Recycling old content is frowned upon when it comes to blogging and it really shouldn't be. Why should we use time and effort putting together content that will probably get lost in our archives if we didn't stay on top of promoting them? It makes no sense, therefore recycling, or at the very least, adding to previously published content is a great way to draw attention to a topic that newer readers may have missed. Here's how.
Add updates to previous posts
You can almost guarantee that when a blog publishes a tutorial and it has an 'updated' section, they've updated the post and republished it as a fresh new piece of content, and guess what? It works. New readers and subscribers who may not have seen that content before get the juicy details other readers have before, as well as keeping your more loyal following in the loop with the newest information. If you're going to be revamping a post with new information, I would advise you make it one that's over 6 months old.
Create a follow-up complimentary post
Written a post about a subject that you could expand on, or a post that you've had a change of heart about? Have you written something that you create a catch-up or update version with new information? Do it. I've done this many times with my Commitment to Series and my Series Relationship posts, recapping the last year and creating new challenges for myself when it comes to series. People like to know what you've been up to and it's always exciting for you to see how you've changed too.
Combine content into an ebook
If you've written a number of posts about a certain subject, or you have a blog series that's buried beneath new content, it's pretty easy to produce an ebook and combine these posts together into one easy to read format. You could make the book available for new subscribers, giving them a quick snap view of the type of content they can come to expect from you, while also getting use out of your older worthy content. You could also sell the book if you fancied making a few quick bucks.
Switch up the format of your post
Got an old post that could be transferred into an infographic for easy sharing across Twitter and Pinterest? Switch it up. Got a post that you could vlog about instead? Switch it up. Got a post or tutorial you could turn into powerpoint slides? Do it. Keep content fresh and looking good is something all bloggers struggle with and strive to be better at - by switching up some older content and making it look brand new can give you a new lease of life, and if all goes well, it might inspire you do it again.
Link up related posts below new content
Those widgets that appear below other peoples posts showing you similar content or posts you should check out. They not only help your bounce rate, but they can direct readers to older content too. Many people recommend using LinkWithin, and personally, I've never had much of a problem with it myself, although I do prefer to link up my own recommended posts similar by categories or type of post, or if it's reviews, by author or genre. Pointing out content that people will love is one of the easiest things to do, and once you've somebody clicking around, chances are, they'll explore your blog further.
Link up content in your sidebar
I tend to focus on sharing the posts readers like most at Nellie and Co. but generally, you can link whatever takes your fancy in your sidebar and people will check it out. Want to get more attention to content you loved, or content that refers to subject that's 'big' in the news lately. Link it up. Want to show off posts your readers loved to draw new readers to? Link it up. Shake things up every now and then so your readers can constantly be impressed and surprised by the content you have, and make sure you have some graphics that help with linking up any content. Visuals gain more attention than simple words, make your content work for you.
Share a round-up of related posts for specific audience
Have a collection of posts that would be perfect for new bloggers? Create on big post and share your links in a giant link-up. Same can be done for any content you have a think would not only be helpful for your readership, but positive for the content in itself. Something similar to my giant monthly link-ups I do with community content can be done easily for your own content. Take two or three times in the year to refer to older content of different subjects, for designers, for bloggers, for reviewers, for authors, for whoever your target audience is. People like things handed to them, give them what they want, and they'll lap it up.
Stop letting your old content get lost in your archives, get creative and find ways to bring them out of the dark depths and into the light of your new readers and across the board of social networks. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg, so get thinking, there's bound to be many many more.
Do you revamp and recycle your content, and if so, how do you do it?
