How to Utilize Podcasts for Content Rejuvenation
Repurposing content is something that is not only helpful when you are out of fresh ideas—we all know it can be a good option when you are in need of fresh content but don’t know where to start—but it can also be a step in the right direction when you see that a piece of content has done particularly well. In other words, ask yourself: Do you have a blog post, webinar, slideshow, or other presentation of your brand’s content that was a major hit with your audience? You can rejuvenate this content by turning it in to a podcast.
First Things First: How to Make a Podcast
There was a great article put out by Digital Trends that I highly recommend reading for an even more detailed explanation of actually creating a podcast in the first place. Still, below are some of the basics before diving into how to actually repurposing your existing content into a podcast:
- Choose your topic. In this case, we are going to focus on turning an existing piece of content (preferably one that was really successful on your site) and turning it in to a podcast through repurposing and making it in to an audio program. You want to choose something that is going to offer your audience something unique and useful.
- Consider making a program. While it may seem like this idea could be useful for one or two pieces of content on your site as of now, eventually you are going to have even more content to repurpose and add to a podcast. For this reason it is a good idea to consider making a program that can be attached to your brand. It will offer your company a lot of credibility and will be an ongoing project that you can continue to add to. This means that it is not exclusively for repurposing content either, you can also develop content in this way originally as well. Once you establish a program, you will definitely want to consider having the same format for every show so that your listeners know what to expect (this is what the most successful podcasts tend to do).
- A few words of caution. Before you begin, there are definitely a few things you will need to know and keep in mind to be most successful:
- You will need to obtain artist consent if you want to use any non-original music during your podcast. Truthfully, obtaining rights can be difficult sometimes, however contacting the content creator for direct consent (especially if it is an up-and-coming or local artist) can be the way to go since it will mean exposure for them. There are also sound files available online that are already specifically licensed for use, visit Creative Commons Search or freesound.org.
- Have a Script. This is absolutely essential in order to have a successful podcast. Do not just go in and try to record without having something written first (and no, the content you are repurposing does not count). You will need to figure out how you want to re-develop and scrip this content in a unique way. In most cases a podcast is never more than an hour, so try to assess how long you would like the recording to be.
- Stick to a schedule. While this may not be on your radar as you are developing a podcast for the first time, keep in mind that some of the most successful podcasts have a very regular schedule when it comes to how often they are writing, producing, and promoting new content on their podcast. If you are brand new to podcasting, once a week might be too ambitious—but once a month could be a good target goal.
- Find examples. Find other examples of similar podcasts that may have objectives that parallel your own. Listen to their audio content and note what they do well and how you might want to design your own podcast.
- Equipment and other considerations. You can see the article I referenced earlier in this post for a detailed exploration of types of equipment recommended to start a podcast. It is actually pretty inexpensive to have the equipment you need: a microphone, recording software, a mixer (optional), & a pop filter. Below is a sample screenshot:
- Record and convert. Once you have done all of the above you are ready to record and get going to create something you can publish on your website. Search Engine Journal does a great job of utilizing podcasts in their “Marketing Nerds” series, so I recommend checking that out to see how a strategy might work for you.
Making it Social
One of the reasons you might want to repurpose content into a podcast is if it went over particularly well with your audience. As a social media marketing company, we see content development as directly linked to social media use. If your followers really enjoyed a particular piece of content, especially if it was shared or “liked” a lot on your social media platforms, people will be very excited to listen to a podcast on the same topic. You want to make sure that they are going to get something unique and rewarding by listening to the podcast (as opposed to returning to the original piece of content), and you also want to make sure that you are promoting it to all of your existing social audiences.
When you are trying to figure out what to rejuvenate and bring back to life through a podcast, it is a good idea to look to social media shares and social media analytics in general. If you shared a piece of content and many people followed the link back you tour site, this means that the topic you chose was one that got people really excited. These make for great podcasts and there is a lot you can do with them.
Merging Multiple Content Relics
Repurposing content into a podcast does not need to only involve one piece of content. In fact, since you likely want a podcast longer than an average blog article when scripted and drafted into audio content, you may want to consider merging multiple pieces of content. In the event you don’t, you will likely have to elaborate or go into more detail than you originally did.
Take for example that you wrote a blog post on a topic that was really popular with your audience, but you also wrote blog posts or developed infographics/video/webinar content on ideas related that were far more specific or maybe offered support for ideas in the popular piece. Merging these content “relics” together could pain a full and complete picture that might be far richer than they are as stand-alone pieces.
Your Existing Content
The extent to which you can repurpose and develop podcasts based on your already existing (successful) content, is going to depend on how long your brand has been around and how much content you have to work with. If you are lucky enough to have been around for a decent amount of time already, I can almost guarantee that you have more than enough to work with if you get creative and explore what your followers might want to see in a podcast form.
Always start with your analytics and measure what topics, ideas, and types of content have been successful in the past. You may also want to elicit feedback from your social audience directly, ask them what they would like to see in podcast form. In the end, podcasts have become a popularized way to produce content, and using this to your advantage could not only improve your SEO and site overall, but also help rejuvenate content that your followers clearly want to see more of in the future.
Do you have any more ideas for utilizing podcasts to help rejuvenate old content? Let us know in the comment section below.
About The Author
Jason Hawkins / http://www.themiamiseocompany.com
Jason Hawkins is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Miami SEO Company. He has over ten years of experience in search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization and lead generation. His core responsibilities include identifying ways to increase value of services rendered, training staff on advanced SEO topics, and A/B testing internal processes to consistently improve client return on investment.
