Making new content can be hard. That’s right, we came right out and said it. Some businesses pretend it’s easy to endlessly produce the newest and freshest content, but let us tell you, they’re full of it. And we’re not the only ones who think so, either. We hear from a lot of business owners who say they’re running out of ideas or the time to think of new ones. So, we’ll tell you the secret that others won’t: The best marketers recycle content.
What Is Recycling Content?
Businesses recycle content when they take old blog posts, videos, podcasts, images, articles, or email copy and repurpose them in a different way. We say the best marketers do it because recycling content saves a ton of time and effort. It’s the easiest way to keep your content production steady without losing any creative steam.
Why Should I Recycle Content?
As we mentioned, recycling content saves you a lot of time and effort when it comes to your marketing. Beyond that, however, it also has a few other important advantages you’ll need if you’re trying to grow your business.
Improved Efficiency
It’s been proven that brands that post content between 2–4 times a week see the highest results. When you recycle content, your work is already halfway over. You can create content much faster if you reuse information you’ve already collected and, ultimately, increase the number of times you publish each week. The more you post, the higher your engagement and, eventually, your sales.
Better Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines like Google prefer newer content when it decides how to rank it, so minimally recycling your content to post it fresh will automatically put you higher on Google’s radar. You can also recycle content by updating relevant keywords to help rank higher when people search for your topic. Maybe you published a blog with the keyword “financial profit” in 2019 but see that now you have a higher chance of improving your SEO if you change the keyword to “financial growth.” Taking existing content, updating a few keywords, and posting it fresh on your site can dramatically increase the traffic and visibility of your brand.
More Exposure
Each time you publish content, whether new or recycled, it’s a chance for someone to find your brand. This is especially true when you’re cross-posting old content over different platforms. Just because you made a podcast episode 2 years ago doesn’t mean everyone on YouTube has heard it. Recycling content can increase your exposure to new audiences in different marketing channels.
Also, remember not every person in your demographic has seen every piece of content you have created. Sometimes people take breaks from the internet or don’t read blogs, use social media, or subscribe to company emails. It could be that the second time you post your content is the first time someone sees it.
How Do I Recycle Content?
You can recycle your old content in several ways to become a master marketer. Here are the methods we’ve found to be the most successful.
Cross-Post It
Let’s say you wrote a blog post last year and decided you’re going to recycle it. Instead of just reposting it in a new blog post, consider using it as a script for a podcast episode or talking points in a YouTube video. You could take videos you have created in the past and send them out in an email or publish it on social media. The options for recycling content on different platforms are endless because you can move through them all using the same piece of original content.
Make An Infographic
Customers love bite-size pieces of information that are easy to understand and remember. Condense that 2,000-word blog into a 5-step flow chart or list! You could send these infographics in emails, include them in your newsletter, or send out physical copies to clients.
Teach A Course
You’re an expert in your field; that’s why you create content people can trust. So, take a few pieces of content from the past, and use them to create a seminar, workshop, or online course. If you don’t have physical space where you can provide instruction, try software like GoToWebinar, which can help you seamlessly set up and host your courses virtually.
When it comes to your content marketing, work smarter, not harder. Save yourself the struggle of a creative block and recycle content to increase engagement without the hassle. The best marketers do it, and now you can, too.
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