Writing content is time-consuming. Even if you write at lightning speed, there’s only so much content you can create. And pretty soon, you’ll suffer from burnout.
At the same time, if you’ve been blogging for a significant period, then you have some meaty archives. You might get some traffic from Google, but probably these archives are mostly ignored.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Instead of always creating new content, what about recycling content that you’ve already created? Breathing new life into old things is a trend these days (think eBay, Craigslist, Freecycle), so why not do the same with your virtual creations?
Here are three ways you can dust off your old content and give it a new sparkle.
Repurpose Old Content
So you’d like to write an eBook? Well how about instead of sitting down to hammer out 20,000 words, you browse your archives and find 20 of your best ever articles? Put them together in a collection, write an introduction, think of a snazzy title, and Presto! You’ve got an eBook.
This can work in reverse, too. Stuck for ideas for your next blog post? How about taking a passage out of an eBook you’ve written? As well as giving you an easy time of writing, this promotes your eBook. That’s a double win!
Schedule Your Archives on Social Media
This one’s easy as pie and has two huge benefits. First, it boosts your traffic to your blog because you’ll be sharing more of your own content. Second, it means you’ll be more active on social media. The more you share, the more you show up in the feeds of your followers.
The WordPress Tweet Old Post plugin makes this super simple. You choose the categories of old content you want to tweet and the times you want to post. It handles the rest.
Shine New Light on Old Ideas
A blog is a work in progress. As you learn new things, you change, and your ideas change with you.
As such, it can be incredibly interesting to reflect on your old content.
Browse through your own posts to see what you used to think. Pay attention to your reactions. If you’re thinking, “Boy, I was stupid back then!”, that’s an opportunity for you to write a blog post.
In your blog post, explain how and why you’ve changed.
You can also feature your old posts that you believe still hold true. Some of what youv’e shared in the past is timeless, so point that out to your readers.
Over to You
How do you go about recycling content? Have you ever repurposed your old blog posts? How did that work out?
Lori R Taylor is the founder and executive editor of Social Caffeine. In 2009 she started her own direct response focused social media agency, REV Media Marketing LLC, coining the phrase given by her young son, “You bring the rain, we’ll make it pour.” Follow Lori on Twitter.
David is our acting editor. He’s British, but we don’t hold that against him.
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Another way to re purpose old content is to create a Roojoom out of 4-5 blog posts. Roojoom is a storytelling tool where you can connect different pieces of content into a coherent story and guide your readers through step-by-step. Try it out!
Thanks, that’s a great tip!
I have recycled some old blog posts and it helped me to do some new follow up posts – an added bonus. I haven’t tried that plugin but have been thinking about it for some time now. I may test it out, thanks for making me think and probably act on that one now.
Thanks Lisa, that’s an excellent point. Looking up old posts can be a great inspiration. Give the plugin a try and let us know how you get on.