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You Need to Start Content Recycling 

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Savannah Abney
Savannah AbneyChief Content Officer
content-recycling

Content, content, content. Everyone wants more, and every business and organization must produce more. But that tends to start feeling absolutely exhausting. Just when you think you have enough for a few days of social media posts, blogs, or ads, you realize you’re already out of fresh content to use. Creating content can feel like two steps forward, and one step back. Once you’re caught up, you’re already behind again. 

It can be frustrating and time-consuming, so as a small business owner or entrepreneur, you just don’t have time for that. So, how can you continue to be effective with your content marketing efforts while putting in less effort? Luckily, there are ways you can consistently post content without overwhelming yourself. This is where content recycling comes into play. 

We’re going to cover what content recycling is, how it’s going to get your time back, and a couple of methods to get you started. Let’s dive in. 

What Is Content Recycling?

content-recycling

Before we start, we need to cover what content recycling is not. The term might sound like you’re simply reposting old content, but it’s so much more than that. While there’s nothing wrong with re-sharing an old blog post or Instagram graphic six months after its initial post, that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Content recycling is about squeezing every last drop out of value from a single piece of content. It’s about repackaging and repurposing the same information to use it repeatedly in fresh and engaging ways. This allows you to work smarter, not harder, and maximize the impact of every piece of content you create.

content-recycling

Benefits of Content Recycling

Content recycling isn’t just about saving time (though that’s a major perk). It also allows you to:

  • Reach new audiences: Not everyone consumes content in the same way and on the same platforms. Some people prefer blogs, while others gravitate toward videos or infographics. Recycling content ensures you’re meeting your audience where they are. 
  • Boost your ROI: Content creation is an investment. By repurposing what you’ve already created, you’re getting the most out of your efforts. Even if you’re simply taking the same concept and turning it into a different format, you’re still putting in less effort because the grunt work is already done. 
  • Reinforce your messaging: Repetition and consistency is key in marketing. By presenting the same information in different formats, you reinforce the message you’re trying to share without your audience getting bored. You can post a short video and a carousel post about the same topic but slightly different. That way you’re reinforcing the message, but you’re not making your audience see the exact same content. 
  • Keeps your audience engaged: If you post a carousel that provides a lot of value, it can lead to people wanting to learn more about that topic. Naturally, they might be inclined to check out your other posts, and then find that you have other content explaining that same topic. You can even encourage people to check out a recent video or blog that covers the same topic so that they can get as much value as possible. 
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2 Main Methods For Content Recycling

content-recycling

There are two main methods for content recycling:

  1. Creating an in-depth piece of content that can then be used in a variety of ways.
  2. Taking an already existing piece of content and building on it to create new material.

Both methods allow you to create a steady stream of content without constantly reinventing the wheel. Let’s look into how each method works.

Method 1: Creating an In-Depth Piece of Content

The first method is all about creating a single, comprehensive piece of content and extracting as much as possible from it. Think of this as your content hub or the foundation from which all other pieces branch out.

This main piece of content can be anything, it just needs to be really informative and cover a lot of thought leadership. 

Begin with a value-packed piece of content, such as:

  • A webinar where you discuss a pressing industry topic.
  • A podcast episode that dives deep into your expertise.
  • A presentation or workshop you’ve created for a client or conference.


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From that one piece of content, you can create:

  • 20 social media posts: Pull key quotes, tips, and stats, and pair them with graphics or short video clips.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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  • 4 blog posts: Break down the main topics covered into more digestible, standalone articles. You can even dive into those individual topics even deeper. 


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  • 4 blog videos: Record short video summaries of the content for those who prefer visual storytelling.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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  • 1–2 eGuides: Turn the content into downloadable PDFs that provide additional value to your audience. They should be evergreen and provide a lot of value. These are great for lead generation!
  • 1 tip sheet: Condense the most actionable advice into a quick-reference document. This is another valuable downloadable resource you can offer to your audience. 

That’s over 30 different pieces of content created from just one big piece. That can give you a month’s worth of potential content just from simply sitting down to create one in-depth piece. Not only that, but you now have tons of ways to point back to your original webinar, podcast, or presentation to promote it and gain a larger audience. This same method could be done with any number of mediums or original pieces of content.

Method 2: Recycling Existing Content

The second method focuses on content you’ve already created. This is perfect for businesses with a library of blogs, social posts, or videos that have performed well in the past.

Start with what’s already worked. Look for content that:

  • Received a lot of engagement, comments, or shares.
  • Sparked conversations or questions from your audience.
  • Remains relevant and valuable over time.

Once you have your piece of content it’s time to follow a similar method, but instead of entirely breaking it down into smaller pieces, you’ll also create larger pieces of content as well.

Let’s say you wrote a blog post and performed pretty well, but it’s been sitting idle for months. Here’s how you can give it new life:

  • Spin-Off Blog Posts: Expand on the various sections of the blog and any other similar topics that could branch off from it. You’d be surprised by just how many separate blog post ideas you can get from your first one. 
  • Social Media Posts: Create 20 posts based on the information in those blogs. If you wrote 4 blogs, you could extract 5 ideas from each one. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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  • Videos: Take the general concepts from each blog and record an overview to get people interested in reading it. This adds even more content to your social media pool. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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  • Webinar or Podcast: Use the blog as the foundation for a deeper discussion in a webinar or podcast episode. Bonus: You already have your notes ready!

  • eGuide or Tip Sheet: Combine the blog posts with additional insights to create a downloadable resource. You could make a large comprehensive one that covers your main topic, or you could make smaller ones for each of the branch-off blogs. 

The goal of this second method is to use what you already have and build upon it to make it even more valuable. It’s also an excellent way to get more use out of content that already performed well. 

Both of these methods – either sitting down and creating an in-depth piece that could be utilized in multiple ways OR using content that already exists in your library and building on it – are great ways to make the most of your content.

content-recycling

Tips for Effective Content Recycling

Now that you have the gist of what content recycling can do and how to do it, here are some ways you can be more effective. If you’re ready to implement content recycling, here are a few tips to get started:

1. Plan ahead.

When creating new content, think about how it can be used in other ways. Intentionally plan a big piece of content with the possibility of using it as a base for other content ideas. This will make it easier as you outline the ideas and your overall strategy. When you know what the desired final outcome is, it makes it easier to create that value-packed piece of content in the first place. 

2. Audit your existing content.

Before you start content recycling, it’s smart to first take inventory of your content library. Identify high-performing or evergreen pieces as these are prime candidates for recycling. By knowing what all you have to work with, you can better prepare for the amount of potential content that you have at your disposal. 

3. Use tools to streamline the process.

As always, using tools can help streamline the content creation process. This includes AI tools that can automate specific processes. Leverage sites like Canva for graphics, Descript for video editing, and ChatGPT for breaking down content. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to give you content ideas that stem from a blog post. These tools make it easier to transform content into different formats.

4. Tailor content for each platform.

Every social media platform is different. While a long-form video might work best on YouTube, a shorter video will likely do better on Instagram. While the core message of your content should be the same, make sure to adjust the format and tone to suit different platforms if necessary. 

Still Feeling Overwhelmed?

content-recycling

Content marketing doesn’t have to feel like an endless cycle of creating, posting, and starting over. By leaning on content recycling, you can work smarter, not harder, while maintaining a consistent and engaging presence.

But if you’re still feeling stuck, we’re here to help! We understand that consistently creating content simply isn’t in the cards for everyone. That’s why we exist. If you need any help with your content marketing, strategy, website, or video storytelling, we can do it all. Reach out to us today here. We’d love to chat about how we can take the stress out of content creation for you.

Ready to Launch a Content Marketing Plan for Your Small Business?

We know that carving out the time, resources, and energy to create ongoing content for your brand or business is a full-time job. That’s why we created Breezy – your instant content marketing team.

You don’t need to hire multiple full-time employees to handle all of the strategy, planning, writing, designing, and publishing of content. You also don’t have time to wrangle tons of different freelancers to get this all completed. You need one expert team that can help get all of the amazing thought-leadership and subject matter expertise out of your head and into formalized, engaging content that keeps you top of mind with your audience.

We’re that team!

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