I don’t know about you but I hate when I put a lot of work into content only to have it fizzle and dud.
It’s the type of content you pour everything into.
And yet it’s overshadowed by something you (or others) quickly slapped together.
Part of the problem is Google’s love for fresh content which has seemed to allow people to jumble up the dates to get back to the top of search rankings. This puts already ranking content higher up.
The piece could be a total farce but it just happens to keep ranking over better pieces.
Call me salty but I know you’ve seen better content sometimes on page 2 and deeper.
Other times it’s frustrating when you see a similar piece shared en masse on social networks that are quite thin in content. The site (and author) gets a bit too clickbaity-y, but the content is rather shallow.
It’s these two things that make it extremely frustrating to be a content producer.
It seems that if you’re not a part of a big network you’re likely to be ignored or overshadowed.
So the question becomes what to do with all these great pieces that aren’t getting attention?
Surely you have a few that you want to be found, right?
I say: it’s time to tweak, play the game, and out-leverage the competition — it’s time to revive old posts.
Revive Old Content by Re-Sharing It on Popular Platforms
Your website gives you the most control over how content is consumed by the community (creating a tight ecosystem). But, if it’s underperforming then it may be that your site isn’t receiving enough exposure to the industry.
I’ve talked about this before but it’s pretty much vital that you tap into different platforms when creating content.
Don’t worry about the whole “duplicate content” myth.
Realize that a great piece of work deserves to be found and you’re only doing a disservice to yourself (and your affiliate business) if you’re holding back.
- Add visuals and get it onto Slideshare
- Touch it up and add it to DocStoc
- Source footage and make a video out of it
- Turn it into some form of an infographic
- Record it as a podcast episode
Get it out there. Try each of these items.
They’ll help with building backlinks and you get to promote them on their platforms.
Let the freshness update take over and have it re-found. One may take off and reveal which is the proper choice for doing the same with other content that’s not getting recognized.
Revive Old Content by Making It an Exclusive
People love free. People love premium. They especially love free, premium information.
You’d be surprised at the shift in mentality people have if you’re trying to give something away versus charging money for access. Don’t believe me?
One day a friend was trying to get rid of an old couch so they put it out to the curb and listed it on Craigslist for free. No takers. The next day they put a small sign that said “Couch for sale: $50” and sure enough someone swiped it during the night.
The point I’m trying to make is that giving them the illusion of ‘premium’ could be what starts the buzz.
They think “oh wow, this is an awesome deal for this valuable information” which could get them to start mentioning it to their business connections (since they don’t want them to miss out on the deal, either).
You could charge a price for it or take an easier route by putting up a content locker. These are handy plugins/scripts that’ll require visitors to share the page or subscribe to your accounts before they get access. Just make sure it’s something worthwhile.
Revive Old Content by Treating It like Magazine Pieces
The people that read blogs are quite spoiled.
There’s so much information out there that they get into a mode where they’re just browsing around without really appreciating the value. They’ll read the post, maybe jot down some notes, and never put things into motion. They’re window shoppers.
Similar to the go exclusive method is deciding to reinvigorate the piece by taking it down and finding a proper trade/industry magazine that could use the piece.
Think about it:
- Trade magazines are going to the real professionals that are ready to take action
- Being covered in an industry magazine does wonder for exposing and growing your brand
- You could earn a hefty penny for your efforts
This is a great guide to get started with writing for magazines, I’d recommend.
As the post mentions – magazines continue to thrive. Why? Because the magazine curates the content they’re receiving. They’re not overloaded. They don’t have to dig through blurbs that points to a site and to another and then eventually the actual source. There are checks and balances.
That piece you put so much passion and expertise into will have a proper home in the hands of the real professionals that make things happen – it’s worth the pitch.
If Anything, Use the Revive Old Post Plugin
Sometimes it feels like the effort is moot when you keep getting overshadowed. Sure, your perception of your work may be a little biased but it’s still valuable if you’ve created something above and beyond.
If you’re not up to the task of reworking the old pieces — you could always use the Revive Old Posts WordPress plugin to reshare it in intervals. This handy plugin will automatically add it back into your social feeds.
Also…
Don’t settle for a few mere clicks and shares.
Really push it, hard.
Try getting it on other platforms.
Make it exclusive and work to your advantage of building a community. Get it into magazines (print or digital). You already put in the effort. Now you need just a little more to get it the attention it deserves. So, revive old content and get it the attention it deserves!
