As April comes to an end, it’s somehow shocking to realize that 2015 is almost one-third over. So...how are you progressing with that 2015 editorial calendar? You swore you’d get back on track after the winter holidays, yet Easter has come and gone and it won’t be long until Memorial Day and the end of the school year. Staying on track with the best of plans is hard enough to do, and especially so when unexpected demands on your time crop up. One way to get back on track with your editorial calendar is to repurpose existing content. The truth is, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you want/need to add content to your site. Content that was especially successful in 2014 can be re-used in another format in 2015. Long pieces can be broken up into smaller pieces or smaller pieces can be compiled into a longer piece. As an example, this blog post is an expansion of a newsletter article from our GreyMatters monthly enewsletter published a few months ago. There are some compelling reasons to refresh and re-use existing content:

• Reaching a new audience. Some people prefer to read text; others prefer videos. Some people like a lot of detail, while still others prefer the “Reader’s Digest” condensed version. With so many digital channels available now, content can be presented in a variety of formats that will engage a larger audience.
• Making the best use of often-scarce resources. If your kitchen is outdated but your budget can’t cover a complete remodeling job, simple, inexpensive steps like a new coat of paint or wallpaper or adding doorpulls to the cabinets can give your kitchen a fresh, new look. The same concept can work for your content as well.
• Timeless classics never go out of style. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and create a piece or set of content that really knocks it out of the park. With just a bit of thought and maybe a touch of updating, you can serve up old treasures again with success.

In addition to breaking up long articles into several smaller ones or compiling a group of short articles into a longer single article, other ways existing content can be repurposed include:

• Turn PowerPoint decks into articles or blog posts.
• Repurpose press releases.
• Revise old blog posts.
• Turn Webinars into videos. Has one of your clinicians done a successful Webinar or online chat/Twitter session? Turn it into a video to post on your YouTube channel.
• Articles on a specific topic can be turned into guides. For example, if you have content on various medical tests and procedures, consider converting them into “how it’s done” articles using infographics or other images.
• Turn statistics into Twitter posts or DYK posts on Facebook.
• Record blog posts for podcasts.

If your organization has a blog (or blogs), use your analytics tool to assess the popularity, reach, etc., of previously-published blogs. If several people were responsible for the top blogs, have them revisit the articles and give feedback for repurposing the articles. This can lead to more successful blog articles. Another source for repurposing ideas is to talk with your clinicians. Physicians, nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, dietitians, and other clinicians often have great ideas about content presentation. Consider having a brainstorming session with a select group of clinicians from various service lines or departments, perhaps including pizza or snacks, to get perspective and ideas from the people who deal directly with the patients you want to engage. Is repurposing content part of your organization’s content plan? If so, we’d love to hear how it’s working for you. If your organization is looking for advice or assistance with your content plan, contact us. Greystone offers Content Writing/Strategy Services and we’d love to help you maximize your content’s potential.