Feb 1, 2018

How to Repurpose Top Content for Social Media Posts

by Digital Marketing Institute

You’ve probably heard about evergreen content. This type of content can be updated to stay fresh forever, and it’s an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and build a dedicated audience. But how do you take this great content and effectively promote it across other channels? Here are 15 ways you can repurpose different forms of evergreen content for reuse across your social media channels.

How to Get Started Repurposing Evergreen Content

To start building a social media strategy that includes evergreen content, create a list that includes each piece of content you want to promote, as well as 5-7 reasons you think users will find this content engaging. You should also list the best takeaways, stats, facts, and stand-out quotes (when applicable) from each piece and snippets that outline your content’s key message. This may seem like a daunting task at first, but it can help save you a lot of time and effort later.

It’s also important to keep in mind that such exercises will benefit your customers and prospects. Everyone absorbs information differently. When you post your content in different formats, you increase your chances of growing your customer base.

15 Unique Ways to Post & Promote Evergreen Content on Social Media

1. Ask a Question. Add a thought-provoking question that gets your audience to click through to your content.

2. Post the URL with the Content Title. This is the simplest way to post to social media.

3. Use a Quote. Sharing a quote from your evergreen content is sure to spark interest.

4. Write a Teasing Statement. What would make you want to click? Tease your audience to draw attention to your post and encourage a click-through.

Mortgage lenders of America.

5. Showcase a Fact. Use an intriguing fact from your piece of content.

6. Go Back to Your Sources. When you post your content on social media, be sure to tag your source(s) (typically using the @ symbol) if you have a specific author. You may choose to write some information about the sources, including job title or a fun fact. You can also ask the source for a quote to fill out your post.

7. Take Advantage of Images. Every image has a story. Post an image featured in your content piece, or choose one that’s a perfect fit from your image library or a free stock photo site.

Funnel.

8. Post a Video. You may not have a video handy as part of your evergreen content (unless it’s an evergreen product video), but you can always create a low-cost video for social media promotion with tools such as Animoto.

9. Use Twitter Cards. Use facts or quotes to create an image that can be published as Twitter cards or an Instagram post, and be sure to link back to your content!

10. Share Each of Your ‘How-To’ Tips: Promoting a how-to piece? Shorten each of your tips and repurpose them into social media posts you can use across multiple platforms.

11. Use a Bold Statement. People tend to react to bold statements, whether positive or negative.

12. Present a Problem-Solution Question and Answer. Ask a question about a problem your target audience is experiencing. Then outline how you (and your content) can help.

13. Lead with Statements that Cover “Who,” “What,” “When,” and “How.” You’ll leave your audience wanting to know more while also providing them with a clear call to action.

14. Upload Content to SlideShare. Uploading how-to guides (in PDF) and other types of visual, evergreen content on SlideShare can help you get your content in front of a whole new audience.

15. Create an Infographic. Posting an infographic that outlines stats from your evergreen content can be a great way to showcase your content on social media. Use free sites like Canva to create simple infographics quickly.

Best Types of Posts for Each Evergreen Content Format

We’ve discussed some of the ways you can promote your content on social media. Now, here’s a breakdown on the best post types to fit each popular evergreen content type.

Social Media posting for FAQ.

Don’t Forget the Formatting

Keep in mind that when you post to different social media platforms, you need to keep each site’s unique formatting in mind. The design of your posts can grab your audience’s attention as much as the actual copy can. From hashtags to white space, here’s what you need to know about formatting on the major platforms.

Instagram: No matter what you see from other organizations and individuals, a jumble of 25 hashtags isn’t the best way to promote your content. Keep your copy at the top of post, then add white space around your hashtags - and don’t go overboard.

 No matter what you see from other organizations and individuals, a jumble of 25 hashtags isn’t the best way to promote your content. Keep your copy at the top of post, then add white space around your hashtags - and don’t go overboard.

Twitter: Though Twitter recently introduced an expanded number of characters to its users, it’s still best to keep your posts short and sweet. Use a maximum of two hashtags (though one hashtag will likely get you more engagement), and shorten all links with tools such as bit.ly. Consider implementing white space for tweets that stretch over multiple lines.

Facebook: On Facebook, you can write a lot of text, but you should try to keep your posts to no more than one or two short paragraphs. Add space between paragraphs to encourage easy readability.

Linkedin: These days, Linkedin is all about the spacing. Yet, the super-long list of separated lines seems to be delegated to individuals and influencer posts. Organizations tend to post one or two lines separated by whitespace, as seen in this example below. However, it’s really personal preference. Your content doesn't have to be divided up into separate lines. In this example, the URL is on a separate line. This helps with readability and draws attention to the action you want the user to take (the click).

The University of Southern Mississippi.

Of course, social media isn’t the only place you can promote your evergreen content - or the only tactic you can use to ensure you get it in front of your audience. Optimizing your evergreen content for the search engines is a must. Need help? Our search marketing course can provide you the knowledge you need to get started.

Learn the key digital specialisms with a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. Download a brochure today!

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