social media.
But time marches on and your masterpiece gets put aside, maybe even forgotten, only to be replaced by a newer, shinier piece of content.
But (pun alert) don’t write it off just yet. That worn-out piece of content’s days are far from over. That’s right—what’s old can become new again.
Give your content a whole new lease on life by repurposing it.
READ: How Refreshing – Five Ways To Repurpose Your Content
The Benefits of Repurposing Content – A Snapshot
When you repurpose your content, you aren’t cheating. You aren’t being lazy, either. You’re actually being quite brilliant because you are:
- Reinforcing your message with repetition
- Saving content creation time
- Improving your click-through rate
- Increasing the likelihood that new audiences will see the content
Let’s take a look at why each of the items on this list gives your company an edge that’s part of an effective content marketing strategy.
A Deeper Dive into Why Reusing Content is Strategically Genius
Reinforce Your Brand’s Message
What is it they say about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? It’s the definition of “Insanity”?
No way. It’s message reinforcement.
Do you think the Coca-Cola company used its slogan for one ad and immediately moved on? Most certainly not.
They plastered their message everywhere. Billboards, radio jingles, TV commercials and newspaper ads.
YOU CAN’T BEAT THE REAL THING.
Source: coca-colacompany.com
By cross-pollinating content throughout your marketing channels, you are showing your audience and prospective customers that you are consistent in your messaging.
So feel free to be a little repetitive.
Save Content Creation Time
It probably took some time to develop, research, massage and nurture your piece of content. It takes work to develop a little nugget of genius!
Save time by reshaping your idea so that it can be delivered to your audience differently.
Source: jacobdeen.com
Whether it’s a social media post that becomes a blog, an email message that becomes a web page, or a brochure that sparks a complete ad campaign, just having the basic creative already fleshed out can save you precious minutes.
Re-using your idea in a different way doesn’t make you a slacker — it means you’re efficient. And it increases the likelihood that your message will be seen.
READ: Writing for the Web – How to Make Your Copy Stand Out
Get New Eyes on Old Content
The content might have been used a few months ago, but that doesn’t mean everyone in your audience has seen it.
Perhaps you have more followers on your social media channels, or maybe you’re targeting a new audience with a pay-per-click ad campaign. You might even have new email subscribers that you haven’t yet had the opportunity to educate about how amazing you are.
Dust off that old piece of content, because what’s old to someone else, might reach a whole new group of potential customers.
The SEO Benefits
Of these, there are a few.
People are more likely to click on articles in the search engines that were published recently because they know the content is fresh.
If the article is three years old, it may seem outdated, or *GASP* irrelevant. So people won’t click on it. So take the time to refresh it so you can get those coveted click-throughs.
Neil Patel says:
[no_blockquote text=”“This is important because, in Google’s algorithm, you’re more likely to rank higher if more people click on your content from the search engine results page.” So updating your content will make it more appealing, and that appeal will tell Google it’s a better resource that should rank higher.”” text_color=”#007DC3″ title_tag=”h3″ width=”” line_height=”” background_color=”” border_color=”” show_quote_icon=”yes” quote_icon_color=”#000000″ quote_icon_size=””]
Read: The Benefits of SEO For Your Business
Should You Repurpose Your Content?
If you like saving time and increasing your creative value, then yes. You should absolutely reuse old content.
Your old messaging can be polished up and brought back out to tremendous results, whether it’s improved SEO or reinforcing your brand’s message.
And if you need a little help whipping your content into shape, give us a shout.