Do you ever have those moments when you look in your closet and realize you have nothing to wear? None of your shirts seem as cute as they used to be, your jeans lost that extra flare you loved and your sweaters now seem dull. Apparently, you have to go out and buy something new if you want to show off your style.
Compare this feeling to your nonprofit organization’s blog. Maybe you started blogging a while ago, and by now you have a generous amount of content built up. But when you look at your blog, it feels drab, outdated or even boring. Nothing seems to spark your creativity anymore. So, you feel the need to go out and write something new—something unique to add into your collection of blog posts. But eventually, the new article you write—that new shirt you buy—ends up in the same place as the other articles—in the closet waiting to be worn.
Instead of constantly striving for a new idea for fresh content, why not make the most out of what you already have? Repurposing old blog posts is the perfect way to revitalize a blog, produce fresh content and all without using up too many of your new ideas. For your nonprofit’s website, here’s how to breathe new life into an old blog.
1. Update outdated content.
First and foremost, look for blog articles that have a lot of outdated information to repurpose. For instance, if you shared a blog article citing multiple statistics about your client base, those stats may no longer be true. When visitors go through your website, they want the most current information possible, so if your blog still has stats, figures or facts from five years ago, then those articles probably need to be repurposed. Comb through old blogs to see which ones need new numbers or information, then see how repurposing old blog posts for a fresh new article.
2. Find your best-ranking blogs.
If you want to remake old blog articles, why not start with the highest-performing ones? If your website has analytics—which it should—dig in to see which of your articles received the most views and organic traffic. Which ones led to the most conversions for your organization? Once you have a list compiled, see how you can reorganize those articles to bring in a new vibe. The articles did well in the past, so chances are they will do well again when you reshare them.
3. Utilize your keywords.
Discover which keywords or phrases on your nonprofit’s website drive the most traffic through a tool like Google Analytics. Search through blog posts to see how many keywords they use and where there might be room to incorporate more. Utilize your keyword phrases throughout old and new blog posts to bring in more organic search traffic and help increase your website’s conversion rates.
4. Bring in a fresh perspective.
If you’re struggling to rewrite an old article—especially if you wrote the original one—consider bringing in a fresh perspective. Every writer brings a unique style, voice and knowledge to the table. Ask a volunteer, staff member or even your leadership team (we’re looking at you, ED) if they would be willing to look through a blog article and repurpose it from their own perspective.
5. Choose a different medium.
For some blog articles, the power is in the performance. How can you switch up the presentation? Choosing a different medium serves as an ideal way to repurpose old content and breathe life into a new blog article. Could you turn the article into a helpful infographic? Maybe a short video, webinar or interview with a prominent professional in the field? A different medium can present similar information to what you already have, but in an enticing way that brings in new website visitors.
6. Expand on old ideas.
Finally, dig through old blog posts to see which ideas you can expand upon further. Oftentimes, we write long, drawn-out articles over large, far-reaching topics. While these articles help, they tend to let smaller topics slip through the cracks. For instance, an animal shelter may share a blog post on good tips to consider when caring for a dog like “Feed the dog twice per day.” Then, they could later expand on that article by exploring different brands of dog food, which types work best for which breeds or even ways to get your dog to eat if it’s not feeling well. Dig deeper into your blog to see what smaller topics you can expand upon.
When it comes to your nonprofit organization’s blog, don’t let articles sit in their metaphorical closet to gather dust. Take them out, shake them up and give them a new twist. Use these tips when repurposing old blog posts and see how repurposing content further expands your nonprofit’s reach.
Want to learn more about how to market your nonprofit organization through valuable and engaging content? Firespring is here to help! We offer useful webinars, materials and seminars on how your NPO can market itself to further its cause. Learn more by giving us a call at 877.447.8941 or email hello@firespring.org.
