3 Brilliant Reasons You Need To Repurpose Old Content

Once upon a time, bloggers and content marketers could just throw a post up on their blog and traffic would come pouring in. Sadly, that time is long past.

These days, if you want to do anything other than constantly pump out new content (like run your business, for instance  😳 ), you need to repurpose old content.

What about 'duplicate content?'

Wait - repurpose old content? Is that even legal? Yep. Believe it or not, reusing old content is a perfectly awesome way to extend and amplify the content you create (if you're worried about "duplicate content penalties," read the first part of this article from SEO expert Neil Patel. I'll wait. All done?  Okay, let's keep going).

See, here's the thing. We all know that the Internet is jam-packed full of content these days. So if you want your content to get noticed, you need a strategy beyond just putting out yet more content.

You need to squeeze every drop of marketing value from your content

But how? If creating new content regularly isn't enough, what can you do to pump up the volume?

That's where repurposing comes in. By repurposing, reclaiming, reimagining, recycling, and reusing (isn't this fun?) your content in a variety of ways, you get the maximum marketing value out of each and every bit you create.

I know the title says "3 Reasons." But repurposing your content actually offers a ton of benefits - seriously, a TON.

So many, in fact, that I bunched them into 3 main groups to make this post manageable (don't worry, I'll be talking about all the particulars more in future posts) - hence, 3 Reasons. So let's get into it, shall we?

3 Brilliant Reasons to Repurpose Old Content

Brilliant Reason #1:  Reach

One of the primary reasons we engage in content marketing in the first place is to reach new audiences. Improving your ability to do that, then, is definitely a big reason to repurpose your content. When you reimagine your content into a variety of formats, it improves your reach in the following ways:

• Improves your SEO which makes you more visible on Google and pulls more traffic to your site.
• Provides backlink opportunities. When another site links to your content, it means you are being exposed to new audiences who might otherwise never find you. AND it boosts your SEO even more.
• Produce higher-quality content. Instead of pumping out lots of mediocre content, you can create awesome content with depth and breadth. That epic content can then be repurposed effectively, which means it's more likely to be shared and draw in new audiences.
• More content for social media sharing. Repurposing content for social media makes consistently filling your social calendar easy.
• Reach audiences in their preferred style. Some people are readers, while others prefer audio or video. Reach them ALL, no matter where they hang out, with your reimagined content.
• Resurface successful older content. Why let that once-popular post languish? Brush off the dust, update it a bit, repurpose that sucker and get it back to work.
• Extend content shelf-life and value. No more one-and-done content. Keep it working to its maximum potential.
• Increases engagement. Seeing your content often, in different formats and places, is more likely to inspire a click, a comment, or a share.
• Create evergreen content. Build those content pillars with solid, evergreen content that can be reused and linked to, and become the go-to authority in your topic.
• Provides cross-promotion. Cross-linking is great for your SEO, helps pull your audience deeper into more of your content, and reinforces your message. Win, win, win.
• Be everywhere. Or at least, make it feel like you are. Blog post becomes video becomes podcast becomes social posts. Voila! Everywhere.

"Why let that once-popular post languish? Brush off the dust, update it a bit, repurpose that sucker and get it back to work."

Brilliant Reason #2:  Improve Marketing Results

Sometimes we forget the whole purpose of creating content in the first place is to market your business. Whether it's your blog or a product or service, the desired result remains the same - to get people to engage, click, and buy (or at least view, depending on your business model). Repurposing improves your marketing results because it. . .

• Increases online presence. You are no longer just a blogger (or podcaster or vlogger). You're a multi-channel marketer. Your content appears on your website, on a variety of social media platforms, and a bunch of other sites on the web. All of it spreads your message, increases your authority and visibility, and buildsyour online presence.
• Strengthens messaging. Seeing your message consistently but in a multitude of ways reinforces your message every time your follower sees it.
• Satisfies the Rule of 7. The Rule of 7 states that your potential customers or clients need to interact with your message at least 7 times (probably a lot more, these days) before they will consider purchasing. Repurposing makes achieving that number a whole lot easier to accomplish.
• Increases Know, Like, Trust factor. Before your potential clients and customers will do business with you, they need to feel that they know, like, and trust you. Build that KLT factor with a consistent message across all customer touchpoints.
• Creates a broader base of content to pull in targeted traffic. 'Nuff said.
• Targets by customer buying stage. If you have mapped out your customer's Buying Journey, you can repurpose existing content to more specifically target specific stages of that journey.
• Targets by market. Take your broad topic article (ex. 'How to Eat Right in 2023') and easily tweak it for specific target markets (ex. 'How Busy Moms Can Eat Right in 2023' or 'Finally Eat Right in 2023 for Junk Food Lovers').
• Redeems less successful content. Don't write off old content as a wasted effort. Fix it up, reimagine it, and get it working for you again!
• Increases conversion rates. This ties back to the KLT factor and Rule of 7. Deeper messaging, more exposure, more touchpoints = more conversions.
• Increases brand awareness. Before your audience can think about buying from you, they have to know you exist, right? What better way than to be everywhere they are looking?
• Increases credibility. Seeing your great content everywhere lets your audience know you are an authority in your niche.

"You are no longer just a blogger (or podcaster or vlogger). You're a multi-channel marketer."

Brilliant Reason #3:  Makes Your Life Easier

We are all on the quest to make running our businesses easier and more fun, right? I know I am. Repurposing can help with that, too, in a variety of ways.

• Reduce pressure to produce. Less original content overall means less pressure to pump out new content every day.
• Maximize time and effort. If you're taking the time to create content in the first place, why not make it GREAT content and then squeeze every drop of goodness from it?
• Achieve multiple goals. That blog post that consistently drives traffic to your blog? It would probably make a great brochure to hand out at your next in-person event. And so on.
• Easier to create. Repurposing your existing content into multiple new forms is quicker and easier to do than coming up with creating new original content. Hands down.
• More efficient. Which is more efficient - taking hours to create content that only gets used once? Or taking that content and reimagining it into multiple forms? I'll let you decide.
• Consistency. We all know consistency is key, both in your publishing schedule and in your messaging. Repurposing helps you achieve both.
• Easy to delegate. Outsourcing original content is tough. Tough to get someone who can interpret your vision and communicate with your voice. But repurposing that original content? Easy. All the building blocks are there, waiting to be reimagined into exciting new things.

"Which is more efficient - taking hours to create content that only gets used once? Or taking that content and reimagining it into multiple forms? I'll let you decide."

There you have it! 3 brilliant reasons (that are actually 29) you need to repurpose your old content.

Remember to consider YOUR target market when you start repurposing content. Where do your ideal clients hang out? What kind of content would they like to see?

Remember, the kind of content busy executives want to view is going to be quite a bit different from stay-at-home moms. Be sure to make strategic decisions to get the most from your efforts. If you would like to add repurposing into your content marketing plan and enjoy all of these benefits, I can help.