If you’ve ever stood in front of a closet full of clothes and thought, “I have nothing to wear,” you’re not alone. Of course, that’s almost never true. You have plenty to wear. You just haven’t looked at it with fresh eyes. The same thing happens in marketing. And that’s why we want to help you create new outfits out of the clothes you already have—or in this case, new content out of pieces of great work you’ve already got hanging around.
In the past, we’ve pointed out how helpful it can be to take one piece of content, like a blog post, and then simply repurpose it into social media posts, newsletter content, and more.
Today we’re looking beyond that idea. We’re talking about how to pair a blouse you already own with a skirt you never imagined wearing with it.
Here’s an example: You’re an ice cream shop, and you recently answered a mom’s email about hosting a birthday party at your store. How would it work? What would it cost? How many people can attend?
That’s a dress just waiting for the right accessories to take it from day to night. In other words: Take that thoughtful email thread and create a web page about hosting events at your shop. You’ve already done the legwork. But now you need to dress it up and take it into the world.
Next, ask yourself: What happens if I change the audience? There might be onboarding materials or internal documents that would translate easily into “get started” or “about us” pages for first-time website visitors.
Also: Consider fresh angles. Instead of sharing your latest triumph, tell a funny story about something that went horribly wrong. It could make a fantastic social media post that drives engagement, inviting people to share their own humorous work woes.
You should also build out on your successes. If your top-performing blog post explains “5 Things to Know Before Remodeling Your Kitchen,” consider adding a Part 2. Consider discussing “5 Things You DON’T Need to Know Before Remodeling Your Kitchen.” Think how existing content can take you to your next success.
Finally, remember the top rule for upcycling and recycling: What’s old is new.
Everything you’ve put out in the past is worth revisiting. Whether it’s a time capsule post that revisits your past awards or a round-up of your best photos, there’s always a way to present your old work in a new light—at a time when it can find new audiences. If you’ve got outdated content, it might take a light touch to revise and renew it for the current day.
If a fresh set of eyes could help you discover the best use of your existing content and knowledge stores, invite us to come by and poke through your closet and come up with a plan. Plus, we’ll show you how to measure and track your successes, so you’ll know which “new outfits” are worth taking out for a spin again!