We are surrounded by content in the digital age. Content is everywhere, in blogs, articles, television shows, tweets, magazines, even print, digital and televised ads. And, as we do with what seems to be a never-ending supply of anything, content often just disappears. It can feel as if we are throwing our carefully crafted thoughts into a black hole, never to be heard from again. Is anyone reading, watching or listening?
And even if they are, does it matter?
Blogging or tweeting is all well and good, but if you only blog or tweet your idea — your content, if you will — once, you will get zero reaction. Much like a request to take out the trash or water the plants, you must send out your message again and again and again. Repetition may seem boring, but it is how most people learn.
I’m not talking about singing the multiplication tables over and over in order to memorize them. I’m talking about sending out your content out into the wide, wide world.
The great thing about a single piece of content is that it can be reframed, reused and rewritten to appear in many different contexts. If you have found a target audience — and more importantly, a voice — your content can easily be transferred to any other channel.
In our times of multi-channel communication, you must adapt your content to the audience.
A key concept to keep in mind when designing content for the digital age: a “blog” can take many shapes and forms. People often find videos, slideshows and short pieces aided by gorgeous visuals much more accessible than text-heavy articles. The lifestyle brand The Londoner is great at this — I barely notice by the time I’m done with a post that I have been subtly marketed clothing, dinnerware, or other lifestyle products.
Social media is another useful venue for content promotion. While it is vital to maintain a social media presence in our society, it is an engaging way to redistribute your message and engage a wider audience. Simply posting a link is not enough to get people involved; one must fine-tune the teaser text of a social post. I’m particularly obsessed with the witty puns and turns of phrase that companies like Club Workspace use to engage readers’ attention on their social media posts. Their great intros and thought-provoking questions make me very likely to give them a click.
Blogs and social media aren’t the only places you can seek to engage your audience. If you’re a visual person, you can try using images to convey your message, such as posts you might see on Buzzfeed or Pinterest. These sites are especially good at adding stylized quotes that call out important parts of a longer text. The images and content published on both platforms is approachable, visually engaging, and easily digestible.
Above all, remember this: repetition is key, but don’t be repetitive. There are tons of ways to reuse a piece of root content- just use your imagination and let it speak for you!
How do you reuse your content? Are you a blogger and a tweeter, a pinner and a Facebooker? How do you like to interact with your audience?