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Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - The Power of Repurposing
Repurposing old content can be an extremely powerful tactic for content creators and marketers. Rather than starting from scratch every time you need new content, repurposing allows you to maximize the value of content you have already created. The best part is that repurposing often requires minimal additional effort. With some creative thinking, you can give old content new life across multiple formats and channels.
One of the biggest benefits of repurposing content is saving time and resources. Creating high-quality, engaging content requires significant time and effort. When you repurpose an existing piece of content, you skip many of the initial steps of the content creation process, including research, interviews, and initial writing. This allows you to get new content out faster and focus your limited resources on other important tasks.
Repurposing also allows you to connect with a broader audience. Chances are that your existing content didn't reach every potential reader, viewer, or listener the first time around. By presenting the content in a new format, packaging it for a different platform, or tweaking the headline and introduction, you can expose the content to new eyes. Repurposing is about distribution as much as it is about revamping content.
Many successful creators swear by the power of repurposing. Copyblogger co-founder Brian Clark has repurposed his content over 100 times, knowing that each repurposing brings a new wave of traffic and engagement. Other creators have turned existing blog posts into videos, podcasts, and even books through repurposing.
When executed strategically, repurposing can become a efficient, scalable content marketing tactic. The creators of the Buffer blog leveraged repurposing to quickly increase their number of blog posts from 25 to 75 per month. By repurposing in-depth guides and resources into compact social media updates, they were able to reach 10x more people with the same amount of initial content.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Finding Hidden Gems in Your Archive
Uncovering overlooked gems in your existing content archive can be an incredibly rewarding part of the repurposing process. Every creator has pieces of content that, for one reason or another, didn't get the attention they deserved the first time around. By revisiting old posts with fresh eyes, you may find creative ways to give this hidden content new life.
One of the best ways to uncover forgotten gems is to take the time to review and audit your content library. Make a list of existing posts, videos, podcasts, etc. and scan through each one, jotting down repurposing ideas as they come to you. Tag or bookmark any posts that you feel have untapped potential. Setting aside a few hours for an extensive audit can reveal content possibilities you may have otherwise overlooked.
As you review old content, keep an eye out for posts with solid evergreen advice or insights that hold up over time. For example, a post on effective email marketing strategies from 5 years ago likely contains helpful tips that still apply today. With some updating, examples of refreshed statistics, and a new introduction, evergreen posts like this can be successfully repackaged.
Also look for well-performing cornerstone content that lent itself to spin-off posts or series potential that you never got around to leveraging. Repurposing standalone posts into a cohesive series with natural tie-ins helps boost engagement. Turning one-off posts into recurring features or segments works similarly.
Content that received positive feedback but didn't reach a wide audience can also be ripe for repurposing. A podcast episode that led to great discussion in the comments but wasn't promoted beyond your core audience could have wings as a blog post or video. Repackaging for a new channel gives niche content a signal boost.
Viral content that had its 15 minutes of fame can also be given renewed energy with the right repurposing tactics. Reimagining an old viral post as a video explainer or commentary piece allows you to bank on that nostalgia factor while producing something fresh.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Giving Posts a Fresh Coat of Paint
There are a variety of ways to freshen up old posts with a new coat of creative paint. One of the simplest and most effective tactics is to create an updated version that incorporates new facts, examples, and statistics. For instance, an old blog post on social media tips could get a complete refresh with current data on platform demographics and usage. Swapping out the outdated numbers and adding relevant 2021 insights makes the post feel cutting edge.
Compiling examples of how others have successfully refreshed evergreen content can provide inspiration. The creative team behind the Buffer blog gave new energy to timeless posts through imaginative tactics like asking industry experts to "guestimate" key stats that needed updating or adding a "6 Years Later" preface with lessons learned over time. Taking a tongue-in-cheek approach allowed them to acknowledge the post's age while having fun with the refresh.
Reimagining the post's format and medium opens new creative possibilities. Turning a standard blog post into a compelling infographic or video reshapes the content in an eye-catching way. The whitespace and visual elements of an infographic give readers an inviting path through the information. Short animated videos distill complex written content into snappy, digestible bites. Companies like Venngage and Biteable make it easy to recreate blog posts in these engaging new formats.
Collaborating with others can bring unexpected new perspectives to stale posts. Some creative repurposing ideas include conducting a short interview with an industry thought leader to add insights from an outside voice. Mashing up content from complementary old posts into a fresh conversation, debate, or Q&A between colleagues can produce an engaging new piece.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Turning Posts into Videos
Transforming written blog posts into videos can breathe new life into old content in an eye-catching and engaging way. Explainer videos that distill in-depth blog posts into succinct, energetic bites are an increasingly popular repurposing format. For creators looking to expand their multimedia presence, converting posts to videos makes perfect sense.
The rise of platforms like YouTube and TikTok has conditioned modern audiences to favor short-form video content. Attention spans are lower than ever, so presenting information in scannable, dynamic video form can dramatically boost content resonance. Studies show that viewers retain 95% of a message when conveyed through video compared to just 10% when reading text. Videos simply make content more digestible.
Turning blog posts into videos also allows you to leverage the power of multimedia rather than relying solely on written words. Combining energetic voiceovers, snappy visuals, and subtle background music into videos activates multiple learning modes at once. Audiences engage more when consuming content through visual, auditory and kinetic elements.
Explainer videos are an especially fitting video format for repurposing long blog posts. Maintaining viewers' interest is critical when adapting dense, complex written content into video form. Explainer videos use upbeat hosts, sleek graphics, and succinct scripting to simplifying complex topics in bite-sized chunks. Resources like Doodly and Animaker make it easy to create professional explainers.
For Lindah Kikonzo, transforming her popular blog posts into animated explainers led to a surge in growth. She saw her YouTube channel skyrocket from 178 to 78,000 subscribers in just one year by repurposing written tutorials into simplified, engaging videos optimized for visual learners. Other creators have successfully turned blog posts into lively interviews, succinct fast-fact videos, and conversational vlogs by putting thought into framing.
The Nashville startup Emma set out to repurpose their blog content into videos after seeing that their existing educational videos generated more conversions than text-based content. By adapting in-depth blog posts into punchy 60-90 second videos, they expanded their multimedia content library quickly using existing resources. Views and engagement increased exponentially.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Repackaging Evergreen Content
Repackaging evergreen content is a highly effective repurposing strategy because it allows you to re-promote your timeless, high-quality content that has stood the test of time. The term "evergreen" refers to content that remains relevant, useful, and interesting to readers year after year, regardless of when it was originally published. Some examples of evergreen content include in-depth tutorials and guides, product reviews for classic items, deeply researched think pieces, and authoritative pieces explaining core concepts. This time-tested content often has great backlink profiles, engagement, and traffic potential that can be reactivated through smart repurposing.
Giving evergreen content new packaging helps rejuvenate existing authority and value. Without alteration, evergreen posts run the risk of blending into your content archive after the initial buzz. Repackaging through a new headline, introduction, images, and promotion plan makes the content feel fresh and timely again even if the core remains unchanged. Evergreen content often addresses universal themes people continually search for answers on like "how to bake chocolate chip cookies" or "what is SEO". Repackaged evergreen content allows you to tap back into this perpetual interest cycle.
One effective way to repackage evergreen posts is to create updated versions that incorporate latest facts and stats while keeping the overall framework the same. Company blogs like Orbit Media Studios have found success repackaging evergreen pillars like their Beginner's Guide to SEO each year with refreshed examples, industry developments, and expert perspectives. This helps them tap into search intent around evergreen topics from audiences wanting both timeless advice and timely updates.
Turning evergreen posts into new formats like videos, podcasts, or infographics can also bring new visibility. For instance, marketing thought leader Neil Patel took his best evergreen blog posts and reimagined them as simple, engaging videos which exponentially grew his YouTube following. Repackaging for different platforms casts content in a fresh light.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Expanding Existing Posts
Expanding and building upon existing evergreen posts is an extremely effective repurposing technique. Adding more in-depth information, additional tips, and expanded examples to already authoritative content allows you to provide even more value to readers. The longer and more comprehensive a detailed post becomes, the more it gets ranked and recommended as a definitive guide on a topic.
Many top bloggers and thought leaders swear by routinely expanding their most popular pillar content to turn them into true masterpieces. Copyblogger co-founder Brian Clark has expanded his foundational content like 'How to Build a Niche Site' at least 5 times over the years as his knowledge and experience deepens. He's found that each expansion brings another surge of searches, links, and discussion. The more expanded and all-encompassing the post becomes, the more authority it carries on the topic.
Expanding posts works especially well for evergreen tutorials, how-tos, and listicles that address broad topics people want extensive education around like "social media marketing tips" or "home workout plans". There is often demand for both bite-sized overviews and epic deep dives on these perpetual interests. Starting with a solid base post then progressively expanding it to add more layers, nuance, and personalized guidance allows you to corner both needs.
Erika Kullberg transformed a simple post on 'Morning Routines of Successful Women' into a trusted 10,000 word manifesto on the topic by continuously expanding it over 5 years. She doubled down on what readers wanted more of like actionable tips, specific examples, and scientific research into why routines matter. The expanded version earned 10x more traffic because it gave those invested in morning routines the comprehensive guide they craved.
Repurposing through expansion satisfies reader's thirst for depth. The initial base post acts as a hook, then expansions meet the demand from engaged visitors who want to keep diving deeper into a topic. This phased expansion approach works perfectly for list posts too. A post on '15 Social Media Post Ideas' can become '50 Social Media Post Ideas' then '100 Post Ideas' over time. List lovers never tire of more curated, personalized suggestions.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Updating Outdated Information
Keeping your evergreen content updated with the latest facts, figures, and insights is crucial for maintaining its relevance and authority over time. While the underlying framework and core advice within evergreen posts remains timeless, statistics, trends, tools, and real-world examples gradually become outdated. Readers expecting both timely information and timeless guidance will quickly disengage from evergreen content that feels stale and dated.
Adding refreshed information and examples to evergreen content keeps it feeling current rather than relics of a past era. Google also favors regularly updated content in search rankings, as fresh information indicates the post is still actively maintained and improved.
Updating outdated details shows audiences your commitment to creating content that evolves with your industry. It also reinforces your own expertise and comprehension of latest developments. Readers want to trust you have your finger on the pulse.
Many top creators set reminders to revisit evergreen pillars yearly to update data points, trends, and references. Brian Dean refreshes his in-depth SEO guides annually, swapping outdated facts for the latest search engine algorithm changes, ranking factors, and platform demographics. This content staple on Backlinko continually ranks as a must-read. Conversion expert Unbounce also revisits evergreen guides yearly to swap outdated stats, add fresh examples, and reference new industry whitepapers. The updates keep the content timely.
Expanding posts makes room to address outdated sections in more detail. Neil Patel takes every opportunity to expand his evergreen content, noting "With more words, I can elaborate on outdated areas." The extra space allows him to fully refresh old examples rather than just swapping a few numbers.
Thought leader Sujan Patel transformed overly specific, dated references by generalizing them into more universal insights and takeaways. He notes, "Rather than scrapping the outdated details I tried to find the broader lessons and trends." For instance, instead of quoting a trendy social media platform's user statistics, he might highlight the importance of conducting ongoing audience research. The time-tested wisdom remains without dated details.
Give Your Content a Makeover: How to Breathe New Life into Old Posts - Promoting Refreshed Content
Once you've invested the time into refreshing your old content, promotion is crucial for getting it back on readers' radars. Without an amplification strategy, even the most creatively revamped post risks going unnoticed within your content archive. Promoting refreshed content shares your hard work while maximizing its new potential.
First, look for low-hanging fruit opportunities to showcase refreshed posts to your existing audience. Repurposing content into a new format like video or podcasting provides a natural promotion hook. Announce the new multimedia version of evergreen content through your main social media channels and email newsletter. This taps into built-in audiences already inclined to engage with your work.
Your email list is especially powerful for promoting refreshed content. Devote a section of your newsletter to highlight refreshed posts readers may have missed the first time. Writing a short, engaging email specifically announcing fresh takes on popular archived posts invites readers to re-engage with timeless wisdom made new again.
Promoting refreshed evergreen pillars and cornerstone content to niche communities and influencers within your industry can expand their second life. Look for Facebook groups, subreddits, or LinkedIn circles laser-focused on the post's core topic and share it as a curated, updated educational resource. Niche communities are constantly seeking the latest knowledge.
PR opportunities also abound with refreshed evergreen content, especially if you can craft an engaging angle. Updating and expanding niche guides, how-tos and reports to include the latest insights and trends can generate great pitch ideas. Refreshing cornerstone content shows your commitment to creating content that evolves with your industry. Use this narrative as a news hook for earned media potential.
Look beyond your own channels by engaging other creators and communities. Reach out to complementary influencers and websites to see if they would be interested in featuring or highlighting your refreshed take on evergreen content. Getting re-featured extends the content's visibility.
Collaborating with a popular creator in your niche to refresh cornerstone content can provide built-in promotion opportunities. The influencer shares the update with their own audience while lending their perspective and authority.
Optimizing distribution across social platforms boosts refreshed content's reach. Update links and copy on old posts across networks. Run new social ads, especially video ads for visually refreshed content. Test repromoting through paid avenues.
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