4 of the Most Effective Ways to Repurpose Blog Content

Hey, if recycling is important for the environment, it should be just as important for your old blog posts, right? Well, not so much, but you get the idea. 

Simply put, there’s a better use for old blog content than to just sit in a dark, clammy corner of the World Wide Web. 

Dust off those blog posts of yours and repurpose them. Seriously, it’s not a hard thing to do and the resurgence in driven traffic you’re certain to see will make the small sacrifice a worthwhile one. 

Still a bit lost? The following four ways are some of the most efficient for reusing old blog material:

Transform Old Blog Posts Into Guides and E-Books

Any booming site worth its proverbial salt makes a point of selling something. That way, there’s yet another source of income for their owners, in addition to any offered professional services. 

More often than not, digital guides and e-books are what they’re pushing.

If you don’t have the time to sit down and hammer out a 30-page e-book on something you’re passionate about, reorganize some of your old blog posts into something worth offering valued customers. 

Charge a few bucks and—voila! You’ve got a bit of extra money for Disneyland in your pocket and an ever-expanding email list. Pretty sweet gig, if you ask me.

Internal Blog Data Can Make for a Nice Case Study

You can hop on SurveyMonkey and pay $100 to collect new data for a personalized case study, or you can revert back to data you’d collected a few months prior for a blog post.

Using the same data, produce an awesome case study with a new spin on things. 

However, just a word to the wise—seeing as how the communicative fields of copywriting, content marketing, social media management and digital public relations are constantly changing, make certain your data is still relevant to what’s going on.

Otherwise, you might come off as a bit out of touch.

Whip Up a Slideshare Presentation From Old Entries

If you thought infographics were awesome, you’ve clearly never flipped through a slideshare presentation. 

These days, most content comes in the form of some sort of quantitative list. Because of this, transferring a blog post to a sleek slideshare presentation is fairly easy.

Though you might need the help of a graphic designer to make this an aesthetically appealing project, if you can get one, it’ll be well worth the extra effort on your part.

Q&A Sites With Meaningful Backlinks

No, Yahoo Answers isn’t only the biggest trailer park [seriously, check this out if you haven’t already done so] on the Internet; it’s also a great place to push links. 

The whole point of content marketing is to interact with the masses, all while providing valuable information, right? What better place to do just that than on a Q&A site. 

Though Yahoo Answers has been around for quite some time, the best place to repurpose blog content on a Q&A site is currently Quora. Quora has an incredible community of users from all over the world who are passionate about everything you could ever imagine.

Obviously, this is by no means a comprehensive list of ways to repurpose content. In reality, these are just a few of the methods I’ve used throughout my career to squeeze as much life out of each and every blog post as is humanly possible.

Now the time is yours—what methods do you use to repurpose old blog content? If you’ve yet to have commented on a blog post of mine, take this opportunity to get involved for the first time. Rest assured, all comments will be met with a prompt response.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Why Copywriters Are Some of the Wealthiest People Out There

Copywriters are filthy rich. They really are. I know what you’re thinking: “Lucas, how can you say such a thing when all I do is bid on mind-numbing projects on UpWork all day?” 

Well, in response, you can actually make some pretty solid money on UpWork if you know what you’re doing. Secondly, monetary wealth isn’t the only kind of wealth out there.

No, I’m not trying to get all Buddhist monk on you or anything, it’s just that there’s more to life than money. Also, there’s a great deal to life that is money and, fortunately for the copywriting industry, there’s plenty of that to be had, as well. 

Intrigued? That’s what I thought. Here’s all the glitz and glamour of copywriting has to offer its faithful participants:

Temporal Comfort

Copywriting is a lucrative industry, but nobody really believes it. It’s kind of like when someone says he’s a professional blogger. Admit it—the first thought that runs through your head is, “Gosh, this dude’s wife must love living off of Ramen noodles and Kool-Aid.”

Think about it—bloggers, journalists and novelists are all starving. Their writing is doing their bank accounts little good. Yet, copywriters are sitting pretty. 

Sure, maybe it’s because they’ve “sold out” and use their editorial talents for product-and service-pushing endeavors, but I couldn’t care less. I get paid to write for living and live comfortably doing just that. 

What more could a creative person want?

Incredible Relationships

Copywriters are professional networkers, practically. Sure, PR people [quite a bit of crossover between the two, honestly] are probably equipped with a bit more tact, but copywriters, especially freelance copywriters, depend on networking for their livelihood. 

While it’s true that the occasional butt face [I’m not a profane man, so this’ll have to do] hires you for a project, many of the people with whom you’ll work are absolutely splendid. 

Moreover, your relationship isn’t limited to a handful of emails. If you’re doing your job correctly and involve a client the way you should, a meaningful, long-lasting relationship can be developed. 

I love this sort of thing. It’s awesome.

Widespread Knowledge

If you think about it, copywriters are modern-day renaissance men—and women, mind you. We learn by experience—the best kind of learning, as far as I’m concerned. 

Moreover, we’re researchers. We produce invaluable copy for any and all industries. Be it a mammoth personal injury law firm or basic tech startup, we can handle anything. 

As the months and years fall of the calendar, our craft is perfected—all while we take in more information. Simply put, there’s nothing like it.

Individual Freedom

Of all the benefits of working as a professional copywriter, this is by far my favorite. If I want to roll out of bed in the morning and work in my underwear, I totally can. I’m my own boss. 

Obviously, this kind of work environment pertains primarily to freelance copywriters or those who run their own business, but it’s still a beautiful thing. 

Imagine breaking free from the confines of the corporate environment to pursue only the work you’re actually passionate about. 

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig, eh? Like anything else, it comes with its own series of stresses, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

See what I mean? If the aforementioned can’t be classified as wealth, then I don’t want to be wealthy.

Now, what do you consider wealth? If you’re a copywriter, do you see yourself a part of one of the wealthiest professional networks on the planet, or are you just as much a starving student now as you were a few years or decades back? 

Hop on down to the comments section below to have your voice heard.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Why Being Obsessive-Compulsive Is a Blessing In Disguise for Copywriters

So you like to organize the content of your desk by color and size—what’s the big deal, right? If this is a question you’ve asked yourself before, there’s a good chance that you’re one of those obsessive-compulsive types. 

No worries—this is a judgement free zone. Honestly, I’m one of those OCD people. In fact, the aforementioned example is a question I ask myself every day at work as I pull all of my folders, spiral notebooks [yes, I still use these] and pens from my briefcase [backpack]. 

However, in spite of what my mother says, as a copywriter, I’m not fully convinced that being OCD is such a bad thing. 

Granted, there’s plenty of downside with being a bit paranoid about tedious things, but when you spend the totality of just about each and every day writing on a laptop computer, being obsessive-compulsive could even potentially be seen as a benefit. 

Think I’m crazy? Not as much as you’d think. Here’s why:

Ensuring Editorial Flow

This is probably one of my biggest nit-picks as a writer. I simply can’t accept writing that sounds choppy. Now this isn’t to say that I don’t believe in shorter sentences, because I totally do. 

Heck, I like to tout myself as the guy who constantly preaches, “Write like you talk,” so I should be somewhat skilled in this. 

Anyway, I’m getting away from what really matters here—obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD people refuse to leave a sentence alone until it sounds absolutely perfect. 

Yes, speed is an important part of making real money as a copywriter, but if you can write quickly, succinctly and with that realistic style with which people speak, you’re sitting pretty.

OCD copywriters, though possibly not as talented as other professionals, will work until they get it right. Simply put, paying customers love this. Who can blame them?

Knocking Grammar Out of the Park

We all saw this one coming, didn’t we? Perfectionists are almost always grammar Nazis. Yup, in my opinion, that stereotype is spot-on. 

Truthfully, while negative in certain circumstances, it’s also a very positive thing for a copywriter. Grammatical perfection leads to happy clients and reoccurring work.

How convenient is all of this for me? I mean seriously, I start off this piece by claiming to be OCD and then proceed to talk about how being OCD makes you a better, more detail-oriented writer. 

Now, before you go back and start searching for all of this piece’s grammatical mistakes, please know that I’m by no means a perfect copywriter. Whether it be a blog post, web copy project or email marketing campaign, I’m no stranger to mistakes. 

That said, generally speaking, OCD writers would rather part ways with a limb before submitting something with a single grammar mistake. While admirable, this is my personal blog and I don’t have the time or energy to stress about it. 

I enjoy it too much. Go ahead and hunt for the misplaced comma or incorrectly used semicolon. I’m certain you’ll find it.

Coming Through In the Clutch for Clients

As a copywriter, the best way to win an ongoing relationship with a client is to come through in the clutch for him or her. 

This might mean going above and beyond what was originally asked of you, doing a bit of extra editing to make certain a project exceeds expectations or staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish an assignment. 

For OCD writers, this is never an issue, because they’re incapable of resting until everything is exactly how it should be. See what I mean? A true blessing in disguise.

Seeing as how there’s a good chance you’re either a full-time copywriter or spend a good portion of your day writing, what’s your take on the matter? 

Could great copywriting really be the byproduct of obsessive-compulsive tendencies? Voice your opinion in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.