B2B brands face a constant struggle to remain relevant and competitive in today’s rapidly changing digital world. The impending death of third-party cookies, ever-changing search engine algorithms, and consumer behavior all contribute to this dynamic environment. As a result, many companies are revising their digital strategies and redirecting their investments.
A recent Gartner survey finds that 74% of CMOs plan to increase or maintain their PPC investment, and that number rises to 80% for SEO. Further, according to Yahoo Finance, content marketing is unlocking new digital opportunities for brands, making it an essential part of these revised strategies.
This shift in focus emphasizes the need to maximize the return on B2B content marketing investment. As brands try to keep up with market demand for creating high-quality content at scale, many are turning to generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to create net-new marketing content — an increasingly risky endeavor. According to PAN’s 2023 Brand Experience Report, “marketers must account for how AI is perceived and its impacts on the customer journey. Asked about their response to the use of AI by brands, 44% of customers would consider moving away from a brand that relied on AI instead of people for storytelling, and 26% might consider it.”
So what should brands do to meet this growing need without exhausting resources or relying on generative AI to write new content? The answer lies in adopting a smarter content strategy — one that revolves around the three Rs: Repackage, Repurpose, and Reoptimize.
These strategies help brands keep their content relevant, adjust to consumer preferences, and stay competitive online. Let’s explore each of these tactics to understand how they can transform your B2B content marketing approach without putting added pressure on your team.
Repackage: Offer a New Perspective on Existing Content
What is Content Repackaging?
Repackaging involves transforming the format of your existing (typically top performing) content without changing the underlying message. By doing so, you can cater to various audience segments that prefer different content mediums.
Example
Turn a well-researched blog post into an infographic, a slide deck, or even a video. The key here is to maintain the original message while delivering it in a new, engaging way.
Strategic Recommendations for Repackaging
Understand how your target audience consumes content. If they are busy professionals, they might appreciate a podcast or an infographic instead of a lengthy blog post or an ebook. Experiment with different formats and evaluate their performance to fine-tune your repackaging strategy.
Repackaging Across Paid, Earned, and Owned Content
Unlocking the full potential of your content requires a cross-channel approach. Discover how repackaging can refresh your paid, earned, and owned content, making it more adaptable and appealing to different audience groups.
Paid Content
If you’ve invested in a paid content piece like a detailed industry report, consider repackaging it into smaller chunks for social media ads or sponsored blog posts. This can extend the reach of your paid content and appeal to a wider audience.
Earned Content
Turn positive press releases or customer testimonials into quote graphics or video testimonials to share on social media or your website.
Owned Content
Your popular blog posts, webinars, or whitepapers can be repackaged into newsletters, infographics, or short video clips to further engage your audience across different channels.
Assessment: Is Repackaging Right for Your Content?
Consider repackaging if your content:
- Covers comprehensive information that can be broken down into simpler, more focused parts.
- Has been well-received by your audience, indicating that the same information in a different format could attract a wider audience.
- Is primarily in a format that may not be the most convenient for all segments of your audience.
Repurpose: Transform Your B2B Content for New Ideas, Goals, and Audiences
What is Content Repurposing?
Repurposing involves taking existing content and changing its context to serve a different purpose or audience. It’s about deriving maximum value from your existing content by creatively transforming it to fit new requirements.
Example
Extract insights from a comprehensive white paper to create a series of blog posts targeting different customer segments. This way, you can stretch the value of a single piece of content, addressing different pain points across your audience spectrum.
Strategic Recommendations for Repurposing
Start by identifying opportunities where your existing content can serve new purposes. Tailor this repurposed content to the preferences and needs of the new target audience or goal. Remember, it’s not just about fragmenting content; it’s about delivering maximum value in a whole new context.
Repurposing Across Paid, Earned, and Owned Content
Leveraging the power of repurposing across all aspects of your content strategy can dramatically increase your content’s reach and relevance. Let’s explore how paid, earned, and owned content can be repurposed for maximum impact.
Paid Content
If a paid webinar or sponsored post was well received, repurpose the content into a series of blog posts or an email campaign for different audience segments.
Earned Content
Media mentions or positive reviews can be repurposed into case studies or customer success stories to add credibility to your brand.
Owned Content
Repurpose high-performing blog posts or guides into a podcast series or an e-book.
Assessment: Is Repurposing Right for Your Content?
Consider repurposing if your content:
- Contains versatile information that can be tailored to different audiences or contexts.
- Covers a broad topic that can be divided into narrower, more focused subtopics.
- Is particularly evergreen and can be altered slightly to remain relevant over a long period.
Reoptimize: Enhance Your Existing Content for Improved Performance
What is Content Reoptimization?
Successful B2B content creation doesn’t always involve creating net-new content. Reoptimization refers to updating and improving existing content to boost its performance in terms of SEO, user engagement, conversions, and more. It’s about making your good content great and ensuring that it can be found online by the people who will find it valuable.
Example
Take a high-performing blog post from the past that has slipped in search rankings. Update it with new data, revise the metadata, add relevant links, and incorporate more relevant keywords. This enhances its findability and relevancy.
Strategic Recommendations for Reoptimization
Consistently review your content’s performance to identify candidates for reoptimization. Prioritize content pieces that were once high-performers or cover topics of high search demand. Employ SEO tools to identify potential improvements and keep yourself updated with SEO best practices. After reoptimization, monitor performance to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts.
Reoptimizing Across Paid, Earned, and Owned Content
To ensure your content consistently delivers value, it’s important to refine and improve it based on performance and changing audience needs. Here’s how reoptimization can be applied to your paid, earned, and owned content for improved performance and continued relevance.
Paid Content
Review the performance of your paid content. Reoptimize ad copy, landing pages, or sponsored content by updating the CTA, improving the SEO, or incorporating feedback from the audience.
Earned Content
If a media feature or review brought substantial traffic, reoptimize it by linking back to it in your newer content or updating your website to highlight this earned content.
Owned Content
Regularly review and update your blog posts, whitepapers, and guides to improve SEO and keep the information valuable for your audience.
Assessment: Is Reoptimization Right for Your Content?
Consider reoptimization if your content:
- Previously performed well but has since dropped in rankings or engagement.
- Covers a topic with high search demand.
- Has outdated information, lack of relevant keywords, or needs better alignment with SEO best practices.
The Power in the Three Rs of Content Marketing
As a B2B brand, understanding and applying these tactics can help you stay ahead of the curve, maintain a robust content pipeline, and continuously deliver value to your audience — without putting added pressure on your marketing team. It’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter with the content you already have, while enhancing your brand authority with those who matter most.
So, don’t just create content for content’s sake — be intentional. Repackage it to engage different audience segments. Repurpose it to create fresh perspectives. Reoptimize it to maintain relevance and visibility. It’s time to transform your content marketing from a linear process into a cyclic one, enhancing efficiency, reach, and impact.
The call to action is clear: Embrace the three Rs. Diversify your content, maximize its value, and build a robust, adaptable strategy. In doing so, you’re not just keeping pace with the digital world — you’re leading the way.
Remember, your content is an investment. Make sure you’re getting the best returns by continually repackaging, repurposing, and reoptimizing. Now is the time to seize the opportunity and harness the full potential of your content. It’s time to lead with content that not only survives but thrives in the digital age.
