Here’s a list of things that are true if you want to start or scale an online business (and actually make money doing it):
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You have to create content
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You have to create value based content
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You have to create promo based content
Now listen, I am not going to lie. Content creation can feel like a big ol’ beast of a task, especially if writing does not come naturally to you (raises hand).
And while you can’t get around making the time to plop your cute little tush into a chair to write, you CAN start repurposing what you write so that you don’t have to do it so dang much.
One of the biggest mistakes I see folks making in their online businesses is not repurposing their content. They write different content for Instagram than they do for Facebook, their newsletters, their blog posts and their LIVES. It’s no wonder people get burned out so quickly in the online space…it’s almost impossible to keep up with the number of platforms to post on if you don’t reuse and repurpose.
So, if you don’t have a plan to repurpose your content so you can get off the content creation hamster wheel that leads to overwhelm, burnout and gloom…read on, sister friend.
I started my first online business as a Virtual Assistant and later Online Business Manager. I supported 5, 6 and 7 figure business owners in the backend of their business and learned a thing or two about creating content. What most shocked me was that the entrepreneurs that were both bringing in the big bucks AND enjoying their life were the ones that repurposed like pros. They were the ones who were constantly asking themselves (and their teams) the question: how can we repurpose what we just wrote. And then they were acting on it!
Behind the scenes in my own business, I’ve created an entire content planning + repurposing system that works like a CHARM. Gone are the days where I was either posting on the fly, scratching my head to figure out what to write about each day or googling for ideas. Now, I have a process I spend 2-3 hours on per week that yields 30-40 posts across all of my platforms. Awesome, huh?
And today, I’m sharing a peek into my system with 5 ways to repurpose your content to help you do the same. Note that my systems requires you to write 1 long-form block of content (like a blog post) and repurpose from that.
Ready? Let’s go!
#1. Repurpose your blog post into a newsletter.
People are always so afraid that someone online is going to shame them for sending out a newsletter that is the same as their blog post. Not so, friend!
You have 2 options for repurposing your blog post into a newsletter:
Option 1 is a straight up copy + paste. This works great for shorter blog posts and you’ll want to make sure you break up your content with lots of white space, bullet points (if possible) and font size variations.
Option 2 is a snippet of the blog post in the newsletter that teases the topic with a link for them to “click here” to read more on your blog. This works great for longer blog posts and is also a great way to train your audience to click links in your emails and to get them back to your website.
Either way, I like to change up the subject line so it’s not the same as the blog post (for example this blog post title is 5 Ways to Repurpose Your Content (+ Get Off the Content Creation Hamster Wheel! But the newsletter subject line is: Are you making this mistake in your business?)
#2. Chop up your blog posts into smaller, bite-sized social media posts.
If you read back through my past blog posts what you’ll notice is that I’m often giving 5 tips, 3 tricks or 4 ways to do something. Not only is it because presenting content broken down into smaller, easy to consume pieces is what people like but it’s also easy for me to chop that up into bite-sized social media posts.
While this blog posts contains 5 ways to repurpose your content, each social media post that I create off of this blog post will include 1 of the ways. Y’all…this is repurposing at its finest!
#3. Cross-post on all platforms.
I often get asked if it’s OK to post the same content on Instagram as it is on Facebook. My answer is always the same: you make the rules.
There are exactly 8496738742 (#realstat) articles and experts that will tell you contradictory information about the dos and don’ts of social media. So, no matter what you do there is always someone who thinks it’s the right way and someone else who thinks it’s the wrong way.
Here’s what you need to remember: this is about making your business work for your life and not the other way around. And for me, this is how I accomplish that. This is how I’m in all the places but not working all the time and writing all the things. #winning
So, you bet your sweet bippy whatever I post to Instagram is also posted on my Facebook business page and anywhere else I decide to show up online.
If you’re worried, you can stagger the days you post on each platform. I don’t because I don’t have the brainspace to worry about it. Again…you make the rules!
And you want to know what…it works for me! I’ve created 2 successful, profitable online businesses using this method.
#4. Create a Facebook or Instagram LIVE using your blog post content.
Recently, I started doing a Livestream on my Facebook business page every week. Video converts massively well so I thought…why the heck not?!
And do you want to know what content I share on the LIVE? The same stuff I share in my weekly blog post. Instead of sharing it in writing I’m sharing it by speaking. Some people like to read content, some people like to listen to content and some people like to watch content. I’m using the same stuff I already have, but delivering it in whatever way people want to consume it.
Wanna take it a step further? Plop a link to your FB LIVE into your blog posts and invite readers to watch if they prefer. Ready for more? Pull that video from Facebook and repurpose into onto IGTV. #repurposelikeapro
#5. Reuse past content.
It’s ok to repost content you used 6, 12 or even 24 months ago. If you’re still running the same business serving the same people, go right on ahead with your bad self. In fact, there is no reason NOT to repurpose the same content.
If you’re afraid your audience will notice and flame you for it, think again. MOST people don’t see ALL of your content and even if they do see a repost, who cares? This is the reason Facebook retargeting ads exist. It can take between 3-12 touches (or more) with a potential client before they actually buy from you. Make life easier on yourself and repurpose the content you know is connecting with them most.
Now that you have 5 ways you can start repurposing your content this week remember this:
The most important question to ask yourself once you’ve created content is “where else can I repurpose this?”
And, if you prefer to watch or listen to my 5 ways to repurpose your content, check out this Facebook LIVE I did on this exact subject right here!
