7 Smart Ways to Repurpose + Promote Your Content
Let’s be honest … creating content is exhausting.
When I first started in marketing, I thought each new piece of content, whether long-form or short-form had to be some new, amazing concept or idea.
While I knew deep down that there were other ways, I thought that making each piece unique and independent would somehow make me seem more valuable in the eyes of my client.
I don’t know if you have done this before or, maybe you’re struggling with this now, and I hate being the bearer of bad news …
It doesn’t work. It didn’t make me more valuable. BUT it did burn me out fast.
Unless you have a full team dedicated to content, it’s just not feasible.
When you’re the one-person show or have a small staff, you are much better served by being consistent with your long-form content and leveraging it to the max.
It’s a win-win! Not only do you save yourself time and energy, but you’re also able to double down on the promotion of your original piece of long-form content which will increase your reach and engagement.
So, let’s take a look at seven different ways you can take one piece of long-form content and create multiple pieces of short-form content.
1. Instagram Carousels
One of the most visually engaging and interactive ways to repurpose your long-form content is through Instagram carousels. These multi-slide posts allow you to break down ideas into bite-sized, easily digestible visuals.
Let’s look at an example.
Let’s say you have a podcast episode about “5 Marketing Tactics to Grow an Online Business.” Your carousel may have the title on the first slide and each slide following identifies one of the tactics with the last slide being a call to action (CTA) to listen to the episode.
But you can take it even further. Create a separate carousel for each of the tactics. If your first tactic is email marketing, create a carousel all about email marketing, providing highlights from this section of the podcast for each slide, followed by the CTA to listen. And so on.
It doesn’t require much more effort and you now have 6 carousels to post to Instagram.
Instagram carousels can significantly increase your engagement rates.
They encourage users to spend more time on your post as they swipe through the slides, leading to better performance in the algorithm.
Plus, they’re sharable, which helps organically extend your reach.
Carousels not only refreshes your content in a new format but also taps into those looking for quick insights or takeaways that may not otherwise read your caption.
2. Quote Graphics
Quote graphics are an excellent way to turn your long-form content into shareable, eye-catching snippets that capture the essence of your message.
They can quickly convey key insights or memorable quotes that resonate with your audience.
Go through your long-form content and pick a couple of standout quotes or statements. They should be powerful on their own and spark curiosity or provide value.
Let’s look at an example.
Let’s say you have a YouTube video about effective time management techniques. You state in your video a line like “You control your time, or it controls you.” This is a perfect quote to post.
Quote graphics are highly shareable and can quickly go viral, providing excellent visibility for your content.
They’re also versatile and can be used in many different formats and platforms, making them a valuable tactic for your content marketing strategy.
And the bonus … it’s one of the easiest ways to maximize impact with minimal additional effort.
3. Twitter Threads
Twitter threads are a fantastic way to break down and share long-form content in a digestible and engaging way.
By creating a series of connected tweets, you can effectively communicate detailed information or insights, encouraging interaction and discussion among your followers.
Twitter threads can significantly increase your engagement and visibility on the platform. They make your content more accessible and allow you to reach a broader audience who may prefer bite-sized information over reading a full article.
You can create these in a manner similar to the carousel example above.
By leveraging Twitter threads, you not only repurpose your content into an interactive format but also tap into the dynamic environment of Twitter.
4. Facebook or LinkedIn Posts
Sharing summarized versions of your long-form content on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn can effectively drive engagement and send readers back to your original long-form content.
These platforms are ideal for sparking discussions and connecting with a professional or more engaged audience.
Create an engaging title or hook followed by a brief overview of your long-form content and end with a call to action.
Posting summarized versions of your articles on Facebook or LinkedIn not only helps drive targeted traffic back to your website but also enhances your visibility and credibility within your professional network.
These platforms are excellent for reaching an audience that values comprehensive insights and is likely to engage through comments and shares.
5. Pinterest Pins
Pinterest is an incredibly powerful tool for driving long-term traffic to your long-form content.
Many people think of Pinterest as a form of social media but it’s actually a form of a visual search engine.
By creating Pinterest pins for different sections or highlights of your long-form content, you can attract an audience that values visual discovery and is looking for ideas to pin for later reference.
In terms of reach and lifespan of a pin, you really can’t beat it.
The average Facebook post lifespan is 3-4 hours.
The average Instagram post lifespan is 48 hours.
The average Pinterest pin lifespan is 4 months!
In fact, at the time of this writing, Pinterest sends more traffic to my blog than any other platform I use.
Let’s look at an example of how to leverage pins for your long-form content.
If you wrote a blog post on “10 Steps to a Zero-Waste Home,” not only could you create a pin just based on the title with an overview of the blog, but you could also make a pin for each step. In minutes, you could have 11 different pins directing users to your blog post.
Pinterest is particularly effective for evergreen content as pins can continue to drive traffic to your site for months (or even years) after they are first pinned.
By incorporating Pinterest into your content strategy, you’re tapping into a visual and search-driven audience.
6. Short Videos or Reels
Short videos, like YouTube shorts, and Instagram Reels have become a go-to for capturing attention and engaging an audience quickly.
These formats are perfect for distilling key points from your long-form content into dynamic, easily consumable visuals that resonate with your users who prefer video over text.
A lot of people are hesitant on camera or don’t want to “put their face” out there.
But you can capture your content in a video similar to how you do in a carousel, meaning you can totally have faceless Reels that still effectively promote your long-form content.
Short videos and Reels are incredibly effective for increasing engagement and reaching a broader audience.
They are highly shareable and can quickly go viral, providing enormous exposure to your content.
By leveraging video to promote your long-form content, you are adapting to the preferences of a video-centric audience which is particularly valuable in today’s visual and fast-paced media environment, where capturing attention is key.
7. Email newsletters
Email newsletters are an excellent channel to directly engage your audience by delivering value right into their inboxes.
By incorporating elements of your long-form content into newsletters, you can keep your subscribers informed, interested and connected to your work.
For example, if your long-form content is a guide on personal branding for freelancers, your email could feature an overview of one of the strategies and a link to the full guide.
Using email newsletters to repurpose and promote your content helps maintain regular contact with your audience and reinforces your expertise in your niche. It keeps readers engaged with your brand and builds loyalty.
Repurposing and promoting your long-form content across different platforms isn’t just a time-saver; it’s a strategic way to amplify your reach and maximize the impact of every piece of content you create.
Each of these methods offers unique benefits.
But I want to remind you that these are just examples to get your creativity flowing.
You do not have to be everywhere all at once!!
In fact, if you’re a solo act or only have a small team, I encourage you to pick one form of long-form content (blog, podcast or YouTube video), an email platform, and one platform to promote. (Personally, I prefer Instagram or Pinterest because there are many ways to repurpose the same content but you work with what’s most comfortable for you and what you can commit to. There’s always the option to add more platforms later, as you grow and your team grows.)
For even more ideas on how to save yourself time and energy by repurposing content, be sure to download your FREE Content Creation Kit.