5 differences between Content Repurposing and Content Refreshing

The biggest difference is that when you do content refreshing, the purpose of the content stays the same, but it becomes the updated version. Whereas in content repurposing you explore and create new pieces which have a fresh angle or perspective which can be used for different purposes.

‍

Take your time to think about that a little bit while we take you through how content repurposing and content refreshing differ from each other. 

‍

First, let's try to understand what exactly these two phrases mean. To put it in a simple way, in content repurposing, we try to make use of all or bits of the existing content to create new pieces. For example, turning a blog post into an infographic that you can post on social media which can either drive traffic to the main blog or serve as an independent piece of content. Its relevance is not necessarily tied up to its foundation piece.

‍

On the other hand, a content refresh is a thorough revision of your existing content. It could be as simple as capturing new quotes and weaving them into an old article, or it could be as complex as doing thorough research about the latest developments and updating the blog. Take an old piece of content, rewrite it a bit, add in new elements, remove or edit outdated parts, and give it a new visual. And your content is refreshed. 

‍

Look at it this way if you have a piece of clothing that gets torn. Stitching and repairing will be like content refreshing and upcycling into different pieces of other clothing, or other things will be content repurposing. 

‍

Basically, in content refreshing, you stick to the core piece and keep working on it, and in content repurposing, you create new pieces by either changing the format or target audience.

‍

Let's now dig deeper and understand how they are different in terms of purpose, time and resources needed, the role it plays in SEO, usage and the final outcome.

‍

Purpose:

The purpose of content repurposing is to make maximum use of your content in as many ways possible, while content refreshing's purpose is to stay relevant and up to date.

‍

Time and resources needed:

Content refreshing usually takes less time than content repurposing. As it is just like an update. You simply add, edit or tweak something in your existing content. Whereas content repurposing is a bit longer process given the fact that we are trying to create out of the box and innovative pieces using the old content as the base.

‍

Role in SEO:

While content refreshing simply helps you to stay relevant and maintain your search engine rank. By adapting the same content in a different format using content repurposing, you have the power to reach a wider set of audiences and make them appreciate your content more. You will also have the chance to bump into new audiences and introduce to them the kind of content that you do. You can achieve this without having to enter the ultra-competitive world of SEO! 

‍

Usage:

When you repurpose your content, you can use it for many other things in many different forms. A quote card from your podcast can be used as a social media post to improve brand awareness. A blog that you converted into an animated text video can be used for ads to increase reach. A webinar that you converted to blogs can be used for your email marketing campaign to generate leads. On the other hand, you rarely use refreshed content for other things. The primary usage is to improve the content so that the traffic to the content remains constant or increases.

Outcome:

The outcome of content refreshing is the same fundamental piece of content which is improved by removing or editing outdated elements. In contrast, the outcome of content repurposing is like an endless stream of content in all forms. It can be everything and anything. 

‍

Now comes the question - what should you do? Before you pick a strategy, try to identify your goal, scope and resources. Do you want to create new pieces without putting in too much effort? Or just want to stay relevant? Is SEO your primary focus? How much time and resources do you have to devote to your content marketing strategy?

‍