You may have heard that Google and other search engines favour new content and feel like your old content has lost relevance.
If you’re thinking, you couldn’t be more wrong, because you can actually repurpose old content, not to mention update them.
But since our focus is on repurposing content, I won’t be speaking much about that. Just know that you can update old content, so they don’t have to lose relevance.
But even if you don’t want to do that, you can repurpose a blog post for social media, nurturing content, YouTube script and vice versa so you never run out of posts to publish.
In this article, I will be showing how. Keep reading to learn how to repurpose existing content.
What Does It Mean to Repurpose Old Content?
Repurposing old content simply means taking something you’ve already created – like a blog post, video, or social media caption – and giving it new life in a different form.
Note that you’re not copying and pasting what you’ve done before. Rather, you’re reworking the same ideas or information so they reach new people or fit a new platform.
For example, you can turn a popular blog post into a short video, an infographic, or even a series of social media posts. The goal is to make the most of the effort you’ve already put in while keeping your content fresh and relevant.
Ways to Repurpose Old Content
1. Take Stock of What You Have
Before you try to repurpose old content, you need to take a full inventory of what you have. I’m talking about your blog, social media posts, and videos.
Once you have that list, find the ones with the most likes, comments, and reposts to identify the type of content your audience prefers.
Next, it’s time to vet that list. Check for anything that is outdated and dead. Look out for irrelevant elements like dead links or discontinued products, and update or delete them as applicable.
The reason you need to do this first is so you don’t repurpose irrelevant content; you want to make sure all you are reusing is valuable to your audience.
2. Refresh and Update What Still Works
If you’ve been monitoring your content, you should know the old content your readers or followers prefer.
With that knowledge, you can know the content that you must actually do other things with, because, obviously, your audience enjoys those kinds of content.
So, your job is to recycle the old content by updating it. I understand that this might sound like a lot of work, but understand that updating doesn’t mean you have to write the content all over again.
Even making a few changes, like adding new examples, visuals, and a rewriting the introduction or conclusion might suffice for some.
Of course, some might require more heavy work, but let that deter you; the result is always worth the hard work.
The good thing is that when you update and republish, search engines treat the post like something new, which means more people can find it without you creating new content.
For a more practical example, say you wrote a post titled, Fashion Trends in 2022; you don’t have to delete it because it’s now 2025. All you have to do is update it with the trending styles in 2025. In fact, a post like this requires yearly updates.
That’s how you repurpose blog content to boost traffic and keep your site active.
3. Turn One Format into Another
Perhaps, the most creative way to repurpose content is to change the original format.
Let’s say you wrote a detailed blog post in the past. You could turn it into a short video tutorial or record a podcast episode from it. Or, if you have hosted a webinar before, you can cut it into short clips and post them on social media.
You could even design an infographic that summarises the main points and share it on LinkedIn or Pinterest.
This way, you can use one content for different platforms and never have to run out of content.
Also, it helps because everyone takes in information differently. Some prefer watching quick videos, while others love reading. When you repackage your work this way, you make it easier to reach more people without creating something entirely new.
Also Read: How to Determine the Best Social Media Platform to Promote Your Book
4. Combine and Expand
Repurposing can also mean bringing smaller pieces together to form something better. For example, you can gather your best blog posts on a particular topic and turn them into an eBook, whitepaper, or downloadable guide.
Doing this shows expertise in your field while giving your audience more value.
Many people use this method to reach more people, get more visitors, and even grow their email lists or sell more products. I’ve found it works especially well when I already have content that performed well but could do more.
For example, if you have a few short social media posts about personal branding, you can combine to make one full blog post.
5. Repurpose Content for Social Media
Social media is one of the easiest ways to bring old content back to life. So instead of stressing over new posts every day, use what you already have and make it fit for each platform.
You can pull strong quotes from your blog and turn them into clean graphics for Instagram or X (formerly Twitter). Another tip is to share short tips or fun facts from your articles on LinkedIn or Facebook too.
If you have a long video, break it into short clips that people can enjoy on IG Reels or TikTok. These are some of the easy ways to repurpose content and keep your feed active.
When you’re reusing content, just make sure the tone fits the platform. For example, what works on LinkedIn might need a lighter touch on Instagram.
Also Read: 10 Tips to Make Your Writing More Conversational
6. Transform Events and Interviews
Another piece of old content you can reuse is a webinar or workshop. If you’ve ever hosted one, don’t let it sit unused. Repurpose it.
Take the recording and turn it into written content. You can transcribe it, trim it down into a blog post, or split it into a few shorter articles.
Pull out standout quotes for graphics or short social videos. Or make a highlight reel with the best moments.
The same goes for interviews. One good conversation can turn into plenty of content if you plan it right.
Tony Robbins once took a single interview and turned it into blog posts, podcasts, and short video clips. It’s a great example of how repurposing can save time, reach new audiences, and keep your message fresh.
7. Avoid Common Mistakes
Repurposing is a goldmine but some things can go wrong if you are not careful.
First, avoid copying and pasting the same content everywhere because each platform has its own style and audience, so take time to adjust your message.
Also, don’t post the same topic too often. Give your audience a little break before sharing something similar again. That way, they don’t lose interest.
Lastly, don’t forget to check your results. Look at which repurposed posts or videos performed best so you know what to focus on next time.
Also Read: 20 Common Content Writing Mistakes to Avoid for More Effective Results
8. Build a Content Repurposing Routine
To make content repurposing a walk in the park, include it in your normal work plan.
Review your old posts every few months. From there, decide which ones to update, which to tweak, and merge them into something new.
Doing this helps you build up content that keeps giving value long after you first shared it.
Conclusion
Following these steps will change the way you create content which is the reason for this blog post.
I believe that the best content creators aren’t the ones who post the most, but the ones who know how to make the most of their content. And that is what content repurposing does.
Instead of thinking of your old posts as forgotten ideas, see them as gems. Pick one of your old posts, this week, and try one of these tactics. Let me know how you enjoyed doing that in the comment section below.
FAQs
1. What is repurposed content?
Repurposed content is existing content that you change or adapt so it can be used in a new way. For example, turning a blog post into a video, infographic, or social media post is a good way to reach more people with the same idea and without starting from scratch every time.
2. When should you think about repurposing content?
You should think about repurposing content when a piece is doing well and when you want to save time instead of creating something new. You should also consider it to reach different audiences with their preferred formats, such as articles for your LinkedIn audience and short videos for Instagram followers.
3. What’s the difference between repurposing content and reposting or sharing it on other platforms
Reposting or sharing is just putting the same content on another platform without changes, while repurposing makes the content into a new format or style so it feels new and better suited to the audience on that platform.
4. How many times is too many to reuse the same content?
There’s no rule for how many times you can repurpose one piece of content. Just make sure to give your audience time to breathe, so they don’t get bored. That means, you should space out how often you share repurposed content from the same pillar content.
