Small-business owners have their hands full. Generating content from scratch is time consuming, and not as productive as repurposing what they already have.

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Proven good material will help a business be more productive

Small-business owners have their hands full. Generating content from scratch is time consuming, and not as productive as repurposing what they already have.

“Content repurposing is using all or part of a piece of content on a different platform or at a different time than originally posted,” said Dana Lemaster

A certified public accountant turned screenwriter and novelist, she knows a thing or two about repurposing content with a host of vocations to pick from.

Lemaster joined business compatriots Ivana Taylor and Iva Ignjatovic to look at how small businesses can make the most of their limited resources regarding content.

Taylor owns DIYMarketers, which is “committed to helping small business owners get out of overwhelm.” Ignjatovic is a marketing, strategy and business consultant.

“Content repurposing takes a single piece of content — written, video, audio — tweaking it and using it as a completely different piece of content,” Taylor said. “That might be turning a video into an article or article into social shares.”

Right Source marketing states that more than 60 percent of content marketers point to refreshing and repurposing content as one of the most efficient tactics they use.

“Content repurposing adds value to already existing content by changing its form,” Ignjatovic said.

That gives small businesses another avenue to make the most of content they have already created.

“Repurposing content allows you to post on more platforms — and potentially, reach more people — than creating multiple posts,” Lemaster said. “It’s more efficient and more likely to help you stay on message for your brand.”

Strategy in Mind

For content to gain the most bang for the buck, marketers should have a strategy. That includes items designated for first-time use and later to repurpose.

Ignjatovic said this is a great way to show how content repurposing maximizes time and effort.

Small businesses wanting to get started with content repurposing should go slowly if they aren’t using several platforms or types of content, according to Lemaster.

“Look at what others in the industry are doing,” Lemaster said. “Then reach out to the target audience for feedback. Decide how these suggestions apply to your content.”

Repurposing will become an intricate part of her game plan after she publishes and then markets a book nearing completion.

“The book has taken a long time,” Lemaster said. “I began writing it because of a friend who was raped and murdered when I was a teenager — donating from the profits to organizations that help rape survivors. It has been a tough journey at times, but we’re nearing the end.”

Repurposing content will help her publicize the book across the varied social media channels.

“The best way to start is to use a piece of content that gets great results — shares, traffic and so on — and turn it into content for another channel or media type,” Taylor said.

“I’ve heard it said that social media is for ‘presentation’ and engagement,” she said. “Your own platforms are where the sale should happen, usually with email.”

Double Web Traffic

Backlinko, which specializes in search engine optimization training and link building strategies, states that updating old blog posts with new web design, images and content can increase your traffic by up to 111 percent.

“Small businesses should take into account their resources, budget and the quality of content they want to repurpose — plus what will be the end result,” Ignjatovic said. “Take only what you can do. Be realistic. Get data.”

Small businesses often will have to make the most of their limited resources regarding content.

“Tailor the content to each platform,” Lemaster said. “That’s much easier and more effective than recreating the wheel for each one.”

This is even better with a systemic approach.

“The first step is to have a given set of talking points,” Taylor said. “Create core content around those talking points. Then build off of that content.”

To that end, DIYMarketers has posted an article, “Repurposing Content For Busy Business Owners.”

“Gather all the data and see what you can do,” Ignjatovic said. “Budgets are tight — and time as a resource, as well. Create simple and effective snippets from your content. Test them. Measure. Then focus on what works best.”

Written materials are much easier to modify, rearrange, update or change in style than video or audio.

“I repurposed a couple video interviews I did to hone in on a specific topic,” Taylor said. “It was super easy, but tools are super helpful.

“Two foundational types of content are written and video,” she said. “Everything else comes from there.”

Old Content Still Potent

According to online visibility management software as a service platform SEMrush, 51 percent of companies say updating old content has proven the most efficient tactic implemented.

“I’m hesitant to talk about video or audio repurposing at this point, although I keep hearing the same things about the versatility of both,” Lemaster said.

The best strategy is to keep an open mind about any possibilities.

“Nowadays you can repurpose anything to anything else,” Ignjatovic said. “There are no hard rules. The goal is what matters — what you want to achieve as a small-business owner. Ask how a different content format can help you with your goals.”

People have to clear their own particular hurdles when spreading their messages.

“My biggest challenges with content repurposing have been related to technology and accessibility,” Lemaster said. “I don’t want to have people left out.

“I’m trying to keep everything from looking and sounding the same,” she said. “It’s a real problem when you’re working under deadlines and with a limited budget.”

Marketing is easier when you know where to start.

“The biggest challenge for me has been selecting the core content and repurposing beyond turning content into social posts,” Taylor said.

“The unfortunate part about video editing is that you have to give people guidance,” she said. “You have to watch the video and tell them what clips you want where, but you don’t need to be the one to do it. Tools like Otter and Descript really help with transcripts.”

Deliver Greatest Impact

A popular platform, YouTube, is a great way to get your personality across and provide rich content to your clients.

“Regardless of location, the biggest challenge is to choose the right content that will have the biggest impact when repurposed,” Ignjatovic said.

When repurposing, avoid creating duplicate content.

“I like to create a giant piece of long content and break it up into smaller pieces,” Taylor said. “This way you stay in the same category with unique content.”

Considering video as one solution, digital marketing agency WebFX states that people spend an average of 88 percent more time on web pages with videos.

“Never duplicate content,” Ignjatovic said. “When repurposing, we are bound to change things — either a format or the way we tell the story.”

Repackaging and repurposing content might be one and the same.

“I don’t think there’s a big difference,” Taylor said. “I view packaging as a branding function. Content around a specific event or brand is both repurposed and packaged to go together.”

Productivity saves time on editing and repurposing podcasts and videos. A Descript review via DIYMarketers covers the details behind this audio transcription tool.

Minimal Changes

“I like the distinction: reuse, repurpose, repackage,” Ignjatovic said. “Repurpose is one content piece that I use in a different way. Repackaging is usually about making a collection out of content that doesn’t have to be repurposed.”

Certain content merits reuse compared to others.

“It’s a personal call,” Taylor said. “Almost all content can be repurposed. Short content — like a social post — can trigger a larger article or video. Longer content can be broken out.”

This is a good place to separate business from pleasure.

“I’m not a fan of personal affection,” Ignjatovic said. “Small businesses need data and research to know which content piece is worth repurposing.

“Base decisions on data, analytics and initial engagement,” she said. “However, certain people repurpose almost every piece of their content but for different media.”

Keying on essentials makes repurposing choices easier.

“The decision on what to repurpose has to be in line with your goals and objectives,” Taylor said. “Focus on what’s most useful to customers.”