The Truth About Content Repurposing

Contrary to popular advice, repurposing content is not always a good idea.

This is especially true when you create one piece of long-form content in the hopes of breaking it down to smaller pieces.

When I first started my newsletter, I was also planning to start a YouTube channel. So, I wrote my newsletters in a way that I could reuse them as a YouTube video scripts.

This meant that the introduction had to sound a certain way and the content was slightly on the longer side so that it becomes a 10-minute video.

Not that I ever added any unnecessary filler, but I felt the need to expand more on certain points or tweak my writing style in some sections.

Then I thought, I’ll also structure my newsletter emails in a way that I could repost them on my website as blog articles.

So, I had to spend some extra time figuring out where to add sub-headers and trying to give each section a suitable title.

And of course, I wanted some of the sections to be written in a way I could later chunk into different LinkedIn posts and add new hooks.

The result of all of this?

I was placing unnecessary limitations on my writing so I can satisfy all these different platforms in one big swing.

While that sounds smart and efficient, I was compromising the quality of the newsletter itself.

Even though I’ve received so many compliments on the content almost every week, I wasn’t always satisfied with every email that I sent.

I thought I needed to research a little bit more or spend a couple more hours on ideation.

Then, I thought maybe I should stop writing and editing on the same day and edit with fresh eyes.

But it wasn’t any of that.

These things are helpful, but they weren’t what I was looking for.

Until this happened, and I figured it out.

Last Saturday, my newsletter was due and I had no idea what I was going to write about.

Then, I came up with something. I spent an hour crafting the headline, the outline, and the main points of every section.

It was coming together nicely, but I just didn’t enjoy it.

My rule is, if I don’t like it, I don’t send it.

So, I closed my laptop and went for a long walk. When I came back, I deleted everything and started again from scratch.

This time, I decided I’m going to write as I would write a letter to a friend or a note-to-self.

No limitations, no structure whatsoever.

1.5 hours later, I wrote what I felt was one of the best newsletters I’ve written.

Even better, I did that in less than half of the time of what it usually takes me.

And the positive feedback from my readers proved me right.

I got email replies, LinkedIn DMs, and comments praising my work.

All because of a simple mindset shift.

I allowed my self to write without being confined to an elaborate content repurposing plan.

I was focused on writing a great email. That’s it.

Not even a great email, just an email that I would enjoy reading myself.

So what should you take away from this?

➤ Stop imposing unnecessary limitations on your work.

➤ Choose expression over efficiency. Get efficient later.

➤ Infuse your personality into your work. Be yourself.

Efficiency in content creation is not the result of a genius content repurposing plan. It’s the result of mastering your craft. 

If you’re being honest about most of the repurposed content you see on the internet, you’ll realise that most of it lacks that oomph that makes you feel something different.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t repurpose content.

Repurposing saves time and reinforces your brand through repetition.

However, avoid doing so at the expense of limiting your creative output.

Whether you want to expand on short-form content or break down long-form content into smaller pieces, the key is be clear on your goal.

Are you turning a tweet into LinkedIn post, or a blog, or a newsletter?

➤ Write specifically for that platform and respect its nuances.

Are you turning a newsletter into a YouTube video?

➤ Rewrite that intro and restructure the content accordingly.

Avoid the cookie-cutter approach. 

Spend the extra time refining your content and adapting it to the platform you’ll be sharing it on. The difference compounds over time.

Remember, strong brands are built on quality first and quantity second.

If you enjoyed this, hit reply and let me know.

Your feedback helps a lot and means a lot :)

Until next time, keep creating!

Omara

Quick Picks

1. Imposter Syndrome? Eliminate it completely by watching this shocking video of the United States President Joe Biden.

2. It turns out Aristotle has a book on storytelling. I haven’t read it yet, but I added it to my long list of books I want to read.

3. There’s a lot you can learn from Jason Fried, listen to this podcast and learn about his approach to great writing.

P.S. Got questions, ideas, or just want to share your thoughts? Hit reply!