Sometimes it’s hard to come up with fresh, engaging content ideas on a regular basis. Sometimes, new content can feel like you’re repeating yourself as certain trends come back into fashion and the same topics are being covered again and again. So how do you avoid that? Recycle and upcycle content you’ve already made!
Many creators don’t realise the wealth of content just waiting to be recycled or upcycled from their own old posts. The tips below are a few ways for you to know what’s appropriate when recycling content and what types of things you can do to recycle and upcycle your content.
Update An Old Blog Post
If the tips in an old blog post are still relevant, but the references are a little stale, it’s okay to update old posts with any relevant information that has come out since you wrote it. You don’t have to change the timestamp either, you can just let your audiences know with a “last updated” note that the post was recently freshened up.
“It [updating blogs] lets you not only bring old blog posts up to your current quality standards and tie them into what you’re producing now via internal links, but it also resuscitates those old blog posts so that they climb up the search rankings, earn more backlinks, and generate more traffic and conversions.” – Jessica Greene
It sounds rather meta, but this blog post is exactly that! You’ll see from the note at the bottom that this blog was actually first written in February 2019. Now, changes have been made, content has been updated, and the blog is released again for you all to see!
Write A Follow-Up Post
If you can’t just change a few references to update an old post, you may require a part two! If you’re having trouble coming up with content, use an old post as a jumping-off point and discuss everything that has or has not changed since you last addressed the topic.
This strategy allows you to create something new, but by drawing your ideas from something that already exists, it both makes your job easier and heightens the old and the new content. It’s a great way to upcycle content.
Repost Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is always relevant, so it’s always okay to repost! Many old blogs or throwback pics are still getting engagement, so it’s okay to remind your audience of something that they may have forgotten.
“Maybe you created some fantastic content a few years ago when you were just starting out. Your audience was much smaller back then, so obviously not that many people saw it. If you still love it, if it’s still relevant, and if it’s still high quality, then republish it! Your newer audience will love to see it!” – Like A Voss
Just remember not to spam, and be aware of the natural life cycle of your content. You want to be able to repost your content so that new followers who haven’t seen it before can enjoy that content, but you don’t want to annoy your old followers that have seen it by posting it too much. Try celebrating the 5 year anniversary of your company with a throwback staff pic or creating a top 10 blog posts list for content that is dated but still relevant!
Also, remember to always check if you should update any of your content before reposting it, especially if it’s been a while.
“Do you have three or four blog posts that fall under one topic? Turn them into an e-book! Each post can be its own chapter, so all you’ll need to do is add an intro, a conclusion, and unite it under a cohesive design.” – Raka Creative
This is the perfect way to repeat yourself without repeating yourself since it creates a completely new product & is a great freebie to offer your new followers upon email subscription!
Turn Video Content Into Something New
There is tons of stuff you can do with video content to upcycle it. One strategy is transcribing. If you have a ton of video or audio content, you can transcribe it into a blog post. This is an easy way to make engaging content that already has a conversational tone. This tactic also works in reverse. If you are looking for more content for your YouTube channel, try turning one of your top 10 tips blogs into a video.
Another strategy to upcycle video content is to edit it down into Instagram reels or TikToks. As a type of media that’s very popular right now, making reels out of older content can be a great way to freshen up that content and gain a lot more reach from it.
Make Infographics from Blogs
Some people are just visual and there is nothing you can do about it. Don’t leave them out! Turn your blog into an infographic. A nice way to do this is in the form of a carousel post on Instagram.
Highlighting key points, images, and information in easy-to-share formats will help you reach audiences you never knew you had!
It’s near impossible to go viral every time you create content and yet, the constant output is what the social media machine requires. With these tips in mind, you can rest assured that you’re never wasting an opportunity to post by trying to have fresh content every time.
Want to know where to begin with your content marketing strategy? Contact us today for a FREE discovery session with our team!
Don’t want to miss any of our awesome content? Then subscribe to our newsletter below. We will only email you once a MONTH, we promise!
This blog post was originally published in February 2019 and has been edited to improve accuracy and readability.
