Your tweets might not be the first content you think of repurposing, but it’s worth reconsidering that belief. You could be missing out on book deals, TV shows, and newspaper columns…
Okay, the truth is, your Twitter profile probably won’t get you all of that. But it is possible! There are great examples out there that prove a content repurposing mindset can produce incredible results — whatever type of content you produce.
In this podcast episode and blog post I explain the four cornerstone principles that make content repurposing successful — no matter the platform, no matter the size.
So, get your tea and crumpets at the ready and form an orderly queue with a stiff upper lip, I want to tell you the story of Very British Problems.
Watch the short trailer video below to find out what you can learn from this episode:
A content repurposing mindset works for everything
Content repurposing has to start with long-form, evergreen content, doesn’t it?
Not if you ask Rob Temple.
Rob started Very British Problems in December 2012. In January 2013, he had secured a book deal. A clothing and merchandise line soon followed, then a newspaper column, then a TV show.
According to the traditional content marketing playbook, he did it the wrong way around. The thing is, that playbook wasn’t written with a content repurposing mindset.
I’ve talked about having a content repurposing mindset before on the podcast and blog. I’d really recommend checking it out if you want to know more about how it can transform your content.
Rob and his Very British Problems account embody four absolutely key principles of the repurposing mindset. I believe that they explain why he succeeded so quickly, and why he’s maintained that success ever since.
So now that we’ve gone into mindset a little, let’s talk Very British Problems.
Start with good content, or don’t start at all
This might seem a bit obvious, but the first reason Very British Problems succeeded was because Rob produced high quality content.
You can have the smartest content strategy in the world, know all about content repurposing, and work your socks off, but if you’re putting out low-quality content… I’ll wish you good luck now and leave it at that!
Very British Problems’ content is well-written, witty, and relatable. We Brits are a self-deprecating bunch, but we’re proud of it too. We’re happy to admit that we’re awkward, excessively polite, and downright strange sometimes. Knowing that other people (thousands of them, according to the retweets!) feel the same things and find themselves in the same situations is a real comfort.
That kind of relatable, engaging content is a recipe for success. People want to see themselves in the content they consume.
So, the very first lesson to learn from Very British Problems is that the account started with quality from day one.
You should too.
Consistency is the deal-breaker
Consistency will help even the worst content perform better. It’s just that it’s a lot easier with quality content!
Once Rob started Very British Problems, he didn’t stop. He posted at the right time and regularly. And it helped Very British Problems grow supersonically.
Having consistency at the heart of your content strategy will give you a far greater chance of success. If you are publishing content to a planned schedule, not just as and when you feel like it, you make it so much easier for your audience to consume your content.
I don’t mean this in a bad way, but people are lazy. If they have to work hard to access your content, or if they don’t know when they can expect to see it, they’re going to stop looking for it.
Make your content easy and predictable to access, post regularly, and don’t stop once you’ve started! It’ll take you far.
Stay in your lane
It’s pretty clear what Very British Problems is about just from its name. If it had tried to branch out to share Very American Problems, Very Planet Earth Problems, or even Very Manchester Problems (I’ve got that on my to-do list, actually), the content would stop speaking to its audience.
When you find a degree of success with your content, it can be very tempting to try to replicate it elsewhere.
But one area where repurposing doesn’t work is with your brand identity.
If people love the content you produce in your specific niche — stay there and perfect it!
Trying to reach more people with more interests will dilute your ability to produce the great content that got you your initial success.
It might feel counter-intuitive to stay in your lane when you’re racing ahead of even your wildest dreams but trust me. You’ll find so much more success by sticking with (and developing) your original content strategy.
Be open to opportunities — and grab them when they appear
If you’re posting good quality content regularly and sticking to your niche, you’re setting yourself up nicely to succeed. There are never any guarantees in content marketing, of course, but you’re on the right path.
What does success look like, though?
Rob Temple may not have planned to write books, make t-shirts, or release a board game, but these opportunities naturally came out of each other.
Saying yes to opportunities creates a kind of chain reaction. In signing that book deal, Very British Problems went from the bubble of Twitter to the public consciousness of newspapers and TV. Everything else happened from there.
It’s important to evaluate your opportunities and not just agree to everything that comes your way. Equally, approaching new opportunities with an open mind and positive outlook will help you burst the bubble around your content and expand rapidly.
Content repurposing will help every content creator
You can start with a novel or a tweet, it doesn’t matter.
What does matter is having a content repurposing mindset and bringing these four lessons into the way you work.
- Producing high quality content
- Publishing consistently
- Sticking with your niche
- Staying open to opportunities
So don’t fret about having the perfect, epic, cornerstone content. If you are:
Then you are on track to do well.
Turning a Twitter account into 3 books, a newspaper column, a TV show, games, clothing, mugs, and a lot of success wasn’t a magic trick. It was the result of a smart content strategy, a content repurposing mindset, and, yes, probably a bit of luck as well!
So get started! Who knows, if you follow this approach, a bit of that luck might come your way too…
I’d love to connect with you on Twitter, make sure to say Hi!
Originally published at https://www.content10x.com on January 16, 2020.
