A common question that I get asked a lot is “what is the best type of content to repurpose?”.
The truth is, every type of content has its merits, there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and there are so many different ways to repurpose content.
But while there isn’t an all-encompassing best type of content for repurposing, one type does offer more potential than others.
I’m going to share with you what that is, but first, I want to share what the four most important factors are in how you create and repurpose your content. Your strategy and approach are far more important than paining over your content type.
If you would prefer to watch the video, hit play below:
What’s the best type of content to repurpose?
When a Personal Trainer gets asked “what is the best way for me to lose weight?” there isn’t a really straightforward answer. It depends on your diet, your current state, your goals, your knowledge with regards to diet and exercise, your access to a gym/equipment/classes/the great outdoors…etc, your mindset, your lifestyle…and so much more. It’s not as simple as “eat 1500 calories a day and do CrossFit 4 times a week”.
When I get asked the question “what’s the best type of content to repurpose?” I always want to provide a great answer there and then, and don’t want to be non-committal and say “it depends”. But, it really does, depend!
Depend on what, you might ask?
When deciding what content to create there are 4 important considerations. You need to consider each one in order to be successful.
- Consistency
- Quality
- Publishing
- Promotion
First, you need consistency
Being consistent with your content is vital. There are two major factors to consider when it comes to consistency.
First, choose a content format that your audience consumes. If your audience aren’t keen on watching videos and you’re uploading three videos a week, they won’t watch them. Your content could be groundbreaking and well-made but that doesn’t mean anything when there’s nobody watching.
Second, consider the type of content that you like creating.
It won’t work if you start creating content that you don’t like yourself. Do you hate recording podcasts because you don’t like to talk for long periods of time? Perhaps you launched a podcast because some ‘guru’ said that you simply must. If you really don’t like recording podcast episodes you will burn out quickly and your consistency will drop off.
The key to being consistent is finding that sweet spot between what your audience likes and what you like - even better if this is identical!
Finding that sweet spot will give you the best chance of staying consistent in terms of quality and quantity.
If you’re creating content that you love to create but that your audience doesn’t consume, that’s not going to help you. Likewise, if you’re creating content that you don’t feel comfortable with, you’re never going to keep up with it.
Finding content that you enjoy creating and that your audience enjoys consuming will help you stay consistent.
Creating high-quality content
Choose a content format where you can ensure a high level of quality. And when it comes to repurposing content, you cannot lose that focus on quality.
The quality of your content is just as important as the format you choose to display it in. Without a high level of quality, everything you create will not hit the mark and the trust your audience has in you will disappear.
Don’t make long videos if you know your camera will make the footage grainy, don’t record podcasts if the sound quality is off.
Instead, invest your efforts into formats that you know you can do well. Are you a brilliant writer? Fantastic! Start focusing on producing blog or social media posts.
It seems like such an obvious statement, but people tend to put less effort into repurposing their content than they should. They end up producing sub-standard content as a result.
You need to apply the same standards and principles to your repurposing as you do to your original core content.
If you want to learn about these essentials, grab a copy of the Content 10x book. It has everything you need to know about repurposing with quality.
Then there’s publishing your content
It takes time to properly publish a piece on any platform.
Publishing should never be overlooked during your content process.
Consider creating a video for LinkedIn. After you edit it, you also need to write the copy, include the hashtags, create a custom thumbnail...the editing was only one part of the publishing process!
This goes for each platform with its unique algorithms and styles.
Publishing takes time. When you’re deciding what type of content to create, you need to account for this time and effort.
Finally, content promotion
People won’t just find your content; you have to bring them to it.
There are countless approaches to content promotion. But you should start by prioritizing the platforms you’re already on and the open communication channels you have with your audience.
Research hashtags and tags to reach a wider audience interested in the topic of your content. And you should engage in conversations around your content topic across social media.
If you have a budget, paying for ads is another great way to get more eyes on your content.
But the one thing you cannot do is just upload your content and leave it!
The best type of content to repurpose
Let’s circle back to our original question: What is the best type of content to repurpose?
Again, there isn’t a best type of content for repurposing, but there’s one type that offers more potential.
And that’s video content.
Specifically, it’s live video.
So, with all things being equal, why is video the best for repurposing?
Video is the most versatile and dynamic content. It’s at the top of the content pyramid because you can repurpose it in so many ways.
You could repurpose video into:
More videos
Audio
Written content
Graphics
Social media posts
...and so on.
Repurposing a graphic into a video is a whole other project. Same for repurposing a blog into a podcast. These can all be done, but they’re nowhere near as straightforward.
Video allows you to branch out into the greatest number of content types, which is why it’s the best.
An even better repurposing option!
What’s even better than video for repurposing content? Live video.
Livestreaming creates a closer experience for your audience; it feels more personal and authentic.
Not only have you created that valuable connection with your audience, but you also have all that repurposing potential of a recorded video.
Top Tip:
Try to segment the livestream if you intend to repurpose. You’ll want different sections that have definition and a clear purpose. Try not to jump from topic to topic or jump around with audience engagement.
- Ensure you have a clear start and end as well as the objective of the live video - without this, you’ll be jumping from one topic to another and can feel messy for the viewer.
- Create different segments that have clear definition - this will help your audience follow along.
- Be open to questions - allow your audience to see you as a person who wants to help them.
In conclusion
The content that both you and your audience want to see is the best content format for you.
But you need to combine all of those forces together to find success: Consistency, Quality, Publishing, and Promotion.
Do this, and then repurposing that content doesn't have to be too hard!