Using your content in multiple channels and formats—also called repurposing—isn’t lazy, it’s strategic. But that doesn’t mean B2B marketers can’t celebrate the glorious convenience of being able to reuse an excellent section of an E-book in an infographic or a blog post.
Our sister company Demand Gen Report just published its 2020 State of Content Curation & Repurposing, which takes a close look at how content marketers can use these efficient strategies to reach wider audiences with a variety of content repurposing and curation techniques.
As marketers flocked to virtual events in 2020, this is a great time to talk about how to make the most of all the sweat equity you invested in webinars and digital events. So I’m focusing on that section of the report to share some of the most helpful advice to maximize webinar and digital event content.
Webinars Are Workhorses
Even a single webinar can feed the content machine with valuable content. You can easily extend the life of all those valuable insights, data points, quotes and moments in the form of blog posts, social media posts, infographics and video snips.
“Webinars are the gift that keeps on giving,” says Alicia Esposito, Director of Content & New Media at G3 Communications. “They should be crafted with audience needs and goals; they should have a wealth of insight, data and possibly even use cases and best practices. Webinars and on-demand sessions can be powerful lead magnets on their own, but you can break down and reuse webinar content in a multitude of ways. You can essentially create an engaging, full-funnel content experience based on one ‘piece.’”
Esposito suggests multiple possibilities to extend webinar content:
- Extract data for long-form and mini infographics
- Publish quotes with social images
- Reuse short clips in social media
- Create follow-up checklists and fact sheets based on the Q&A
- Develop bottom-funnel content focused on how you can help address the trends and challenges discussed in the webinar
Dave Bruno, Marketing Director at Aptos, knows a thing or two about how to run with all the possibilities repurposing has to offer. He quickly found the silver lining in 2020’s upending of content plans.
“The pandemic has forced us to evaluate every nook and cranny of our strategy, and every piece of content we have that we can leverage,” he says. “The lack of live events has exposed all the holes in our content marketing strategies. So, it was about finding new ways and making small investments in content that can lead to numerous assets.”
Bruno made sure that Aptos was carefully evaluating each content decisions—whether it was the right kind of content, the right quantity, tone and style. He’s delivering more thought leadership webinars, newsletters, short-form assets and interactive hubs at Aptos. Even the new content he’s creating is designed to be repurposed in multiple formats.
It’s a crucial way to examine your marketing plans when you have a lean marketing team. At Content4Demand, we’re always looking for new ways to share our core content in new channels and new formats to reach as many people as we can.
Enduring Event Content
Digital events have proliferated in 2020, with LinkedIn Live reporting an 89% increase in live streams since March. Buyers still consume up to 13 pieces of content during the purchase process, and content matters as decision-making groups are scattered in a remote work environment.
Whether they’re webcasts, virtual roundtables or online panels, these virtual events come with a steady stream of opportunities to deliver valuable content. Consider some of these options:
Video
Edit small video snippets of key topics or prominent speakers for your website and social media to drive viewers to mini webinars, the on-demand version of the event or other related content.
Podcasts
Extract the audio from an informative webinar to reach the growing podcast audience hungry for the latest tips and industry insights. Use the whole soundtrack, or slice it into a series of short episodes you can air as a follow-up or as future event teasers.
Social Media
Transcribe the most interesting quotes and stats, and make simple graphics with your logo to direct followers to your website or profile. Leverage short videos for LinkedIn and Instagram stories. Make sure you tag any participating partners and panelists in addition to peers and colleagues.
On-Demand Replays
Offering an on-demand version of your event is key to reaching a larger audience, including people with scheduling conflicts and those who attended and deem the event worth sharing with colleagues. Post the entire event or present it as a series of mini webinars.
Articles
Review the transcript of your event to identify the highlights for a how-to guide or a series of short-form articles you can publish on your website or as blog posts. Consider including data from polls and surveys or quotes from industry leaders.
Infographics
Check your presentation slides for useful data that you can present as an eye-catching infographic to include with blog posts and share via social media.
The explosion of webinars and digital events we experienced in 2020 is guaranteed to extend well into next year (if not forever). Build some of these repurposing strategies into your 2021 marketing plans to make sure you’re getting premium mileage from this prime online real estate.
Read the full report for more about digital events, plus a broader scope of content curation and repurposing strategies alongside road-tested examples from companies like Aptos, GumGum and Marketing Insider Group.
Are you planning to build more webinars and digital events into your 2021 marketing plan? Content4Demand is helping top B2B brands with their strategic event content plans. We’d love to talk to you about how to maximize engagement with top prospects and clients before, during and after your 2021 events. Schedule some time to chat with our experts.
Is your organization ready with solid event strategies for the coming year? Check out Event Strategy & Content Support for Digital & In-Person Events.
Holly Celeste Fisk
Holly Celeste Fisk is an accomplished marketing pro with 20+ years of experience in B2B and B2C. She’s responsible for Content4Demand’s internal marketing efforts, managing everything from content creation and email marketing to events and sponsorships, blog publishing, website management and social media presence. When she’s not working, you’ll find her sliding into third at softball, buried in a book or practicing her Italian.
