Get your Green On: Repurpose and Renew
Repurposing your content just makes good business sense.
I had a post last week that got masses of traction.
And it got me thinking…
How do I harness that energy?
By reusing, recycling and expanding, of course.
I spent hours creating this piece of content. It took precious time and energy. And when I planted it in the soil of social media land, it got likes, hits, comments and engagement - I love it when the ground is fertile.
But more often than not, my posts curl up their toes and die.
Does this happen to you too?
Plant perfection
Go green
Repurpose
Social media is like gardening - a bit hit and miss but worth cultivating.
I’m all about working out why something worked and nurturing it. Or, if it’s wilted, is it worth watering back to life? Or does it need to be thrown onto the compost heap?
Repurposing saves resources. It’s a win-win for your strategy and your digital garden.
Reduce Waste
Think of all the time you spend writing your posts. If they only get used once, you're throwing away your most valuable resource, TIME!
Give your content a second (or 3rd) life.
Spend your time more efficiently.
Save Resources
Creating new content from scratch every time can sap your creative energy and budget.
Don’t reinvent the wheel
Make the most of the value you have.
Let the Sunshine In
What tanked on LinkedIn, might work really well on Instagram (or other).
Reshape your content to meet the needs of another audience.
Retell your story from a different POV.
Rework your content for another format… maybe it’ll shine as an infographic, or podcast, or blog?
Have a Growth Spurt
Publishing similar content across platforms strengthens your brand messaging.
The algorithms (arrghh, I said the A word!) love consistent activity
Repurposing helps you be present across platforms without constantly creating something new.
How Do You Repurpose?
If you’re not a planner, I do apologise, this bit is all about organising, sorting and filing. But it’s worth the time, I promise.
1. Check your planting scheme
Review your existing content and analytics.
Which posts performed well?
Which topics are still relevant?
These are your recyclable materials.
Tip: Schedule time in your diary regularly to do this content audit.
2. Take a cutting
Content can be broken down into smaller, replantable segments.
Turn a blog into a series of posts.
Pull out quotes or stats to make a captivating graphic.
Tip: Did you get any comments the first time you used the content to inform which bits to take forward?
3. Hanging Basket approach
Sometimes smaller pieces of content can be combined to make something beautiful and impactful.
Pull together related social media posts into a slideshow or carousel.
Create a highlight reel from your best-performing content.
Tip: A highlight reel of testimonials can make a great first impression.
4. Match plant to its environment
Each platform is like its own ecosystem, with unique needs and user preferences.
A longer post on LinkedIn won’t work as an Instagram caption.
Adapt your tone, format, and visuals for each platform.
Increase your reach by using platform-specific features (reels on IG etc.).
Tip: Don’t be swayed by what’s on the platform… keep your IC at the heart of your messaging.
5. Bring back the classics
Great ideas never expire but they may need to be repotted.
Take old content and bring it up-to-date with new statistics or perspectives.
You know your industry, this is particularly good for “evergreen” topics.
Tip: Remember to update links, calls-to-action, and examples to keep it fresh.
6. Plan your planting scheme
Not all content needs to go live TODAY.
Keep a file of great content and reintroduce it when the timing feels right.
Use this file to fill gaps in your content calendar.
Tip: You can automatically schedule posts. So if you’re going on holiday your profile stays active, while you are lazing on the beach.
Going Green like an Activist
Think of your content like a zero-waste goal. Recycle that:
Glass jar - long-form content (like a blog) first held jam, then you used it to store spices (posts) and finally it’s decorated as a shabby chic vase which holds an email sequence.
Reusable shopping bag - this is your evergreen topic which is so reliable and resilient, it can be used over and over again.
Vintage furniture - if your content has grown old, give it a fresh coat of paint and breathe new life into it.
When you repurpose, you create a sustainable content strategy that respects your time, resources, and gives value to your audience.
Much like recycling, small changes can have a big impact.