How to Repurpose Content To Reach More Of Your Audience

I couldn’t decide whether to write this idea down as a blog, film it as a video or send it out as an email. And therein lies the point of this piece. Ideas have legs…run with them! Learn to repurpose content and take full advantage of your ideas.

As an online brand voice coach for bloggers & entrepreneurs, I typically work with clients who have already tried their hand at launching themselves and their ideas into cyberspace. They have some blogs posted, they’ve been semi-active on social media, but they’re throwing what they can at the wall and seeing what sticks. Not the most efficient use of their time. One thing they all seem to have in common, though, when we first start working together is this shared assumption that all the content they’ve created thus far is useless. Wrong. Why? Because…

YOU ARE YOUR BRAND.

I know, I know, I continue to repeat this (ad nauseam). But I’ll continue to repeat it until I don’t have to anymore. You are your brand. Everything you are, everything you say online, represents what you & your brand are about. Therefore, it is ALL valuable. The people who need what you’re offering, your ideal clients, are following you because they care about what you have to say. As a brand voice coach, I just teach you how to turn that into easily digestible online content that captures their attention in an oversaturated landscape. But the words, the ideas, the intention behind what you think & feel…that’s all you. And that ALL matters.

The best advice I have for bloggers & online entrepreneurs who are getting clear on their brand voice and finding their groove is to learn how to repurpose content. This helps your message reach farther and wider than you ever could by just posting it that one time in that one place. It’s been found that we need to see the same thing 7 times before we act on it (source). Don’t sell yourself or your message short.

So you have an idea. That light bulb shows up over your head, you feel that spark, you know you’ve thought of something that your ideal client needs. Now, what do you do? Below are examples of all the different ways you can repurpose that idea throughout the online landscape to 1) capture the attention of your audience 2) resonate with them and 3) offer the most value. Everyone uses the Internet differently. Some of us prefer consuming via Pinterest, others want to connect on Instagram. It’s worth showing up everywhere your ideal clients are hanging out to show them you care enough to go out and find them.

We’ll use the idea I’m writing about as an example: HOW TO REPURPOSE CONTENT

1) BLOG POST

Clearly, this is the first option I’ve chosen. Why? Because I’m a writer and it’s most natural and comfortable for me to turn my ideas into words. As I’m writing this blog, I’m discovering all the different facets (or legs) of this one idea. I’m taking notes on how I can transform it into another piece of online content.

2) EMAIL

Members of your audience are subscribed to your email list because they WANT more of you. They look forward to your content showing up directly in their inbox every week. So, give the people what they want. Share this blog in a newsletter. Write a quick anecdote about the content, share some key points from the piece, then link the blog so they can read it in its entirety.

3) VIDEO

Online video has become increasingly popular for online marketing (source). But, I’ve found through working with clients that video is the one medium we’re all the most hesitant about. And for plenty of reasons. Looking good on camera, finding the right lighting, having proper equipment, etc. etc. However, every bit of content doesn’t have to be as perfect as your ego is telling you. Pursuit of perfection is an excuse we use to not show up where we need to. So, how do you repurpose an idea into a video? Start by jotting down some notes and then condense those notes into a script. Engage your audience up front, let them know what to expect from your video. Then…share your idea with them! Face to face.

4) OPT-IN/FREEBIE

For starters, you should turn that video you just made into an opt-in. An opt-in is a free piece of content your audience signs up for, and through their signing up they are added to your email list. The bigger your email list, the more eyeballs on your content. So for example, I could call my video about this topic “A Free Training On How To Repurpose Content”. I can include a PDF or e-book along with it, with a step-by-step guide on how to execute this process. Then, I’ll offer it to my audience and they’ll sign up for it because I know it’s something they need. Remember: free content needs to be valuable (aka something you know they need).

5) SOCIAL MEDIA POST

Now, this is different from sharing the same piece of content across all the social media platforms. What I mean for you to do here is to take that one idea we started with (How To Repurpose Content) and turn it into separate social media posts. Each platform serves its own purpose and generates different types of content. Knowing that, we can cater our content to each audience. For example:

• Facebook: I would share a story or anecdote about a client I’m working with who didn’t know they could repurpose their existing content and share an example of how they learned to do it through working with me. I could share a photo of them, link to their page or share a piece of their content for a material example. The Facebook audience (as opposed to the audiences of other SM platforms) engage and resonate with content in their newsfeeds that they can relate with. My audience can relate to this story because my audience consists of potential clients who are in this exact situation.
• Twitter: 140 characters can go a long way. Here I would share a quick point about this topic. “Sharing your message that one time, in that one place, is like mumbling under your breath. They can’t hear you.” Use those 140 characters to strike a chord.
• Pinterest: There is a TON of content out there teaching us how to better utilize this super platform (source). However, for this example I’ll keep it simple. Pinterest is a visual platform supported by strong call to action (the “repin”). So I can create a graphic detailing the main points of this idea so my audience can save it to refer to later. ProTip: Keep your graphics vertical, clean & simple.
• Instagram: Now, here we have a strictly visual experience. When we go to Instagram, we want to see aesthetically stimulating photos. Not every idea will lend itself so seamlessly; however, I believe most can be turned into posts. For this example, I could post a resonating quote from this blog. Or an image of repurposed furniture and tie it into the idea through the caption.

The way we repurpose content online has everything to do with our own individual brand voices. We need to know the language of our online audience and cater our content to them in that language. These are just some examples of the many ways you can take one little idea and repurpose it into different versions of content for your audience to consume.

What type of content do your ideas usually start as? How are you going to repurpose content to reach more of your audience? Let me know in the comments! 

Originally shared as a guest blog post on elizabethkbradley.com.