After instant food, instant dating and instant blogging, it’s time for instant content!

When Federer created history by winning the 15th Grand Slam, prime-time was packed with stories on the champion’s life. Images from the time he won the Wimbledon boys’ title (1998) were shown. This was a time to reuse, repurpose, repackage, recycle, recreate and reformat. If paper and plastic can be recycled, why not content? When budgets are low and increased communication is the aim, reusing content is the way to go.

Repackage Content to Add Value

Value addition to existing ideas can take the conversation further without significantly adding to the costs:

  • Give the earlier communicated concept a personal touch. Relate the idea to yourself. That personal touch will not only lend uniqueness to the content, but will also make it more gripping.
  • Reply to one of your popular niche articles. Give counter arguments. This attracts attention.
  • Reuse old ideas and customize them for a new target audience.
  • Pick up ideas that have not been conveyed comprehensively. Highlight the aspects that have not been covered.

Reformatting Content

Content can be embodied in multimedia:

  • Simplify the communication of ideas through the use of diagrams.
  • Convert the content into podcasts and audio books to cater to the visually-impaired or to travellers.
  • Create videos to make the content more entertaining and easy to absorb.
  • Make a power point presentation from content on your website for prospective clients.

Reusing Content: Benefits

  • Converting content into multiple formats widens your reach to a variety of audiences.
  • Going through the same content again helps in refining ideas. One can identify which techniques work better for which content and target audience. In this way, templates can be developed to convert content into other formats.
  • Reusing content when it matters can fetch you that extra dollar, without investing much effort or time into production.
  • Repackaged content may address a different segment of the wider market. This way, the market gets to know you better.
  • Reusing content allows you to use it with a changed focus. Tailor content such that it fits the requirements of the audience. Content can be reused to suit different situations. Restructuring it in a way that readers find it relevant can make a huge difference.

Reusing content does not mean shifting focus from novelty. Producing unique ideas everyday may not be easy. In such a case, optimizing what one already has becomes essential. The range of choices can be confusing while deciding the context to which the content is to be converted. Keeping the focus is important when one starts with repackaging content. Knowing the market, where and when it wants the content and in what context it wants the information needs to be clear.

The author, Ankit Chadha, is a member of content writing team with Veda Informatics.