I have a confession to make about content creation.

As a one-woman band, I, too, find it anywhere between tough to punishing to nigh on impossible to keep on top of in addition to my day job.

Sound familiar? It does to many of my clients and contacts.

I point the accusatory finger at clients about their lack of content creation to keep their marketing efforts ticking over.

But there I was, having exactly the same conversation in reverse with a mentor recently, agonizing about my lack of time and/or inclination for my own content creation. She gave me a firm but fair pep talk to practice what I preach.

The liberal sprinkling of irony wasn’t lost on me. It was a fair cop.

On the upside, it reminded me content creation doesn’t have to be about pounding your brain to a pulp trying to come up with sparkling new ideas all the time.

If you, like me, get beaten by the churn of creating, it’s a timely reminder for you, too, to give yourself a break.

So, let’s talk re-purposing.

What is Re-Purposing Yours or Somebody Else’s Content Creation?

Re-purposing is a perfectly legitimate cheating technique that involves re-using existing content.

It’s not some sort of dodgy plagiarism.

On the contrary, it adds a different, more expansive element to your content marketing than just creating new stuff from scratch.

Re-purposing involves –

1) The use of somebody else’s content:-

• that has synergy with your business and your objectives
• that is likely to be of interest to your connections.

2) The re-use of your own content:-

• Some of your ‘evergreen’ content can be re-purposed in different ways almost indefinitely!

Why Would You Re-Purpose Other People’s Content?

You can re-purpose content that’s been created by –

• News channels
• Authors
• Thought Leaders
• Social Media or Networking Contacts

It saves you lots of time on new content writing. In addition, it provides another layer on top of your own original content, by –

• Helping position you as a ‘mover and shaker’ in your sector, with your finger on the pulse of what’s happening.

For example, a HR advisor might re-purpose a news article about the government’s pandemic financial support packages coming to end, and how they think it will affect the jobs market.

• Adding value for your followers. In turn, it’s likely you’ll get more engagement and feedback, because you’re offering your opinion and inviting other people to add theirs.

Re-purposing somebody else’s work ramps up your credibility in the eyes of the person/business whose content you’re sharing, e.g. an author, influencer or journalist.

Bear in mind you’re drawing attention to them and elevating their profile when you share and discuss their content.

I recently recommended a book – Impact by Dominic Colenso –  about increasing your public speaking confidence on LinkedIn. It’s a topic that resonates with many people in the age of recording videos and going live on social media platforms. So, it got decent engagement.

The author was tagged in to the post and the icing on the cake was him joining in the conversation and answering every person’s comment.

Well, he’d have been daft not to. It was free advertising for his book to several hundred engaged business people.

And, guess what? His involvement got more eyes on me, too, because my reach extended in to his connections, too. Win:Win.

What’s the Point of Re-Purposing Your Own Content Creation?

Simple –

• It’s quicker to re-purpose existing content than content writing new pieces of work. Every business has reams of ‘evergreen’ content and pieces that did really well the first time round. So, leverage them to save time and headaches.

• Re-purposing re-shines a light on key messages that have already engaged your target audiences before. Or, on the other hand, it gives your work another chance to be seen by people who missed it first time round.

You Can Even Re-Purpose Your Client Testimonials

Hot Tip: Re-purpose some user generated content from your bank of client testimonials.

It’s great social proof for quick and easy blogs or e-newsletters or social media posts when you’re stuck for ideas.

I usually re-purpose client testimonials on –

• Days of the Year that correspond with the client’s business sector – You know these mad days of the year for everything under the sun? Check them out on a monthly basis to see if you can make an association with any of your client testimonials. For example, I could use Global Talent Acquisition Day to showcase a testimonial from a recruitment software client. Or, Punch Day for a testimonial from a mobile cocktail bar client.

• Testimonial Tuesdays on social media – And don’t forget to add #TestimonialTuesday.

C’est voila.

No more time wasted staring at a blank screen. No more bashing away at your keyboard with the sword of Damacles hanging over your head to get that next blog, or LinkedIn article, or set of social media posts in the bag.

More time looking like you’re active and influential in your sector, attracting more of the right kind of eyes on to your business, for a fraction of the effort of fresh content creation.