How to Turn a Single Blog Post Into 10 Fresh Pieces of Content (Or More!)

Your brain is foggy. Judging by the volume of cat videos you consumed this morning, it’s fair to say you’re distracted. Maybe even a tad irritable.

And it’s all because of a very real condition:

You have a bad case of CMF (Content Marketing Fatigue).

It happens to the best of us, from the tenacious startup to the big guys with loads of resources!

Consumers expect a lot from companies nowadays. It’s no longer just about slapping up a website and saying, “Hey, we promise we’re legit.”

You have to prove it.

One of the best ways to demonstrate your relevance and expertise is by publishing thoughtful and valuable content to educate, inspire, and entertain your target audience.

The problem is, it’s a lot of work!

So, how do you avoid CMF?

The answer: Get smarter with content creation.

Yes, there are fantabulous ways, like working with guest bloggers, to keep the original ideas and perspectives flowin’. But even so, when it comes to content creation, you need to get the most bang for your buck (time is money, right?).

Try upcycling: The simple process of repurposing old content into something new and improved.

Sound smart?

Great – let’s start with the ever-popular blog post!

 

Not every post in your archives is necessarily one you want to bring back to life. Maybe they aren’t all the types of evergreen posts you share again and again – or maybe, there are some that just aren’t your favorites.

You don’t need to resurrect them all! The first step is just to figure out which posts are worthwhile.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What topics are most relevant to this audience?
• Which posts got loads of love in the form of visits, social shares, likes, comments, and backlinks?
• Does its relevance hold up over time? Is it evergreen content?
• Is there more to be said, or more value to add?

There will be more than one front-runner, but start with a single blog post, or a series of related posts, and brainstorm ways to transform that content into a fresh format that will attract a new segment of your audience.

Got that down?  Cool. Lather up your content archives, rinse, and repeat.

To get your creative juices flowing, here are ten content ideas to consider:

1. E-books

Okay, this format seems intimidating, but if you think about it, e-books are really just like blog posts with a little lipstick. Take a valuable post, or a series of high-quality, related posts, and bundle ‘em up in a fancy schmancy, styled-up booklet.

Focus on a friendly format that’s easy to scan. Eye-catching visual elements like call-outs, photos, graphics, and quotes will help your cause.

(Want an example? Check out one of our own free downloads, MeetEdgar Social Media Checklist!)

Use a graphic designer or go it alone. You can build your e-book in PowerPoint and export it as a PDF, or experiment with tools like Kindle Create or Scrivener.

2. Online courses

All that expertise isn’t doing any good bottled up in your brain. You should be educating your readers, so why not formalize it a bit?

Converting your blog posts into individual e-course modules can be an effective place to start with premium content. Also, by upping your content caliber, you can collect currency in the form of email addresses in exchange for access.

(And collecting email addresses can make it a LOT easier to drive traffic in the future.)

Spruce up your course with quizzes, awards, and incentives for module completion and referrals. Remember to focus on educating – you can mention your products if they’re particularly relevant, but shoehorning in tons of awkward and inappropriate sales pitches is so 1991.

3. Video

You knew this one was coming! If you haven’t heard, video is hotter than a nine-brained octopus on board game night (trust us, it’s hot). With a fancy video creation machine (aka smartphone) in our pockets, we have no excuse to ignore video.

Harvest your posts for video-worthy opportunities. Test the waters with a few of these tried and true formats:

• Demos: Try Soapbox or Loom for simple screencast how-to explainers.
• Micro-video: Short video snippets under 15 seconds are perfect for social media distribution via Instagram Reels or Instagram Stories
• Recaps: Summarize key takeaways and action items from a post with supplemental, embeddable videos.
• Interviews: Circle up with interview subjects and ask them to record a selfie video to capture their unique point of view. (And might make them feel really cool, which they are.)
• Animated Video: Tell your story with animated 2-D or 3-D graphics, text, and voiceovers

4. Infographics

These modern-day hieroglyphics simplify data and complicated subjects, and give readers a needed break from words, words, and more words!

Infographics are no longer as labor intensive as they used to be, either – if you don’t have a designer of your own, try experimenting with easy, breezy tools like Canva, or Piktochart.

5. Templates and checklists

Actionable advice is central to a successful blog post. How many times have you read something and thought, “Yes ma’am, I am doing this…as soon as I have time, which will be never.”

Help hold your readers accountable with handy-dandy action items in the form of PDF or Excel checklists, trackers, templates, and honey-do lists. Plus, these resources make killer evergreen content that you can distribute again and again over social media (yup, Edgar can help with this) or embed across your site.

6. Webinars

These virtual online seminars come in more shapes and sizes than a tray of calamari (trust us, chicken is a far safer option). If you’re a newbie to the webinar, consider prerecording it until you’re more confident with a live environment – more on that in this guide.

You are the teacher in this scenario, so pick your style based on the needs of your audience.

• Presentation: Don’t get us started on the upcycle possibilities with slides! (Because we’re talking about that in a second – keep reading!)
• Interview: Round up your dearest internal and external experts. Why wouldn’t they want the extra exposure?
• Q&A: With this “pro format,” be prepared for a few curve balls. Make sure the moderator is quick on their feet (or tentacles).
• Panel: Peeps crave diverse perspectives, and you’ll love the additional attendees that outside guests will attract.
• Demo: It’s not only helpful, but makes another stellar option for the camera-shy.

7. Live Video

Social networks loooove live video because it encourages a super-high engagement rate from both your and your audience. Facebook Live is probably the best place to start. (You can even incorporate screen sharing into your Live.) And Instagram has live video as well.

The easiest way to turn existing content into live video is to hop on a live and go over the content. Try printing out our latest blog post and using it as a guide to explain the concepts you covered. (Just please don’t sit there and read it outloud! We are not going for a sixth-grade book report vibe.)

Here are a few more posts about live video across the different platforms and how to use it:

• 7 Ways to Use Facebook Live to Generate Leads for Your Business (Tips & Examples)
• 5 Facebook Live Tips To Grow Your Audience
• What We Learned from Three Months of Facebook Live (and How You Can Get the Most Out of It)
• What You Should Do As Soon As Your Facebook Live Broadcast Ends
• Nail Your Next (or First!) Facebook Live Video Broadcast: Must-Know Tips
• Which is the Best Social Network for Live Video – Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?

8. New blog posts

Sometimes half the battle in maintaining a blog is coming up with inventive ideas – but old blog posts make a great launch pad for inspiration.

Comb through your archives with these questions in mind:

• Are there related topics to cover in more depth?
• Are there outdated articles to resurrect? Keep the original URL to avoid getting dinged for duplicate content, but refresh the article with recent stats, visuals, and best practices.
• Is there a tutorial or demo you could create? Publish the follow-up interview as text AND video!
• Who can you interview for a fresh perspective on the original post?
• What’s in the comments and questions section? This is a gold mine for topic ideas!

9. Podcasts

If your readers are anything like us, they dig podcasts because they can do all sorts of other things while listening to them. Funnel through your blog posts for podcast topic ideas that are a catalyst for debate, fresh perspective, and thought leadership.

Admittedly, podcasting isn’t the most turnkey option, BUT the return on investment can make it all worthwhile. The key is to commit. Be consistent and dedicated to driving value and promoting the heck out of it.

Don’t forget to post your show notes as a full transcript or summary on your website (high-five SEO!).

10. Visuals

Stockpile all the social media fodder you can handle by creating bite-sized pieces of visual content based on the work you’ve already done on your blog. No heavy lifting required, just a keen eye for the social nuggets your audience will gobble up – or better yet, share.

Build a repository of personality-filled visuals that you can tee up for distribution on your social channels.

You probably have ideas already, but here’s some eye-candy to explore:

• GIFs
• Quotes
• Memes
• Stats (make them tweetable!)
• Data charts
• FAQs with answers
• Mini case studies
• Screenshots to illustrate a point
• Photos

What are some of your own faves?

How do YOU combat Content Marketing Fatigue?

So, how are you squeezing every ounce of value out of your content?

Any tools you can’t live without?

Any formats we missed?

Share your own tips in the comments below!