How to repurpose content: turn one big idea into months of material

You’ve spent weeks putting together a big piece of content — maybe it’s a 15‑page research report, a whitepaper, or a detailed guide. You hit publish. Great. But now what?

Too often, these big, expensive pieces just sit there collecting dust. But the truth is, that one piece could fuel your content for months if you repurpose it properly.

This isn’t just copying and pasting. It's pulling out the most valuable parts of what you’ve created and reshaping them into content that people will actually consume. Here’s how.

Step 1: Start with the why (and the who)

Before you start slicing up your content, pause and ask:

• Who am I repurposing this for? Is this aimed at your exec audience, mid‑level decision‑makers, or prospective customers?
• Why am I repurposing it? Do you want to build authority, generate leads, or simply stay top‑of‑mind?

If you don’t nail this first, you’ll end up with “busy work” content. It might fill a calendar, but it won’t move anyone closer to taking action.

Step 2: Pull out the good stuff

Now, look at your big piece and highlight:

• The big narrative: What’s the one core idea running through this piece? Can it be boiled down to a single statement or theme?
• Standalone gems: Are there stats, quotes, charts, or mini‑stories that could work on their own? These are often the easiest things to repurpose.
• Untold stories: Did you have to cut any sections short? Are there sub‑topics you mentioned but didn’t have space to expand on? These are perfect for spin‑off content.

I usually create a “content inventory” at this stage: a simple list of every reusable insight, data point, or takeaway from the original piece.

Step 3: Pick your formats (and make them work hard)

This is where you turn a single piece into a multi‑channel plan.

Think about where your audience actually spends time and what content they’ll engage with. Then map your big piece into other formats:

• Webinar or live session: Share the big findings and answer questions in real time.
• Podcast discussion: Bring in an expert or client to talk through the insights in a conversational way.
• Short videos: Turn each key point into a 60‑second clip for LinkedIn or other platforms.
• Infographic: Package the stats and takeaways into something visual and easy to skim.
• Lead magnet: Create a 2‑3 page easily digestible download.
• Email series: Turn each key section into a short, engaging email. Spread them out over a few weeks to stay top‑of‑mind.
• LinkedIn posts: Use stats, visuals, or surprising findings as standalone posts. Add a strong hook so they don’t just blend into the feed.
• Spin‑off blogs: Take one sub‑topic and go deeper with a full article.

A single 15‑page report can easily become 15–20 separate pieces of content without you ever starting from scratch.

How this could look

I worked with a client last year who created a 20‑page industry report. On its own, it was useful but very “one and done.”

Here’s how we repurposed it:

• Articles: We broke out three key themes into standalone blogs that targeted specific search terms and brought in organic traffic.
• LinkedIn: We pulled 12 short, stat‑driven posts that positioned them as thought leaders and boosted engagement with their audience.
• Email: We created a 5‑part nurture series that sent subscribers back to the full report and helped guide them toward booking a consult.

That one report gave them three months’ worth of content, and it performed far better than the report alone ever would have.

Step 4: Adjust for each channel

Repurposing isn’t just copying and pasting the same content over and over again. It’s translating your content for different audiences and formats.

Ask yourself:

• LinkedIn: How do I grab attention fast? Does this need a bold stat, a surprising question, or a story‑driven hook?
• Email: What’s the most compelling takeaway for my subscribers? Can I tie this to a challenge they’re facing right now?
• Webinar: How do I make this interactive? Can I use polls, Q&A, or live commentary?

Same ideas, different presentation.

Step 5: Create a workflow so it doesn’t fall apart

Good intentions don’t repurpose content. Processes do.

• Map it out: Use a simple content calendar to decide what pieces you’re creating, when they’re going out, and who’s doing them.
• Batch your work: Record all your video clips in one session. Write multiple LinkedIn posts in one sitting.
• Template everything: Create reusable decks, post formats, and email outlines to speed up production.

If you treat repurposing as an afterthought, it won’t happen. Build it into your workflow from the start.

Step 6: Measure and tweak

Not every piece will land... and that’s okay.

• Track performance (downloads, engagement, leads).
• Double down on the formats or topics that resonate most.
• Drop the ones that don’t.

Repurposing is iterative. It gets better with each round.

Why this matters

Big content pieces are resource‑heavy. They take time, energy, budget, and usually multiple people to produce. Repurposing stretches that investment and helps you reach people in the places and formats they actually want to engage with.

If you’re not repurposing, you’re wasting effort.

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Need help creating a repurposing plan? I can help plan, priotise, and execute. Get in touch.