Repurpose, Reuse and Recycle Your Marketing Content

It always starts out strong -- the new content marketing program that will finally tap into the collective knowledge of your company. Everyone is on board. Everyone has a ton of ideas. "Yes. We can commit to an hour a week. No problem. We'll never run out of topics."

And then the newness wears off and enthusiasm dies down. The marketing team needs more content...again.

"I've got too many billable hours this week, I will write twice as much next week."

"Can't we just hire someone to write this stuff?"

It's the marketer's dilemma: The relentless need for content. But don't let those inevitable lulls get you down. Have some fun and challenge yourself to repurpose, reuse and recycle.

Repurpose
Microsoft's Ready-to-Go (RtG) Content Finder is a partner marketer's best friend. While each piece has an intended use, a little creativity makes them go way further. Here are just a few examples:

• The notes in the RtG PowerPoint decks are generally written in conversational tone, making them excellent for blog post fodder.
  
  
• The graphics in those same decks can provide a foundation for a blog post or an illustration for your whitepaper.
  
  
• Content from several of the business e-mails in the marketing template section could be combined into an e-book. Use PowerPoint as your base -- edit the text and add graphics and a .PDF for an effective call-to-action in your newsletter.

Don't worry that you are offering the same information in a different package. Your prospects want the option to view content in different ways. Give them lots of choices.   

Reuse
While the technology we promote is always changing, many of the business problems that you solve are no different than they were three years ago. The case study that you have hidden on a deeply buried page of your Web site still speaks to a common business pain. Dust it off and turn it into a blog post.  

The blog posts that your consultants wrote a year ago are likely just as valid now as they were when originally written. Review the older posts and rewrite them with a new twist. Look for graphics on the RtG site that may help to illustrate the point.

Recycle
There is undoubtedly valuable content wasting away on your internal SharePoint site. From presentation decks to proposals, find the good stuff, polish it up and put it to good use.

• In most proposals, a solution architect or consultant worked very hard to write a clear description of the solution to a business problem. With a little work on your part, that solution description can be turned into a blog post, or combine a number of them for a powerful e-book.
  
  
• Posting the recording of the full webinar is fine, but what if you edited it down to a few of the best minutes? It shows your prospects that you respect their time and gives you a follow-up call-to-action.
  
  
• Have you created resume sheets for your top consultants? Turn those into an e-book with photographs to show pride in your personnel and build confidence with prospects.     

Content marketing is a commitment to provide valuable information to your prospects. It's not easy, but it doesn't have to be painful. Get creative, have fun with it and keep it going -- even during the dry spells.

How are you reusing content? Add a comment below or send me an e-mail and let's share the knowledge.

Posted by Barb Levisay on February 28, 2013