You want to improve your visibility online. Good. But you don’t feel that you have the time or commitment to maintain a blog.
“I can hardly manage my monthly email newsletter; no way can I keep up with a blog!”
“I just don’t have that much to say … and I’m already posting on Facebook daily.”
“I’m in video – why write a blog when I want clients to use video to communicate?”
If any of the above concerns resonate with you, you are in a great place. With very little effort you can repurpose the communications you’re already managing into blog posts. Part of the reason blog posts have grown in popularity is their brevity – content that is insightful, useful and engaging (or hopefully all three) and can be consumed in a couple of minutes.
Don’t overthink it – jump in; you’re already partway there. Try these techniques to get started on repurposing content.
1. Expand your Facebook post into a blog post. If you’re posting on Facebook daily, choose a post that resonated with your fans to expand for a weekly blog article. Craft an introductory paragraph or two, include a link to the article (be sure it opens in a new window), or an image of interest. Add a concluding paragraph – and you’re done.
2. Repurpose past email newsletters into multiple blog posts. A typical email newsletter can serve as content for several blog posts. Review your past newsletters. Is there is updated information such as a new player in the market, a recent study with new findings, or a client example you can share? Summarize a few relevant points from the original newsletter, add the updated information and … voila! A blog post has been born!
3. Embed your videos into a blog. You’ve invested time and resources to create videos to build your visibility – good for you. Generate a multimedia impact by embedding a video into your blog post. Using your video script, create an introductory paragraph or two to set the stage. Don’t tell the whole story; rather, provide a call to action to entice the viewer into launching the video.
4. Promote an upcoming event. A blog post is a great way to socialize an upcoming event such as a workshop, training class, webinar, or video series. Start by identifying the need your event is fulfilling to connect with your readers. Add event details and consider using an image to highlight the event. Don’t forget to include a link to register.
5. Be part of the conversation on the web. You probably read blogs from authorities in your industry; at times you may post comments on their posts. Turn the tables a bit: craft your own post, provide your perspective and link to an interesting article by a credible source. Share your knowledge but also respect the opinions of those in your niche.
With the understanding that “life happens,” it’s a good idea to create some blog posts that you can use when you don’t have time to write a blog post. I call these “evergreen” posts and recommend having six to eight posts crafted and available before starting your blog.
We’ll post again with more tips about blogging but please add your ideas in the Comments.
On #2, isn’t that really just repeating yourself? I would think that customers reading the same thing in a blog and email newsletter would remember that you posted the same information twice.
Good question Dan. There are many reasons why repurposing past newsletters is a good practice. Here are a few:
– The audiences for your email newsletter and blog are likely different, and not all subscribers read every email newsletter or blog post anyway.
– Most of us scan rather quickly, and retention isn’t all that great, so by reinforcing a message, you’re helping a customer to retain the information provided.
– By providing updated information, you’re not simply repeating yourself, but rather adding a new angle and more value to the content. – Nancy
Really helpful — good inspiration to get my next blog post written! Thank you!
Rene,
Happy to provide inspiration! Consider using a calendar with reminders a few days ahead to be sure to keep up with your blogging. Good luck! – Nancy