4 Content marketing goldmines and how to use them effectively

One of the toughest aspects of marketing is creating a steady stream of content for followers and prospective clients. While I love coming up with new topics and delving into research that inspires my next piece, original content is a luxury many cannot afford. Successful social media brands and personalities constantly pump out new content, often with a team of marketers at their disposal to do it.

With a lifetime of knowledge waiting to be tapped, how do industry leaders get their voices heard without quitting their day jobs and becoming full-time content marketers?

My favorite way to do this is by repurposing. Just like a shabby couch upholstered and polished into something new, a single piece of content can be refreshed as well— remold or break it apart so the content is refashioned without an exhaustive effort. Repurposing is easiest to do with long-form sources bursting with observations and ideas.

Here are four content marketing goldmines able to inspire content for weeks or even months if used effectively:

Podcasts

On podcasts, two (or more) industry insiders discuss and dissect topics related to their field and promote a business or personal brand along the way. Typically there is a plug at the end, highlighting the guest’s background and next steps for the listeners. The host and guest(s) share the podcast across their social media channels afterward.

What if the guest breaks the podcast down a bit, though? They take a single insight from it — say, one question asked and its answer — and posted that? People who did not listen just received value from it anyway. Any topic discussed is fair game for a future blog post, expanding on a subject that only received one or two minutes during the recording. With every quote or audio clip of the podcast shared, the guest offers words of wisdom without making original content to do it.

Videos

Social media platforms typically restrict video lengths on their sites, such as Instagram limiting users to under a minute. Video engagement (meaning likes, shares and clicks) drops off after around 45 seconds on most platforms, so there is no real benefit to post long ones either way.

While ill-advised as the final product, filming lengthy videos is a content goldmine. With a five-minute video, there are a handful of shortened clips ready to go from just that one. The full-length version can live on the website or Youtube for more committed followers to watch. Viewers of the shortened clips may wish to see more, so they venture onto the website, enter the sales funnel and become leads.

Videos do not need to be professional grade to perform well. If you are concerned about coming off as an amateur, though, shoot them with a newer iPhone — the 4K resolution can make all the difference in quality. Phone stabilizers are also a trick of the trade for marketers who do not want to drop hundreds of dollars on camera equipment.

Webinars

From tech to design, webinar hosts teach participants how-tos about their respective fields through one or two-hour sessions digitally. For a marketer like me, webinars are some of the best content opportunities imaginable. They are packed with participants learning tricks of the trade, asking questions and getting feedback.

If a thought leader offered a webinar, it is a repurposing opportunity from start to finish. When someone asks an interesting question during it, turn around and pose that same question on LinkedIn. Overlay a quote from the webinar on a photo for Instagram. Pull a fascinating statistic and tweet it. Share a clip on the company website or Youtube. The opportunities are endless, but creativity is essential.

White papers

White papers are jam packed with research, quotes and facts that easily translate into content. If a content creator drafts a white paper, all of the original information is theirs to use. Similar to webinars, social media posts stemming from white papers are wide-ranging.

Because white papers are a print piece, video can be added to the equation. A repurposing content creator could simply say on camera, “Did you know…” and read straight from their white paper, post the clip online and link it to the full paper. Intrigued viewers click into the white paper, read more insights and garner more trust in the content creator. With every click, the chance to convert followers into clients goes up.

Thought leaders are busy people. Even with this repurposing strategy, it can be difficult to juggle. If you need some content marketing support, please feel free to reach out to me at julianne@contentbyjulianne.com.