One of the elements of most content marketing strategies is a blog. Thanks to a blog’s ability to contribute to brand awareness and search engine optimization success. Blogging is a smart place to start when trying to build your online presence.
Unfortunately, blog posts have to be refreshed pretty regularly. Keeping up with them and the other material required by your content marketing strategy can feel a little overwhelming. That is when reusing blog material can be a handy way to save time.
If you need some creative ideas for turning old blog posts into content gold, here are 10 suggestions.
1) Package old blog posts into a white paper or guide for your content marketing strategy.
Once your blog has been running for a while, it is likely you will have several posts on similar topics. For example, you might have a blog post about what conflict-free diamonds are, one about how to find these types of diamonds, another on reasons to purchase them, and so forth. If you want to reuse this content, consider turning the series of blog posts into a longer white paper or guide for email lists and potential clients.
2) Use internal data to create case studies for your content marketing strategy.
Often, you can use information from within the blog post in your content marketing strategy. If you find that you reference internal data, you can often use that data to create detailed case studies. For example, if you mention a client who enjoyed 30 percent more interest in a house thanks to your real estate business, consider turning that example into a case study to go on your website.
3) Use statistics in blog posts as visual content for your content marketing strategy.
If you are creating strong blog posts, chances are you are using compelling statistics on a fairly regular basis. Consider turning these statistics into visual content for your website or social media platforms. For example, if you have blog posts referencing the statistical benefits of disconnecting from the screen, you can turn those statistics into an infographic. Quick, digestible pieces of visual information can go a long way toward engaging your social media network and website visitors.
4) Turn a blog post into a podcast for your content marketing strategy.
Audio content can also be a valuable element of your content marketing strategy. Consider turning the written material of your blog post into a compelling podcast. For example, you can take that series of blog posts on conflict-free diamonds and have one of your experts base a podcast on that material for your audiences. With reused blog content, you may be able to create a weekly or monthly audio series with a minimum of effort.
5) Turn a blog series into an ebook for your content marketing strategy.
Similar to taking a blog series and turning it into a white paper or a guide, you could turn blog material into an ebook for your content marketing strategy. This option works best for topics on which you already have a significant amount of material since you will need to write anywhere from 10,000 to 80,000 words. While a large project, reused material can help you to simplify it while allowing you to position yourself as a thought leader in your field by creating an in-depth and useful reflection on an important industry topic.
6) Turn part of your blog post into a social media post.
You can also turn an old blog post into a social media post. Consider taking a snippet of a blog (such as a particularly compelling quote) to make into a social media post. Reuse an old blog post as a LinkedIn post. Or, link to the blog on social media to give it new life (and drive traffic to your website). Sometimes, reused blog content, like infographics, can also make compelling additions to your social media accounts.
7) Use blog posts to create a roundup post for your content marketing strategy.
Over time, your blog will create certain pieces that are more popular than others. If this material is evergreen and still relevant, consider creating the occasional roundup post for your content marketing strategy. This post can highlight your most popular or relevant material in one place, allowing you to refresh your blog while simultaneously reminding readers of some of your best work.
8) Save evergreen content for republishing on your blog or elsewhere.
Typically, blog posts are either evergreen, meaning that they remain relevant for extended periods of time or more timely pieces that quickly become out of date or irrelevant. A strong blog should ideally consist of a mix of such pieces. If you want to reuse your blog material, consider taking the evergreen pieces and republishing them. For example, if you have a guest blogging opportunity, refresh the evergreen piece and publish it. Or, if it has been a while and the topic is still relevant, update the blog post and post it again. Just make sure to acknowledge the fact that it did originally appear on your blog at an earlier date.
9) Turn blog posts into fodder for emails as part of your content marketing strategy.
If your content marketing strategy involves an email campaign, consider using your blog posts as part of your emails. For example, take parts of the blog post to use in the text of the email. Or, attach the blog to the email as a way to evince interest in your brand.
10.) Use blog posts in online educational content.
Finally, consider using blog posts as part of online courses, webinars, or other educational content for your website. Take, for example, one of your most popular posts and develop it into an online course to add to your content marketing strategy. Or, take that blog post on turning browsers into buyers and build an informational webinar. The key should be taking topics you already know well and expanding on them to further educate your target audience.
Old blog posts might still have a lot of life left in them. Use a little creativity to repurpose them into useful additions to create greater content marketing success.