You have read 100 times by now how important content is.  You have spent some time doing a bit of research on keywords and have a list of different content formats you know you need to create (blog, newsletter, podcast, email campaigns, advertising, the list goes on….) but the problem is:

This is a full-time job and you do not have the resources or time to sit at your computer and produce content all day, every day.

Sound familiar?  This is a dilemma that many small businesses go through.  They understand the need to be producing content, but are stuck on how to get it all done.

How can you get people to know, like, trust, try, buy, repeat and refer you using content in the most efficient way possible?

Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose.  This is one of my favorite words when it comes to content production.

To repurpose content is to give it a new life, gain exposure to new audiences and to save you time (which we all know is money).

Below are some examples on how to Repurpose Content:

Foundational Topic

• Write a blog post on your core topic.  For example, 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success
• Create an image for each of the 7 Steps and share one tip per day on social channels
• Expand the blog post into 7 separate blog posts – one on each topic
• Combine the posts and add an introduction.  Send off to a designer and have it turned into an eBook
• Take the eBook and translate it to slides.  You know have your hour presentation.
• Go even deeper and turn the hour presentation into a 1/2 workshop by adding action steps and worksheets to support your presentation.

You now have 8 blog posts, 7 social media posts, an eBook, an hour presentation and a 1/2 day workshop – from one core piece of content.

Podcast

• Conduct a regular podcast with as many industry leaders as possible following monthly themes
• Write a blog post on each interview
• Send out the best tips on social media channels
• Share the best interviews via a monthly newsletter
• Combine the interviews and blog posts into a valuable online course or package them together to give out as a bonus for a different product purchase

You now have podcasts, blog posts, social media updates, newsletter content and an online course or package.

Client Questions

• Have your support team monitor their inboxes for questions that come through
• Compile the questions for an FAQ page
• Pull out the best questions and turn them into individual blog posts
• Expand the blog posts into an eBook – Best Questions from our Favorite Clients

You now have an FAQ page, blog posts, and an eBook – but most importantly somewhere for your support team to point customers towards when they need help answering those common questions.

Client Competition

• Have your clients submit photos or videos using your product or implementing your services (in exchange for an incentive they would actually care about of course)
• Retweet, repost, share the content they submit on all of your social channels
• Request permission and use the content on your website – all the fun/exciting ways people are using what you offer
• Develop sales material for your team to use that includes these testimonials/action shots

You now have momentum on social media, online referrals from your customers, content to share on your channels, content for your website, and sales materials.   Not to mention a fun way to get your clients involved in the promotional efforts.

The main thing to keep in mind here is every single time you create a piece of content, come up with a game plan on how you could get the most value possible.  To repurpose is to give you time back in your day – time to focus on the things you love such as running your business or hanging with your kids on the weekend.

Sara Jantsch is the Director of Community at Duct Tape Marketing.  It is Sara’s job to see to all the little things that make our community members feel appreciated, informed, special and looked after.  She is also a Marketing Consultant and has a strong passion for working with small business owners.