4 reasons to Repurpose Existing Social Media Content

4 reasons to Repurpose Existing Social Media Content

Are you constantly trying to come up with new ideas for social media content and feel that the process is exhausting but afraid to repurpose your old content because you think it might just be a repetition?

Then let me quote a few lines by Mark Twain - 

"There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages."

I think this quote is enough to convince someone to repurpose existing content, but I will still give you 4 more reasons.

Let me present my case without any delay. 

Reason #1 - Not a Search Engine

The biggest drawback of Social Media platforms like Facebook and Instagram is that it is not a search engine. What does that mean for content creators? That your best work will get lost and start collecting dust. Anyone who is visiting your profile will neither have the time nor patience to scroll through all the content. What they will see and will matter to them are the latest posts. 

In such a case, why let your good old content die and the efforts you put in go to vain? Repurpose those old content and capitalise on it. This way, you can reach a new set of audiences who missed the post in the first round or are new to your page or brand.

Reason #2 - Changing Consumption Pattern

Nowadays, consumers prefer short-form content over long-form content. First of all, in the era of go-getters and overachievers, where everyone is involved in multiple things at once, people don't even have time for themselves. Let alone have time to go through long-form content. Over the years, the average attention span of your audience has also decreased to 8.25 seconds which is less than a goldfish's attention span. 

If you were creating long-form content for social media, now is the right time to repurpose it into short-form content.

Reason #3 - Introduction of new features

Social media platforms are constantly coming up with new features like reels, story, story highlights, carousel and a lot more. Whenever a new feature is introduced the algorithm is updated to promote it. So using new features means more reach and engagement. This can create additional pressure to create more content using those features to stay on the top of your marketing game. 

I feel this is the best time to repurpose an old content for the new feature for two reasons. As you're using a new feature, the reach and engagement will be more. Basically more engagement and reach and  less effort to create new content. If you have content that didn’t perform well, it’s time for redemption. If you have content that performed well. Then it’s time to take it to new heights.

Reason #4 - Strengthening the message

You may feel like your audience will view content repurposing as content repetition but in reality, the more varied ways you can convey your expertise and brand voice, the more powerful it will become. There will be consistency and your audience will also eventually notice a theme. This will help you establish yourself as an expert in your domain.

You need to understand that content repurposing is not reusing. It is about giving a new and fresh angle, format or perspective to the existing content. It's about creating more content with less time while making sure that you use all your content to its maximum potential. So don’t hold back and start content repurposing

Arpita Lenka

A Social Media Marketer trying to streamline and simplify the content creation process with an aim to help you build more creative content efficiently.