Creating, publishing and maintaining engaging content on a consistent basis can be overwhelming to even the most organized and professional content marketers.
According to research by Zazzle Media, 60 percent of marketers find it hard to produce content consistently. While challenging, content is vital to any marketing strategy. 
Pew Research indicates 77 percent of U.S. adults are online several times a day and 26 percent of U.S. adults are almost always online. According to Demand Metric, 70 percent of consumers would rather get information about a company through a blog post rather than traditional advertising.
Basically, if you don’t have consistent content online, you will be obsolete to customers and potential customers.
Repurposing Content
The good news is that there are ways to make creating content more manageable. One of the easiest ways to create a lot of content is by repurposing existing material. I will explain.
There are generally four types of content online: written word, images, videos, and audio. The first step is to select the type of content you are most comfortable with. In my case, that would be writing.
So, I would start by writing a blog. I am going to pick a topic so it is easier to explain. Because I raise sheep and goats, my blog topic will be “a day in the life” at our farm.
This is my 4-year-old daughter Quincy holding her 2-week-old baby goat she named Olaf.
Now, when creating content, one of the most important things to consider is the audience you are addressing. Because our Facebook page has audience members of all ages, I will need to create content that appeals to all ages.
Email: According to a blog on HubSpot, only 22 percent of millennials want to read email from companies, while 57 percent of 45 to 54 year olds enjoy email. So, one way I could get a second use out of my blog about “a day in the life” would be to send an email to my followers who are between the ages of 45 to 54 that includes a link to my blog. I could also create a newsletter with links to several blogs and email that to the same audience.
Video: The HubSpot blog also said that 52 percent of millennials want to see video, while only 25 percent of adults between 45 and 54 prefer video. So, for the younger audience that would not want to read my blog capturing “a day in the life” on the farm, I could create a video that would simply show them what happens on the farm each day.
Photos: Similar to the video that would showcase “a day in the life” on the farm, I could also take several photos that capture what a day looks like and post those to social media sites, including Instagram. This is yet another way to share content about the same topic, without a lot of additional work.
Graphics: Many people are in a hurry and don’t have time to read a blog or watch an entire video. So, to convey similar content, I could choose a photo that best displays my topic and select a quote or sentence from my blog and create a graphic using a website like RelayThat. I could then post that graphic on social media sites for a quick hit of information about my farm.
Podcast: Podcasts are becoming incredibly popular. Instead of reading my blog post, my audience could listen to it on their way to work. They would not only hear the post, but they would gain access to my personality and feel better connected to me and my brand. 
Dig deeper: After reading my blog, a customer might have a question about something I wrote about. For instance, maybe they want to know more specifically about what we feed our animals. So, I could write a follow up blog about the specifics of what and when and how much we feed our animals and why, and include a link to the “day in the life” blog.
FAQs or Q&A: Customers want to know more about you and your company. One of the easiest ways to connect with them in a more personal and detailed way is to post Frequently Asked Questions or Questions & Answers. These two types of content demonstrate that you are listening to what your audience is saying and asking and that you care enough to answer their questions. These posts do not have to be complicated or map out every decision you make. They can be fun posts about employee personalities, company inside jokes or bloopers. They can also be serious ways to answer complicated questions in a transparent manner.
While it can feel overwhelming at times to create content for the numerous online platforms today, content is one of the most valuable ways companies can connect with their audiences. It helps build reputation and trust and helps consumers learn about your company and what you have to offer.
Need help brainstorming ways you can repurpose content you have already created? Give us a shout!
