1 Easy Way to Save a Fortune on Content Marketing

No matter who you ask, everybody will claim they don't have enough budget for content. 

Budget, time and talent will always be the limiting factors - and most people complain about the budget side of things more than anything else.

There's just never enough cash, right?

That leads to all kinds of moronic cost-cutting measures, like outsourcing your content (which reflects your brand) to the cheapest bidder, foregoing editing or choosing not to invest at all.

There's a better way, everybody. 

But to tap into it, you need to understand a simple truth about content marketing:The actual creation part takes the least amount of time. 

It's the upfront costs - the planning, research, vetting and editing that goes into putting together the information necessary to create the content that drives up your bill. 

Think about it:

You're running a corporate blog. Every time you want to post something new, you need to sit down, come up with an idea, research that idea, then write the post. That's super inefficient.

So how do you get around that?

The cost-cutting, quality-saving miracle known as repurposing. 

Repurposing means turning one big idea into multiple pieces of content. Instead of burning hours on the research end, research one concept inside and out and turn it into 10 pieces instead of just one. 

Here's a process you can take to the bank:

1. Decide on your "big idea"

Spend some time upfront looking at your buyers' cycle and existing content. Where are there gaps you need to fill, and what do customers care most about during that stage of their buying journey? 

This is where you'll find your most profitable "big idea". 

2. Decide on your "cornerstone asset"

A cornerstone asset is usually an in-depth content piece like an ebook, infographic, whitepaper or guide - but it can be anything depending on what's most important to your buyer.

Cornerstone assets are the most comprehensive asset you need to produce, requiring the most research and polishing.

3. Plan out supporting assets

Here's where the simple beauty of this process comes to light: Instead of creating one big asset and moving on to the next idea, plan how you can take that same information and use it in different formats and mediums to attract more customers across multiple platforms.

Some easy examples:

• ebooks can be transformed into a series of blog posts  that break down each individual idea

• The cornerstone asset can be rewritten with a specific audience in mind and used as guest post material

• Statistics can be turned into infographics, images and tweetables for you to share on social media

• The same information can be packaged into a live webinar where someone explains the concept

• That webinar can be recorded and released as a video live to the public

• That video can be transcribed and turned into a blog post or resource on your site

• All the information can be broken out into a step-by-step email course on the subject you drip to new customers 

• You can use the initial content as a launching point for discussion, interviewing industry experts (or even just industry folks) in a round-up post 

From one single concept, you've got TONS of content opportunities.

The added bonus? You become an expert!

When I present this idea, sometimes people get worried that their audience will tire of them talking about the same thing.

Here's the facts: Not all of your audience convenes on any one medium or checks out every type of content. 

And being known for harping on something is actually an advantage - if you choose wisely, your brand becomes associated with having deep knowledge in that area.

Stop complaining - start repurposing!

There's no need to burn through budget producing one-off pieces. Take a planned, strategic approach to your content, and I promise you can cut costs without reducing quality in the process.

(Like this post? Follow me @JoelKlettke or read more at Business Casual Copywriting)