One good idea, ten posts: repurposing your content

The blank page is a busy business owner’s worst enemy. We tell ourselves we need a brand-new idea every week, so we publish nothing at all. The truth is the opposite: a single good idea, well used, can turn into ten different pieces of content. You’re not working more, you’re working smarter with what you already have.

Start from one solid piece

It all starts with one meatier piece of content: a blog article, a detailed answer to a common question, a project you just finished. That’s your centrepiece. Take the time to do it well once, because you’re going to slice it, reword it and reuse it a dozen times afterwards.

The point isn’t to repeat yourself mindlessly, but to serve the same good information to different people, at different moments, on the platforms where they already are. Someone who follows you on social media will never read your blog article, and the reverse is true too.

Cut it into small pieces

A good article easily holds three or four ideas that stand on their own. Each subheading can become a post. Each tip can become an email. A line that lands can become an image to share. You’re not inventing anything new: you’re redistributing.

• The title and intro → a post that raises the question.
• Each section → a short post or a story.
• The main points → an email to your list.
• The conclusion → an entry in your FAQ.
• The whole thing, said out loud → a short video or audio clip.

Change the format, keep the substance

People don’t all learn the same way. Some read, some listen, some only remember an image. By taking your idea and reshaping it as text, a visual, a short video and an email, you reach far more people than with a single format. The substance stays the same, the wrapping changes.

What most businesses lack isn’t more ideas, it’s squeezing all the juice out of the ones they already have.

Keep a small stash

Once you get into the habit of spinning each good idea into several pieces, you quickly build up a stash of content. Jot your ideas in a simple document, and dip into it during the weeks you’re short on time. No more starting from scratch every time: you pick something, adapt it, publish it. That’s what makes marketing sustainable over the long run.

If you want us to look together at how to turn what you already know into a simple, realistic content plan for your business, write me. We start with one good idea, and make ten out of it.