Content repurposing is hot right now, especially in the B2B sphere. And it’s easy to see why it’s so appealing: Repurposing allows you to reach more customers in different ways and get more mileage out of the content you create.

And according to a Business2Community roundup of social media statistics, 57% of a typical B2B purchase decision is already made before a customer even approaches the supplier. This means it’s vital that you get your message out to your prospects in as many ways as possible.

Repurpose the right way
But repurposing doesn’t mean publishing the same article or blog post word for word in different venues. That’s reusing content. Repurposing is adapting your content to new audiences and different channels — or to existing customers at different stages of the sales cycle.

Knowing how not to repurpose content is as important as knowing why you need to do it:

• Don’t make repurposing an afterthought. Some content marketers advise thinking up five ways to use each and every idea, such as creating blog posts, using the idea as the basis for a video script, writing a series of articles, or even creating a webinar. Just don’t leave the brainstorming until after you’ve published the first piece, because you might never come back to it.
• Don’t aimlessly repurpose content. Know what audience you’re trying to reach and what you’d like to accomplish. Think about how you can retool existing content to help readers understand a key issue in a new way.
• Don’t assume there’s not enough information. You have more information than you think! And you’ll realize that once you begin thinking about all the ways your products or services can solve various problems for your customers. There’s always a way to craft new messages about old topics. Just look at different segments of your audience or different media for the answer.

Where to look
Content for repurposing can come from surprising sources:

• Customer interactions: Feedback makes great case studies. People love a success story!

• Market research: Use impressive stats about your company to create an infographic.

• Newsletter: Your newsletter archives are a haven for repurpose-ready content. Retool articles as blog posts or pull quotes to use on Facebook or Twitter.

• Website FAQs: Each of your frequently asked questions is a potential blog post.

• Old materials: Mine print materials or old sales pitches for evergreen topics and content that’s worked well before, then transform it into something new.

• Videos: Got videos? Use them! Link to them from your newsletter or Facebook page, use their transcripts to create a white paper, or pull stats or quotes to use in social media.

Digital content is extremely versatile, so make the most of the content you’ve worked hard to produce. There are as many ways to repurpose your content as there are different formats — and a slightly different angle or media could be just what you need to reach more customers.

Still out of content ideas? Contact the Proven Systems team today at (800) 720-5398 or info@provensystems.com.