New is not always best

Branding, Communications, Content Design, Entrepreneurship, News, Strategy

something to consider

“Mostly we authors must repeat ourselves–that’s the truth…and we tell our two or three stories each time in a new disguise–maybe ten times, maybe a hundred, as long as people will listen.”— F. Scott Fitzgerald

It’s been said that there’s nothing new under the sun. That may be overly simplistic, but the kernel of truth is this: originality doesn’t necessarily spring from wholly unexplored ideas, forms, or concepts. Instead, it often branches out from what already exists. If that’s good enough for celebrated authors, it’s fantastic for us and the promotional content we create. Keeping marketing fresh and exciting is not only an enormous challenge, but it also impacts revenue in the form of new business and expenditure in terms of creative costs.

So the next time you’re obsessing about creating new content, think about reaching backwards for inspiration. For one thing, your audience hasn’t seen every single piece of content you’ve posted. If it didn’t address a problem, need, or desire they had at the time, it’s a safe bet that they scrolled right on by. You may also have newer followers who haven’t had exposure to older content. Since we know that it takes repetition for a message to take root, don’t be afraid to reuse and recycle. I guarantee it will reduce your stress!

Here’s four tips on how to repeat yourself in disguise:

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Surely you have assets already in your toolbox that can be refreshed to make them new. One approach is to build your content around a strategy and set themes. Have you featured your staff? That’s one theme. Did you roll out new products or services? That’s another. Reuse these and other types of evergreen themes whenever you have a content hole to fill.
Does recycling content mean grabbing a prior post and sharing it in the exact same way? No, not really. But you can definitely flip it around and make it new! If you’re sharing content on the same platform maybe you can change the headline or add a new picture, include a survey, ask a critical question or create a call to action and show last November’s post in a new way. Did you write a longform post on Instagram? Add a paragraph or two and turn it into a think piece on LinkedIn or Facebook. Let a LinkedIn piece inspire a video. Share it on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter with updated hashtags and voila….new content!
Changing up visuals is another. Communication platforms rely more heavily than ever on compelling visuals. With a fabulous photograph…which you just might happen to have in your Instagram feed, you can refresh an article you’ve shared previously on LinkedIn or Medium. (You’d be surprised how many beautiful hi-res images you can find online…just make sure you give the artist credit!)
Speaking of those fabulous photos, here are some other ways to use them again: desaturate and add some text, or a spot of color, to communicate a key fact or value about your brand. You could also turn an image into a simulated water-color painting, make it a cartoon graphic, or use photographs as fonts. Repurpose an article, too, by turning it into a series of visual banners with eye-catching graphics and/or color.

Once you start thinking about the possibilities, the inspiration will flow. We would love to hear your creative ideas for giving existing content new life! Send us a note at: ideas@bouncemarketingconsulting.com

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