Five Ways to Purpose High-Value Content
by Mica Olinghouse
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As an editor, I’ve been both a team contributor and team leader in helping authors maximize their high-value content. This proficiency in content development and redistribution has become an in-demand service, especially with ministers and other professional communicators who need to maximize their content’s sustainability while minimizing new content creation. In my industry, repurposing current content in creative ways not only reduces editorial costs but also extends the lifespan of the author’s message. As long as the content is powerful, clean, and relevant, it can be repackaged again and again to fulfill a variety of communication and ministry needs.
Of course, there are multiple ways of repurposing content like developing an audio series from individual messages or transforming a 300-page book into shorter series installments. However the content is repackaged, it must maintain its sense of individuality and currency without overselling used material. Once an author begins duplicating old content in bland ways just to create additional product, promote a platform, or save time, the copy becomes stale and lifeless. With every repurpose must come fresh energy, new ideas, and creative shaping for the new medium.
In my line of work over the past decade, I’ve been involved in dozens of content repurposing projects, and today I’d like to share with you some of my favorite trade secrets. So if you’ve been wondering how to expand the life of your message without exhausting your audience, here are five creative ways to maximize and redistribute your high-value content.
1. TURN YOUR AUDIO MESSAGES INTO BOOKS
In my business as an editor working with so many wonderful ministers, this is by far one of my most in-demand services. Many preachers have asked me about the process of writing a book from a recent message, and my answer is always straight-forward: Turn your message into a book through transcripts of your audio messages. This is one of the most succinct ways of creating fresh content from something that’s already been delivered. And unless you are a gifted writer, speaking is probably a much more comfortable medium for you anyway.
If you’re considering the transcript route, you must first procure an excellent ghostwriter in order for this transcript-to-manuscript endeavor to be successful. A ghostwriter will weed through the transcripts of all your audio messages, build a book outline, and seamlessly write the book from scratch using the transcripts. She will cut out the unnecessary or redundant portions, fill in points where needed, bring out hidden angles, write the required introductions, transitions, and conclusions, and polish the overall manuscript presentation. In the end, you’ll have a brand-new book that collaborates with your previous audio messages.
You can then extend the life of your audio message by distributing the published book in your bookstore, offering it online through your website, or using it as book table product. Not only have you saved precious time by hiring a ghostwriter to write the book, but you’ve also produced an excellent product that has a sustainable shelf-life and continues to minister to others.
2. BUILD YOUR BLOG FROM YOUR BOOK
The next secret to maximizing high-end content is repurposing your book’s message through your blog. If your book was professionally written, edited, and proofed, then redistributing the content through your blog will be painless and easy. I suggest dividing the book into segments by using the subheads within each chapter as a guide. Then just copy and paste a section each week into your blog.
The advantages of this book-to-blog method are two-fold: It maintains consistency in your blog, and it links readers to your online store by promoting samples of your book. To increase book sales and web traffic, simply add a comment at the end of the post mentioning the article was an excerpt from your book, and then provide the appropriate purchasing links and information. Just be sure that if you do generate blog post content from your published book that the introduction and conclusion make sense in the blog post itself. You may need to tweak some of the copy in order to fit the repurposed content for its new platform. (That’s why I suggest hiring a professional editor for these services!)
3. CREATE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS FROM YOUR BOOKS OR BLOGS
Another strategic way to repackage powerful, clean content is to create social media posts from your books or blog posts. In recent years as social media has increased in popularity, this method of book-to-post has become one of our most productive forms of content management. In order to maximize the efficiency of this process, I suggest going through one book or blog post series at a time, gathering power quotes, scriptures, or reflective questions that stay within the same theme, and then posting the published content 1-3 times a day on your favorite social media platforms.
Repurposing published content for social media has several advantages, including a continual fresh supply of fantastic material. Of course, keep in mind that each platform has specific nuances that are key to engaging audiences, so the book content may need to be slightly altered for maximum effectiveness on each specific social media platform. (Another reason I suggest hiring professional writers.)
4. TRANSFORM YOUR BLOG STATEMENTS INTO GRAPHIICS
As you scroll through Facebook or Instagram, do those beautiful graphics with overlaid text often catch your eyes? Well, one succinct way of repurposing your high-value content is transforming your sermon, book, or blog statements into colorful, branded, engaging graphics!
In order to maximize the content’s effect and visibility, choose statements that are direct, memorable, and short. Paragraphs don’t do well in these types of mediums. As you go through your sermon notes, blog posts, or published books, look for nutritious nuggets—power statements that inspire, encourage, or challenge readers. Then, add the text to a corresponding image and post online. For a professional look, I recommend keeping the graphics within your brand’s color, font, style, and imagery spectrum. To boost your brand’s recognition, simply add brand identity tags—your logo or website for example.
While message-to-image content development can be done through inexpensive means by using such apps as WordSwag and PicLab, if you are serious about a professional platform, I recommend hiring professional teams of artists and editors who are trained to identify and clarify power statements and to design with your brand in mind.
5. TURN YOUR CONTENT INTO PRODUCT
Finally, if you’re sitting on top a gold mine of professional, inspiring, or challenging messages, take the next step and repurpose your highest-value content into a variety of promotional or for-sale products. You can take power statements, themes, ideas, and quotes from your audio messages, books, blogs, and videos and transform them into other valuable products that will both enhance your message and connect with your audience.
With this content-to-product process, the sky is the limit…your product line can be as big or as small as you like, only limited by your creativity. Anything from coffee mugs to t-shirts, notepads to content cards can be on your list. Just be sure that the copy you choose to market is high-quality, sharp, valuable, and powerful. Any dull or poorly constructed content will not sell, reflect, or reproduce well.
As your influence with your audience grows and your messages become more poignant, sustaining the life of your message and establishing a continued connection with your audience will become an increasingly important communication strategy. With the right tools, resources, and professional teams, you can maximize your high-value content without re-inventing the wheel.
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