5 ways to repurpose blog content & get more readers

Oct 6, 2015

ComposeIf, like me you read a lot of marketing and blogging blogs you won’t be able to escape the trend for repurposing your blog posts into other formats so you can find new readers and hopefully get them to your blog on a regular basis.

But why should I repurpose my content?

Not everyone can digest your content in the same way. They may be driving the car so reading is out of the question or on a train without headphones so video and audio is out.

Your readers are out and about, very mobile and will be digesting content in many different ways during the day so it’s important to offer your content in ways they want it.

Repurposing is very also important for evergreen content which are articles that never goes out of date. If you target these types of posts for repurposing you’ll end up with a lot of fantastic content that never ages.

You can convert your blog post into many different formats and here are five of my favourites. They don’t all work for every type of post but you should be able to apply at least two to each new post.

Talking Head Video

Video CameraThis style of video has been around for quite a while and it’s still a great way for you to connect with your audience and create better relationships.

Just set up your laptop in a well lit room and start talking about your post. Go into a bit more detail and make sure it’s relaxed and conversational.

The whole video may only last 5 minutes but your readers will get to see and hear you and feel they are connecting with the person behind the words.

Plan first though!

Don’t just go for it with a camera! You want to plan things out first.

Create a basic running order of points that you want to discuss and figure out how you are going to start and end the video. Practice the whole thing a couple of times and then play it back.

Don’t script it as it will sound scripted but make sure you know where you are going and how to end it. Once you’ve decided on the start and end the middle will be a lot easier.

Here’s a couple of examples of great talking head videos.

The first is from Pro Blogger and talks about creating talking head videos. The second is a good example of one created on a budget but really gets the message over and the third is an OTT video that works surprisingly well in its market.

Audio

MicrophoneThis is my favourite! I spent the first 10 years of my working life in radio so I love everything about audio and its possible to make really strong connections using this format plus it’s really easy to create!

Providing an audio version of your blog posts will give your readers another easy way to consume your content. Lets face it, it’s sometimes easier to listen to 5 minutes of audio than read 750 words of text especially when you’re travelling.

Your mobile phone IS good enough to record audio but you’ll probably need to find an app that lets you record in MP3 format.

Audio is also really easy to edit and with a bit of practice you’ll be a dab hand at it. Look at using open source software Audacity for editing but if your audio is short you may not make too many mistakes.

Slideshow

This type of repurposing is great for tips posts or basic How To’s. Create slides for each of your points but make them visual and not too texty. Remember if people want more information they will probably head over and read the blog post.

Slideshare (now a part of LinkedIn) is a great place to start and it makes it really easy for you to upload and create new slide shows.

I tend to create mine using Google Slides or Powerpoint frst and then upload it to slideshare when done. The system does a really good job of importing different formats.

Once you’ve created your slideshow you can share it on all your social media platforms and include it in email newsletters. Shout about it to your readers!

Here’s a slideshare presentation of my blog post 20 tools to make managing social media easy.

PDF Download

This is another format that’s great for tips and advice blog posts.

Create a fact sheet as a PDF highlighting the main points of the post and offer it up as a free download from your website. Make sure you brand the download and place some links to your blog and social media.

Free downloads are also a great way to generate backlinks as others may want to link to you as a resource for their readers.

Here’s an example of a recent tip sheet I created as a download.

Webinar or Live Stream

tvOnline services like Google Hangouts, Blab and Periscope are becoming more and more popular and making it really easy for you to create live video streams.

This can be a great way to connect with your readers and go into a bit more depth about your blog posts.

Ask for questions from your audience before and during the video and answer them. It’s a great way for you to show off your expertise and develop better relationships.

I’ve not had chance to try Blab or Periscope yet but I have run a few Webinars using Google Hangouts and they offer a free way to broadcast your ideas, share your screen and take questions live from your audience.

Give it a go! Here’s an example of a recent Webinar of mine that was inspired by a blog post.

Conclusion

Repurposing your blog posts is a great way to create varied content that your readers will be able to digest in different ways. It can also take a bit less time to repurpose than write the original, all the ideas and content is done, you just need to deliver it in a different format.

Try it out and don’t forget to promote your repurposed content on social media, your mailing list and any other channels you use.