5 Creative Ways to Bring Your Content Back From the Dead

If there’s one thing scarier than murderous clowns, possessed dolls, and villainous children, it’s the death of a piece of content that you poured your heart and soul into. OK, maybe it’s not quite as scary as death-by-clown, but it’s something to fear, nonetheless. 

In today’s highly-saturated content landscape, it can be tricky to stay relevant and timely. But just because the shelf life of content has decreased doesn’t mean you can’t bring it back to life. 

While updating old blog posts with new research, current events, and streamlined advice is a good place to start, there are many different ways to breathe life into an otherwise outdated piece. 

With Halloween just days away, here are a few creative ways to bring your content back from the dead:

1. ‘Frankenstein’ multiple articles.

Mary Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein and his monster are synonymous with the Halloween season. But, when it comes to content marketing, there’s more we can learn from Dr. Frankenstein’s questionable methods.

One way to drive more traffic to your content is to take multiple pieces on the same topic (see where I’m going with this?) and create a round-up article that links back to older material. Featuring these “Frankenstein” posts on your company blog or even in an email newsletter is a simple but effective way to promote content. This also presents a unique opportunity to reshare content that isn’t evergreen, such as holiday-themed or seasonal posts. 

2. Dissect a single article. 

Just as you can create a single article from many different ones, you can also create multiple posts from a single piece of content. 

For many, one of the hardest aspects of content marketing is coming up with a great idea. This strategy takes care of that for you. Simply choose an older piece of content, whether it’s a blog post, e-book, podcast, etc., and turn individual points into a full-length piece. 

For example, I could take my first point — creating a round-up post — and write an in-depth article on how to create a successful round-up and promote older content. The key here is to focus on ideas that have enough substance to warrant their own pieces. 

3. Try out a new costume. 

Picking the perfect Halloween costume is easier said than done, and the same can be said of choosing a new “costume” for your content. But the transformation — from article to infographic, e-book to webinar, podcast to slideshow — is well worth the extra effort. 

Presenting content in a new format is a tried-and-true way to prolong the life of your content. What’s more, it can attract an entirely new audience, as not everyone has the time to read a lengthy blog post or enjoys listening to webinars or podcasts. Offering the same information in a different way ensures that you’re catering to a variety of audience preferences. 

4. Give subscribers a treat. 

One way to keep your email subscribers coming back for more is to share exclusive content. But rather than linking to old blog posts or resharing an e-book, offer them something new. 

This “treat” could take the form of a cheat sheet or checklist based on a recent e-book, a template to accompany your latest blog post, a worksheet based on a webinar — you get the idea. In doing this, you not only reward subscribers but also direct them back to an older piece of content. 

5. Create a killer sequel. 

We all know that a sequel is never quite as good as the original (especially when it comes to horror films). However, this doesn’t have to be the case with content marketing. 

Take something that really resonated with readers and create a follow-up piece. Not only does this eliminate the need to start from scratch during the content ideation process, but it also gives you an opportunity to link back to the original article and increase traffic. 

So, what makes a great sequel? 

• It offers something new and exciting. There’s nothing worse than a sequel that fails to shock and delight the audience. 

• It delivers the same quality as the original. When drafting a follow-up piece, provide readers with the same level of thought, leadership, and advice they have come to expect from you. 

• It isn’t forced. This is perhaps the biggest issue with sequels today. They come across as more of a money grab than a natural continuation of a beloved piece of content.   

If you want to get the most out of your content marketing efforts, don’t let your content die. Revive it by trying out a new format, featuring it in a round-up post, creating a follow-up piece or bonus content, or expanding on a single idea. As a result, you can drive traffic back to your website, reach new audiences, and strengthen your thought leadership — and there’s nothing scary about that.