At the San Francisco SEJ x Searchmetrics event this June, we heard from Jason Miller, who spoke about “big rock content,” which is the idea that if you write a large piece of content (whether that be an ebook, course, or really long article made up of thousands of words), that you can then break that content down and repurpose it into several different types of content that not only allow your target audience to find you in different ways, but also give the opportunity to digest the best type of content for their learning style.
Below are some of the ways you can repurpose “big rock content” that Jason mentioned (as well as a few he didn’t).
Long Form
So long form content (of 1,000 words or more) can be the “big rock content” that you start from, but it could also be part of a series that delves deeper into your big idea. Separate long form articles allow you to go more in-depth into a specific idea of a big topic you have.
Long form content is not only a favorite of Google’s, but it also allows you to gain recognition of your expertise and knowledge of the industry you’re in.
Webinar
If you cover a lot in your “big rock,” then a webinar is a great way to break down specific concepts in an audio or visual format. It allows you to provide a step-by-step set of instructions on how to implement a specific technique or strategy and allows users to see how you do it in real-time, if you allow them to see your screen.
Many users also like webinars because it allows them to ask questions during and after the event. It’s also beneficial on the marketing side, because you can gather email addresses of attendees as they sign up, which is great for building an email list (with their permission, of course).
Podcast
This is another audio format that makes it easy to delve deeper into the concepts your “big rock” introduces. A podcast is also a great way to finally answer commonly asked questions, update the content if you have new information or statistics to share. A podcast is also a great way to introduce different members of your team to help go into the content, which helps them get more exposure and explain their point of view on the topic– this is almost always of interest to listeners and makes the podcast more exciting, especially if you have two points of view.
Interview With Related Expert
The idea of having two people (or more) explain their point of view on a topic or share their personal experience can go a long way when trying to explain new strategies or concepts. Ask an expert who is well-versed in your “big rock” topic for a video or written interview, which you can then publish on YouTube/Google Hangouts, your blog, or as a podcast.
Asking for others’ expertise will also provide the following benefits:
- Grow industry network
- Get differing points of view
- Share experience of how a specific strategy or study worked for them
- Gain visibility to interviewee’s social network, if they share the interview after it’s finished
Social Media Discussion
Another great thing breaking up and repurposing your big content can do is inspire discussion and audience engagement. Ask related questions on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ and have employees stand by to monitor comments, reply to questions, or propel the discussion forward.
Often, the audience themselves will have some valuable insight or resources to share that can be beneficial to other readers and even the content producers. It can also increase a company’s visibility and make them a well-known entity in their industry.
Digestible Quotes in Images For Social and Posts
If your “big rock” content has a lot of easily digestible or interesting statistics or quotes, take some and make them in shareable images on a site like Canva, QuotesCover, or PicMonkey.
By breaking up important points into visual images, they will not only be more likely to be shared in a more viral manner, but they will also peak the interest of a wider audience (especially when they are shared on Pinterest or other visually-driven outlets).
This image was created via Canva, for example.
Repurposing content shouldn’t have to be the same old thing, with some words and formatting haphazardly switched around to make a different. Think outside the box of ways you can transform the same core ideas, but into the most effective piece of content for each medium.
Kelsey Jones
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