When it comes to content marketing, you do everything right. You track trends, listen to your community, find compelling angles, and draft picture perfect blog posts like a boss.
Except…when you don't. Maybe you got busy, or maybe you just couldn't think of something worthwhile to say. It happens to all of us, whether we like to admit it or not.
Maintaining a consistent editorial calendar is challenging, especially when you're focused on other things (you know, like running your business). But having good, fresh content is key to any successful inbound marketing strategy, so you can't afford to take a day off.
Fortunately, there's a solution: become a content DJ.
Just like a good DJ can mix different music to create something new, you can repurpose old content to give it a fresh spin. Not only will this save you time and help you get more value from your content, it also will provide a better experience for your customers.
Not everyone consumes content in the same way. While one person may enjoy reading a blog post, someone else may enjoy watching a video or listening to a podcast. The more diverse you can make your content, the more likely you are to connect with your audience. So how do you get started?
1) Find Your Content
Step one to becoming a content DJ is finding the content you want to remix. Think of how a DJ browses through used records to find something that's especially unique. It's not about starting over, but building on top of something that's already great.
Check Google Analytics to find your most popular blog posts or articles. You want something that resonated with your readers, but is also still relevant. Once you've found your best pieces of evergreen content, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to breathe fresh life into them.
2) Chop It Up
For DJs, “chopping" means breaking a piece of music into smaller parts. You can do something very similar with a blog article. If you have a popular list post, consider breaking down each numbered item and creating a separate blog post. You already have most of the information, you just need to flesh it out a bit.
As an example, check out 6 Useful Tips to Boost Your Average Order Value. With just a little bit of work, this could easily be turned into multiple individual posts like “How To Increase Your Average Order Value with Free Shipping."
You have to be careful when using this technique to not simply copy and paste the old content. Not only will Google punish websites for posting duplicate content, but it's also a poor experience for your readers. The efficiency comes from re-using the core ideas from your list post, not from plagiarizing your own work.
3) Make a Slideshow
One of the best ways to repurpose old content is to tell your story visually. Let's use the list post example again. It doesn't take much effort to go from a five-item list post to a five-slide presentation. You just have to simplify the content into bullet points and add supporting images for each slide.
Once you have your presentation built, post it to SlideShare. SlideShare has a very active community, so you'll likely get some good exposure there organically and through direct search. Plus, you can then easily embed it on your website or share it on social media.
4) Make an Infographic
Another way to give old content new life visually is to create an infographic. This usually works best for content that is data-focused, but you can get creative. Speaking of which, if you can afford to hire a designer, do it. They're trained professionals and can help you think about the content in ways you may not have considered.
If you're strapped for cash, however, there are some very impressive free services online like Infogr.am, Piktochart and Canva that you can try.
5) Join the A/V Club
Many people think that making a video or recording a podcast is too difficult and time-consuming, but with modern technology it's surprisingly easy. In fact, you have more moviemaking power in your iPhone and laptop than most directors had only 10 years ago. If you've got a great piece of content, consider turning it into a video blog or podcast.
Remember that your audience doesn't want the content to be identical, so you'll have to add something new. If you're making a video, consider how adding simple animation could help illustrate your point. For a podcast, consider turning the topic of the blog post into a point-counterpoint conversation with an expert.
This strategy also works in reverse. If you're starting with a great video or podcast, you can easily turn this content into text-based blogs or other written materials. A transcription services like Speechpad can give you a transcript quickly and affordably, which you can then re-work into an article.
While these techniques can help you get the most out of your old content, you shouldn't think of them as short-term solutions for filling space. With a little bit of planning, you can easily turn this into a best practice for all of your content marketing. That's when you'll become a true content DJ. Now all you need is a cool nickname.
Maintaining a consistent editorial calendar is challenging, especially when you're focused on other things (you know, like running your business). But having good, fresh content is key to any successful inbound marketing strategy, so you can't afford to take a day off.
Fortunately, there's a solution: become a content DJ.
Just like a good DJ can mix different music to create something new, you can repurpose old content to give it a fresh spin. Not only will this save you time and help you get more value from your content, it also will provide a better experience for your customers.
Not everyone consumes content in the same way. While one person may enjoy reading a blog post, someone else may enjoy watching a video or listening to a podcast. The more diverse you can make your content, the more likely you are to connect with your audience. So how do you get started?
1) Find Your Content
Step one to becoming a content DJ is finding the content you want to remix. Think of how a DJ browses through used records to find something that's especially unique. It's not about starting over, but building on top of something that's already great.
Check Google Analytics to find your most popular blog posts or articles. You want something that resonated with your readers, but is also still relevant. Once you've found your best pieces of evergreen content, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to breathe fresh life into them.
2) Chop It Up
For DJs, “chopping" means breaking a piece of music into smaller parts. You can do something very similar with a blog article. If you have a popular list post, consider breaking down each numbered item and creating a separate blog post. You already have most of the information, you just need to flesh it out a bit.
As an example, check out 6 Useful Tips to Boost Your Average Order Value. With just a little bit of work, this could easily be turned into multiple individual posts like “How To Increase Your Average Order Value with Free Shipping."
You have to be careful when using this technique to not simply copy and paste the old content. Not only will Google punish websites for posting duplicate content, but it's also a poor experience for your readers. The efficiency comes from re-using the core ideas from your list post, not from plagiarizing your own work.
3) Make a Slideshow
One of the best ways to repurpose old content is to tell your story visually. Let's use the list post example again. It doesn't take much effort to go from a five-item list post to a five-slide presentation. You just have to simplify the content into bullet points and add supporting images for each slide.
Once you have your presentation built, post it to SlideShare. SlideShare has a very active community, so you'll likely get some good exposure there organically and through direct search. Plus, you can then easily embed it on your website or share it on social media.
4) Make an Infographic
Another way to give old content new life visually is to create an infographic. This usually works best for content that is data-focused, but you can get creative. Speaking of which, if you can afford to hire a designer, do it. They're trained professionals and can help you think about the content in ways you may not have considered.
If you're strapped for cash, however, there are some very impressive free services online like Infogr.am, Piktochart and Canva that you can try.
5) Join the A/V Club
Many people think that making a video or recording a podcast is too difficult and time-consuming, but with modern technology it's surprisingly easy. In fact, you have more moviemaking power in your iPhone and laptop than most directors had only 10 years ago. If you've got a great piece of content, consider turning it into a video blog or podcast.
Remember that your audience doesn't want the content to be identical, so you'll have to add something new. If you're making a video, consider how adding simple animation could help illustrate your point. For a podcast, consider turning the topic of the blog post into a point-counterpoint conversation with an expert.
This strategy also works in reverse. If you're starting with a great video or podcast, you can easily turn this content into text-based blogs or other written materials. A transcription services like Speechpad can give you a transcript quickly and affordably, which you can then re-work into an article.
While these techniques can help you get the most out of your old content, you shouldn't think of them as short-term solutions for filling space. With a little bit of planning, you can easily turn this into a best practice for all of your content marketing. That's when you'll become a true content DJ. Now all you need is a cool nickname.
Rob FrappierRob is a creative content strategist from Detroit. When he’s not developing integrated marketing campaigns, he’s probably watching Netflix.
