As a content marketer, my clients always appreciate my ability to take an existing piece of content and repurpose it for additional targets or channels, because it enables faster turnarounds and lower marketing costs. Sometimes the existing content is a text or social media post; and sometimes it’s a longer piece like a blog, But no matter: even shorter content contains some key messages that are seeds of longer content, and longer content can always be reduced for other channels. Here’s a brief guide:

1. Identify Targets – We use content in several different forms for different media channels: website blogs or case studies, email campaigns, social media campaigns, YouTube campaigns, or text message campaigns, for example. Consider all of the potential targets and use a worksheet or CMS to list them so you can map out release dates as needed.
2. Start with Key Messages – All content should flow from your key messages, which presumably came out of initial marketing/positioning work. If not, go back to Square One and distill your value proposition until you have a few short, pithy messages.
3. Create Initial Content – Key messages usually stress differentiation and value to the customer, but effective content requires a context. Think of your messages as a multi-faceted gemstone that reflects light differently as you turn it different ways. For the first content effort, it’s not a bad idea to start with a blog or case study, because you’ll have the room to lay out everything in a compelling way in a voice that reflects your company culture. Start with a real-world scenario or market trend, then follow with  pain points, a look at potential alternatives, and recommendations for why your solution is the best.
4. Repurpose Content – Next, revisit that initial content and tailor it for each target and channel. If you start from an original piece that incorporates all of your key messages, you can choose individual messages for further amplification in shorter-form channels like texts or emails. The goal is always to hit each target with the messages or subset of messages that will compel recipients to explore your solution further. 
5. When Things Get Stale – For all its advantages, repurposing content has its limits. You can safely assume your audience will start to snooze if you repeat the same messages and content forms ad nauseum. I give it three iterations across all channels at most. Then, I look for another way to turn that ‘message gemstone’ to reveal a different angle, pain point, or solution asset, and the process begins again.