 Repurposing Content Can Help You Increase Your Return-on-Time Investment When Done Properly Thinking about repurposing content? Repurposing is the act of taking existing content from one medium and preparing it for another medium, but it can get a bit hairy. Watch out for these Top 7 Repurposing Content Snafus to avoid a downgrade in credibility. Snafu #1: Submitting Derivative Content Repurposed content is content adapted for another medium, such as adapting a newsletter article into a blog post or an ebook into an article. Derivative content is article pollution and it occurs when someone attempts to publish content within the same medium, such as tweaking or spinning article A to produce article B. Become a leading authority in your niche with quality, original content. Snafu #2: Selecting Uninformative Content The methodology behind successful article writing is in providing quality, informative value readers can use to their benefit. Article writing is not a diary platform, nor is it a news source to convey events or happenings. Do provide personal experience to resonate with readers; however, avoid providing superfluous details that may bog down your success and hurt your credibility. Snafu #3: Forgetting Article Independence Ensure each article stands alone or is independent. A stand alone article means the reader doesn't have to dig around for another article (e.g., "Continued in part II.") or click away (e.g., "To read the rest of this article, click here."). The reader should gain the full benefit promised in the article's title, summary, introduction, or article body in the same article. Snafu #4: Formatting Serial Articles Poorly Similar to forgetting article independence, writing articles in a series can be cumbersome and challenging for readers to follow. The article series needs to have similar titles and similar formatting for continuity. Also, the article parts should be submitted consecutively (i.e., make sure Part 1 is approved before submitting Part 2). That way, should Part 1 be rejected, Part 2 wouldn't be published before Part 1 and the author can make changes accordingly. This adds credibility and will keep readers involved. Snafu #5: Referencing the Wrong Platform Platform references such as "this blog" or "in this newsletter" are embarrassing when reproduced on another platform. These platform references confuse readers or appear lazy, i.e., you couldn't be bothered to write an original article for that platform. It's better to be safe than sorry: avoid writing these references altogether to encourage syndication and avert confusion. Snafu #6: Mismatching Author Names Ghostwriting, brand writing, or utilizing pen names can often lead to a little confusion when publishing on behalf of your company without mixing brands. As long as the content is 100% exclusive to you, ensure your byline (that line that says "By: [Insert Your Name Here]" above your article matches the name listed in your Resource Box. Also, this may seem a bit strange ... but to avoid appearing spammy and hold onto your credibility, please make sure the genders between your byline and Resource Box match too. For example, if your byline is Betsy Waters and it says "the author built his company ..." in the Resource Box, one doesn't just question your gender, they might question your credibility too. Snafu #7: Alluding to Content That's Not There One of the most common errors to repurposing content: missing content. Missing images, links, and even entire paragraphs or content elements due to copy/paste errors or platform guidelines. Check for continuity to avoid embarrassing references, like "In Figure 1.2, note the difference ..." and there's no Figure 1.2 or "visit the section of my website ..." and there's no link link to the website. Bonus: Missing Contact Information in the Resource Box Many are drawn to article writing for its benefit of increased traffic and exposure. Why would you miss out on this great opportunity to build your brand? Always include a link or contact information in your Resource Box (even if it's just a Twitter handle). Avert disaster by watching out for these repurposing content snafus! In doing so, you will avert embarrassment, maintain your credibility, increase your exposure, and save time on your article writing efforts. Questions? Do you have a repurposing content suggestion you would like to share? Share your comments by visiting this post online! | 
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
