What does it mean to repurpose content?
When you create content, do you create it with thought and planning or do you create it to just get it out of your system and then tweak it to fit your goals? As a marketer, I almost feel scared to admit that a lot of what I do is more of a cathartic release of topics I want to write about that are relevant to my brand and what I think my audience could benefit from. Marketers have a duty to research the hell out of their target audience, the key phrases (or SEO), and how that all ties into the company they are marketing. With all of you, it’s kind of a strange dance of trusting my intuition, knowing what you guys enjoy, what is going to be helpful to you, and what you may want to learn.
As much as I enjoy providing advice and expressing stories related to life and running a business, I have also found that because I’m creating so much almost daily that I run out of time to do everything in a linear, thoroughly planned out way - the way I would normally handle projects in the realm of marketing. It’s almost like I have to do the opposite to fulfill what will serve you and satisfy me - not the usual way I go about conducting business.
It’s funny that this super undertaking of creating content has actually become like an art for me - taking ideas and brainstorms and painting it onto a canvas of Google Drive with broad brushstrokes of keywords and ideas that I want to share with others. My way of sharing these ideas with all of you is my art gallery.
But because of this pattern of content creation not being as thoroughly planned and researched as I would like, and because I work three other jobs, I find that I truly need to lean on RRR’ing my content. You are probably wondering, what in the hell is RRR?
RRR
Even though R&R is rest and relaxation, RRR can almost be seen as the same - in the marketing world.
RRR stands for:
*Reuse
*Repurpose
*Repackage
To RRR your content, you are Reusing, Repurposing and Repackaging your existing content to either show up in front of a new audience, change an existing piece of content by adding some new components or updates, or just taking a little bite sized chunk of existing content to become something entirely new! This frees up your creative juices for brand new content and allows you to still put meaningful content in front of your audience(s) without using up all your energy.
Some examples you may or may not have noticed, have been these newsletters and blogs that I’ve been sending out to you almost every week and the social media posts that come right after. That’s right - I’ve been using my own little RRR treatment for all that I put out into the world.
Work By Example
My very first blog post on buyer personas became several social media posts on both Instagram and Facebook as well as an infographic (see bottom for example). A few weeks later, I recorded a video for YouTube. In a few months, I may update that blog by adding some new research, creating new social media posts from other components or quotes, etc. You get the point - taking one piece of content and changing it or updating it in some meaningful way will result in you RRR’ing your content.
If you create quality content with repurposing in mind, then you end up making your work easier in the long run. Yes, I realize that my usual way of working and creating can sometimes result in working harder rather than smarter. I’m working on that pitfall and hope to change my ways. But in some ways, I think this way of creation that I’m doing, is serving me in ways that are more therapeutic for me. As a creative person by nature, I feel I’m honoring my inner child, my current self and the future of my business in a way that works well and helps me continue to produce content that serves all of you.
5 Simple Ways To RRR
Since I don’t necessarily encourage my way of creating content the way that I do, I will share with you five ways to repurpose your content. No matter where your jumping off point is, here are several ways you can repurpose your content.
Create a story through a blog or a newsletter. Everyone loves the art of storytelling because of the emotional bond the audience creates with the business. If you have a photo, a podcast, a video or a story you’ve conveyed through another form, you can ALWAYS turn your content into a longer form through written content.
Create an infographic. If you have a blog, podcast, video or even something as short as a Reels video in IG or a Tik Tok video that is teaching your audience something with steps or a numeric component, you can always create an infographic that brings this down to just the basics.
Create a long-form e-book or downloadable handbook or guide. With everything that you are sharing with your audience, I’m sure there is a much larger bank of information that you can extrapolate on. This can easily result in a downloadable e-book or guide that can even bring your business monetary gain.
Create a story through a photo or photos. Storytelling is a HUGE component to connecting with your audience. Even if you aren’t a visual person, you probably don’t realize the impact that photos have on you through your social media. Instagram and Pinterest are the best platforms for creating a story through photos. If you have anything written that is meant to help your audience in some way, you can turn that written word into a photo or a series of photos that need little to no explanation.
Create a way to solidify your content. Anything that is business related is deep rooted in customer reviews. Any review of your business is seen as GOLD. Because reviews are rarely given when something is good, and almost always a complaint, if you have a positive review on something, you can use that to repurpose your content you have related to what they are reviewing.
Secret Sauce
Now that you know marketers repurpose content all the time, I bet you'll start to notice when someone else uses the RRR method. When you catch it, think about what new or different information you may be receiving and how it benefits you. There are 100 different ways to repurpose your content, and that doesn't mean that you are taking short cuts. This method of repurposing content is a great way to save time and energy - making you work smarter, not harder.
Maybe someday soon I will RRR this bad boy and create a long form blog or e-book on all the different ideas you could use to repurpose content. Be on the lookout!
If you want to learn more ways to repurpose content, drop me a comment!
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Example of Buyer Persona Infographic
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