Repurposing Content Across Multiple Platforms

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen watching my mom cook. Along the way, I picked up some pretty neat tricks. For example, on Tuesday, she’d turn the roast beef we had on Sunday into a casserole, complete with veggies, cheese, and mashed potatoes. Those leftover marinated chicken breasts from Monday were shredded and mixed with chopped onions and celery for sandwiches on Thursday.

I use these hacks all the time in my own home. Friday’s extra taco meat goes into the spaghetti sauce for Saturday dinner—or it’s added to Sunday’s breakfast burritos. I try never to waste food, and I love “reinventing” leftovers to make a different dish.   

That’s kind of how content repurposing works. You start with yesterday’s initial content, whether a blog post, podcast, or webinar, and transform it into something new today. Just as using leftovers streamlines food prep in the kitchen, repurposing content will save you hours (compared to whipping something up from scratch).

Think similar flavor—new delivery. It’s not lazy, it’s smart!

And if you’re wearing the social media hat with three other hats, juggling multiple platforms and keeping up with demands for fresh content presents quite a challenge. Repurposing content stretches your content library further, but tailoring content to fit different platforms also helps you connect with new audiences who might prefer a specific format. 

So, transform that blog post into an engaging video. Turn that webinar into a downloadable guide. Here are some tips and tricks to breathe new life into existing content and keep your channels fresh and engaging without the constant pressure to reinvent the wheel.

When to Repurpose Content

Know what’s as important as knowing how to repurpose content? Knowing when to make the effort. While this content strategy has advantages, not all content is reusable. Will recycling it serve a specific audience, channel, or goal? If not, you’d just be adding to the digital clutter. Here are three clear indicators that keeping content going is good marketing strategy.

Your goals for the content have changed

The best way to tell if you should repurpose your content is to ask (and answer) “Why?” Maybe you’ve invested significant effort into an informative blog post to attract new email subscribers. But folks interested in your online course might also find the post incredibly helpful. By repurposing the content, you extend its reach and educate a different audience segment—potential course enrollees—without starting from scratch.

The data says it’s time

Take a close look at your content analytics. Which blog posts consistently generate high traffic or engagement? These high performers make ideal candidates for repurposing. They’ve already proven their ability to resonate with your audience, so transforming them into a different format will likely yield positive results, too.

Maybe you’ve got a YouTube video that’s attracted thousands of organic views. Or several respected websites backlinked to your white paper. Or you noticed a handful of podcasts whose downloads far outnumbered others in the series. Brainstorm ways to provide a fresh experience by repackaging this content.

A caveat: Beware the fading trend trap! While a post’s viral status is tempting to capitalize on, resist the urge to repurpose content solely based on its former share count. Trend-driven pieces might not resonate with your audience today. The tides can shift, however. If an older post on a specific topic suddenly explodes on TikTok, ride that wave! Repurpose the content into a short, engaging video to capture this golden opportunity and extend your reach. To use this strategy effectively, timing is everything.  

The content’s evergreen

Evergreen content is king (or queen) because it remains relevant and valuable over time. This content might include industry trends, foundational knowledge pieces, or how-to guides. These timeless topics lend themselves perfectly for repurposing as they’re easily adaptable to different formats and stay fresh for audiences who discover them later. 

What’s not evergreen? Content with a short shelf life, like breaking news or a flash-in-the-pan trend. I have a caveat: Sometimes, you can breathe new life into short shelf-life content. Let’s say you have content related to the 2020 pandemic—an article on creative ways to occupy your time during lockdown. You could reframe the content with an infographic on fun things to do when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Repurposing blog posts

I could write a book on repurposing different content formats, but I’m focusing on blog posts here. (You could apply these strategies to repurposing longer-form content, too).

According to HubSpot’s latest report, The State of Marketing, video content generates the biggest ROI among all content formats. If you’ve got blog content to repurpose, try this medium. You could:

• Turn an informative blog with students describing your school into a virtual video tour of your campus.
• Create a YouTube or TikTok video—or Instagram reel—of students sharing their experiences.
• Turn your post into a slideshow, extracting the core content from the post and creating a slideshow paired with text-to-speech narration.

Videos make powerful storytelling tools. You can use visuals, animations, and music to deliver an engaging, dynamic experience. Videos can boost accessibility, especially for people who prefer watching to reading or have learning disabilities. Embedding a video on your website also improves page rankings.

If you don’t have the technology—or experience and time—to convert a blog post into a video, no problem! You’ve got plenty of other options, too. What is the easiest way to reimagine and present existing content? Leveraging social media.

1. Find a few juicy snippets from your blog post and convert them into posts for X (formerly Twitter), FaceBook, and LinkedIn. These platforms are text-heavy, making repurposing fairly efficient and fast. It’s easy to implement and quick to boost engagement. 
2. Convert insights from your blog into sharable Instagram and Pinterest images. Data makes a great graphic; certain topics featured in listicles do, too. 
3. Take bits from your blog and turn them into Instagram reels, TikTok videos, or YouTube shorts. Does a blog post feature interviews with current or former program participants? Get them on camera! 

Key Takeaways

Ok! You’ve got your recipe (blog brief) and are ready to cook (write). Try the following:

• Before you start writing, think about which ingredients (content) you can repurpose and make a note. This approach makes your content creation process more organic. 
• Batch your workload by creating similar content as you go. As you’re writing the blog, have an idea about how to tweak for social media? See an opportunity to turn your key points or quotes into a visual? Make a note!
• Remember to link back to the original post once it’s published. Backlinks boost traffic and SEO efforts.

I love spending time in the kitchen. I also love a good shortcut—whether with cooking or writing. Just like leftover ingredients can transform into a delicious new dish, repurposing content offers a strategic way to breathe fresh life into existing work. Repurposing saves time, targets new audiences on different platforms, and helps to maintain a consistent brand voice and message across channels.