Repurposing. On purpose.

Repurpose is a such a lovely word isn’t it. Much better than repeat. Or reuse. Or recycle.

I’m talking content of course. Because the thought of reusing old content sounds a bit naff. And repeating things you’ve said before might seem lazy. And recycling previous content lacks creativity. Or does it?

In the end, it’s all semantics. Because the aim of repurposing is twofold. It saves you time. But, more importantly, you get a second chance to help people (I’m assuming here that the content you’re producing is useful in some way; that it helps your customers or audience).

If you’ve written a blog for example or got a lovey new website, chances are that not everyone has read it. So repurposing it into a series of social posts saves you time, makes it easier to digest and gets useful content in front of more people.

Get comfy with repurposing 

We all repurpose content on a daily basis. We frame things in the same way. We tell the same stories or anecdotes to different people and we share interesting ideas we’ve seen or read somewhere else. And it’s no different with your own content. 

What have you already got?

Whenever I sit down to write for my own business, my first thought is often around what I’ve already got to get me started. I spend so much time writing for other brands I have less time to write my own stuff. And a blank page and blinking cursor can be pretty intimidating.  

Take this blog for example. I sat here looking at a page of blog titles ideas that I add to on a regular basis. I’m short on time but I want to write something useful. The theme of repurposing jumped out at me because I’ve already written a guide to repurposing your LinkedIn profile. And sometimes, that’s all you need. A structure that already exists. A topic you’ve written about before. Or a piece of communication that has so much value in it, it’s crying out to be chunked up and shared in a slightly different way. 

So get comfy with repurposing (you’re doing people a favour) and read these easy ways to repurpose existing content…

#1 | The deconstructed blog (or website)  

Take your latest blog. Or better still, the best blog you’ve ever written. Or that website content you spent so long writing (or paid a copywriter to write!) 

Re-read it and highlight any sections or paragraphs that are particularly interesting or have a point to make on their own. Repurpose this content as a series of social posts or micro blogs. 

And if you’ve written anything that include ‘5 ways to…’ or ‘10 top tips’, you’ve got 5 (or 10) separate social posts right there. 

You might need to tweak the opening and closing line so the info makes sense out of context, but you’ve already done the hard work so make it work even harder for you.  

#2 | The blatant copy / paste repurpose  

Proud of your latest email? Want more people to hear what you worked so hard to write? Copy the copy and paste it into a social post. If it’s too long, edit it down or copy the best bits. 

Not everyone reads emails. Some emails don’t make it past the ‘Other’ folder. Sometimes, people intend to read an email and then forget. So sharing it on a social post just gives people another chance to read it. And you never know, it might even generate more sign-ups to your newsletter as a result. 

#3 | Big up your blog

If you write a regular blog and have been putting off starting an email newsletter, do the opposite of tip #2. 

Make sure the introductory paragraph of your blog is really interesting, with a powerful hook. Use this as the main copy for your email newsletter with a invitation to read the remainder on your website. 

Add in a testimonial (repurposed from Google Reviews) or a useful tip. And you’re good to go.

#4 | The tip you’ve already told  

Think about the last piece of advice you shared. In a conversation with a client. At a networking event. Or in a meeting with a potential prospect. 

Whenever you give advice, make a quick note of it on your phone and you’ve got a top tip you can repurpose right there. You probably give advice all the time, so once you get into the habit of noting it down, you’ll have an endless supply of top tips to share on social media or in your email newsletter. 

You could even turn a piece of advice into a blog. And so the repurposing goes on.    

#5 | Rework your finest work

Hint; this is me repurposing one of the tips from my handy guide…

Spent lots of time working on your LinkedIn Profile? Reuse it!

Chunk it up into 4 short social posts and share one each week. That’s a month’s worth of social posts right there!

• A bit about you; who are you, what do you stand for (lift the first line or para from your LinkedIn bio)
• Share something personal (a hobby, an interest or a little known fact). Hint, lift the last para from your LinkedIn bio
• Share the snapshot summary of your services as a business promotion post as a ‘Did you know we…’ or ‘Here’s how we help our customers…’
• Share a past role or project that meant a lot to you. Start it with ‘People often ask what my favourite project has been over the years. This was my favourite:
• Share why you set up your company. A tiny insight in to your why and what your business stands for 

And if you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile in years, and you’d like a profile that packs a punch and talks to your ideal customers, book a chat with me.