8 Surprising Ways To Recycle Your Social Media Content

Do you ever feel like you’re creating content that will never be used again? Here you are, dedicating your precious time crafting something to post to Facebook, only to have it quickly fall to the bottom of users’ news feeds. My question to you is: Since when did content only warrant one-time use?

As a die-hard social media strategist, I go to great lengths to make sure my content ideas are maxed out. It’s remarkable how crafty a social strategist can get when presented with hurdles like multitasking and working with small budgets. There are so many ways you can repurpose and recycle your content that it would be impossible to name all of them, but below is a list of my favorites.

For this example, imagine you’ve created a branded Facebook post with copy and graphics for the purpose of informing your audience of the potential health benefits of an annual screening. Even though it successfully informed and engaged users, its job isn’t done yet. Here are eight more ways to put that content to work.

1. E-blasts and newsletters

Take the branded health graphic the extra mile by re-using it in e-blasts, newsletters, and other kinds of e-mail marketing outreach. You can also benefit by using the content’s performance data to inform future newsletters and ensure they are both effectively targeted and engaging.

2. Hard copy flyers

Try giving hard copies of event and promo flyers a new dynamic by including your health graphic as an eye-catching element. This works whether you have regular events at your place of business, or want customers to learn about an exclusive event or deal.

3. Website content

In its original form, the health graphic you’ve created might not seem like it could make an appearance on your website, but a simple change of the text could be all it takes to make it relevant for users now and in the future. Instead of “Remember to get your screening on Friday,” you could change the text to “Stay healthy with an annual screening” and include it as part of a blog post on the pros of preventative care.

4. Video content

Video content isn’t all talking heads — it requires graphics to liven it up. Reuse your health graphic as a colorful pop to embellish promotional videos on your YouTube channel.

5. Guest posts

Whether you are taking over an influencer’s social media channel or guest blogging for another website, this is a prime opportunity to reuse this branded health graphic. Even if you need to make a few small edits to make it fit guest posting criteria, it’s worth it for the extra mileage you’ll get.

6. Blog post or blog series

Use your health graphic as a springboard for creating a new blog post. This is low hanging fruit in terms of re-purposing content. If you happen to have more than one health graphic on hand, you can easily brainstorm to turn them into a blog series, particularly when graphics are information-based.

7. More static content

They say necessity is the mother of invention—they must have known we needed more static content ideas! Reinvent your health graphic into something new using a simple image editor like Canva to create sharable static content for your audience. You can even try creating wordy GIFs using a tool called Legend, as this is considered video content by Facebook algorithms and performs very well.

8. Presentations and webinars

Presentation is everything. Add your health graphic into a presentation using LinkedIn’s tool called SlideShare. It allows you to neatly put your presentations together and even upload them to your website for easy viewing. You could also choose to include the health graphic as part of a webinar.