Repurposed, renewed, and regenerated content

So many opportunities, never enough time. It's a marketing catchphrase, and an important consideration for managing your schedule effectively. When planning for 2023, you should assess both your individual and collective resources, and identify how to make the most of them. If marketing content creation isn’t your full-time role (and even if it is) you will need to strike a balance.

From an individual perspective, you don’t want to set-up an unrealistic schedule that’s impossible to keep up with. From a collective point of view, you need any stakeholders supporting content creation to stay invested in the process. You shouldn’t risk alienating potential contributors, as their insights will help to keep things on track.?

Maintain your focus

I’ve discussed the importance of a focused plan in a previous LinkedIn?article. But this isn’t solely an ‘output’ issue, you also need to think about ‘input’, and the attitude and expectations you’re taking into the new year. Over the last few months, there has been a lot of discussion around the pitfalls of ‘attention switching’ and its impact on our mental wellbeing. Defining clear objectives for your 2023 schedule, means you’ll start the year off in the right frame of mind.?

If you know what your goals are in advance, you’re less likely to frantically shift your priorities. That’s not to say you can’t adopt an agile marketing method and respond to new information as it arises. But there is a big difference between a strategic approach and manic multitasking. Recent studies have even found that?multitasking can hurt your productivity, as it impacts your ability to recall information, and give challenging work the attention it deserves.

So how do we balance the needs of our hippocampus, with the relentless demands of new content creation?

Create breathing space

Developing quality written and visual content takes energy and effort, so maximising your time is key. But that doesn't necessarily mean churning out, one completely original piece after another. In the media and broadcast sector, we’re well versed on the challenges of keeping an audience interested. There's a huge volume of entertainment out there and consumers have a limited amount of time to absorb it all.?

Often the best way of retaining a viewer’s attention is by leading them through a connecting series of content. Either with tailored recommendations, or with a hook that draws them into the next episode. The same tactic can be used to optimise your marketing communications, and this makes for a much more immersive experience than a one-off piece. It's also not enough to reach your audience on a single platform, you need to ensure that they are immersed in your brand across multiple touchpoints.

Whether you have a dedicated headcount assigned to creating content, or you work with an agency, or make use of a freelancer, it's crucial to plan a sustainable process. Your resources will only stretch so far and there's a limited number of hours in the day. Therefore, it's important to get your content working for you, by implementing a recycling strategy.?

Let's look at how to leverage repurposed, renewed, and regenerated content:?

1. Repurposed content:

You’ve taken time to gather the insights needed for a thought-leadership piece, so it’s vital to repurpose that information. If you’ve submitted to an industry magazine, the editor will of course expect a certain amount of exclusivity (so don’t repost a near identical copy of the article on your website!). Instead, pull out the key details and look for ways you could repurpose and expand on those bullet points.

Some of the concepts you’ve discussed might benefit from visual representation, such as an infographic or video explainer. You could build out a blog series to explore different challenges and feature more direct calls to action. Or perhaps, you need to highlight a few industry use-cases to support the sales team. By maximising different formats, you can make the most of your initial efforts.

2. Renewed content:

Ultimately, marketing is there to do a job. To attract potential new customers, to engage with technical partners, or to cement your credibility with existing clients. To do this effectively, content needs to move with the times, particularly as both technology and society evolve. It might be tempting to follow the crowd, but it’s important to carefully assess your position first.

There are certain subjects, such as sustainability or diversity and inclusion, that have global and cultural significance. So, it’s important to ensure that your message is both authentic and transparent. Don’t position your solution as sustainable if you haven’t taken any steps towards addressing your environmental impact. Don’t preach about the importance of gender diversity in media and technology, if you’ve not implemented HR policies or audited your own recruitment process.

Taking stock before making a statement publicly, doesn’t just apply to sensitive topics. From cloud-based workflows, to consumer trends, to security requirements, you should ensure your message responds to the changing needs of the media industry. When renewing content, make sure you’re clear on where your company stands and what you can offer, then carefully align your solution or service with the bigger picture. You shouldn’t lose sight of your overall vision just to weigh in on the latest hot topic.

3. Regenerated content:

Tried and tested subjects can start to feel stale, mainly because you’ve become overly familiar with them. So perhaps it’s time for a different angle? Even if you need to highlight the same product features this year, or stick with some consistent topics, you should still regenerate your marketing content.?

Not every message is suitable for every prospective customer or stakeholder. This is especially true if you’re targeting different sectors or job roles. Try and get into the mindset of the individuals you’re addressing, and focus on what matters to them. Even when sharing a well-defined product use-case, you’ll need to change up your communication style and approach. What appeals to the end-user, versus a head of department or CFO, will vary significantly. The same goes for established, media industry communications, as opposed to targeting new verticals where your company is less well-known. Make sure you’re creating content with a specific audience in mind.?

New year, new resolution

A new year can be both exciting and daunting. But by identifying marketing goals, creating breathing space, and implementing a content recycling strategy, you’ll start the year off with a positive mindset and avoid creative burnout.?

The resolution for 2023, is to ensure your marketing story reflects both the attributes of your solutions and the core values of your organisation. Putting a new twist on an evergreen topic, leveraging a range of different formats, and being mindful of industry trends, can breathe new life into your plan.?

Happy content creating, and happy New Year.