Wringing the sponge dry: why it's okay to repost your content

It’s the great debate amongst content creators: is it okay to repost your ideas? Or is it a cardinal sin to post anything other than constant newness?

If we repost content, do we shout about it, or do we do it in hushed undertones, whispered into the background of our CRM tools and Content Teams, and hope no one notices? When our clients ask us if it’s okay to repost old content, we say yes. In fact, we say hell yes. You put the work into it, why wouldn’t you do everything in its power to get it out there?

We know it takes someone seeing a piece of content between three and five times before they take action. And when your organic content is such a vital tool to brand awareness, making sure it gets seen by multiple touchpoints is incredibly important.

We think nothing of seeing the same YouTube ad or sponsored Facebook post. So why do we cringe at the notion of posting something more than once?

Sometimes it comes down to a bit of humility. I say this with a pinch of salt because, speaking as a content creator, it’s the thing content creators don’t want to say. But there’s a fact we all have to face: not everyone sees every single piece of content we put out, at the moment we intended, or sometimes, at all. And once you accept that, it’s incredibly liberating when it comes to your content planning. Because you’re giving yourself permission to make life that little bit easier for yourself.

So what do I actually mean by reposting?

Do I mean constantly posting the same link to the same blog with the same image and same caption, every other day for a month? No, I do not. But when you’re scheduling it, why not copy and paste it into your plan in six months? And while you’re at it, pick it apart for other types of content.

Because when we say reposting ideas, we also need to think about repurposing.

People think having regular content creation means having regular ideas. It doesn’t. It means being cleverer with the ideas you have had. I would argue that for every one blog post you have, you should be able to create multiple pieces of different content that would not be immediately obvious to be a repost of that blog, which, let’s face it, is what took most of your brain power (or that of thought contributors from your organisation).

These could include:

• Turning key points into a carousel post (increasing linger time, pleasing the algorithm gods)
• Taking the best quotes and placing it over some relevant video footage with trending audio, to turn it into a simple Reel or TikTok, again, pleasing the algorithm
• Turning key points into a longer-form explainer video
• Reposting with a different angle in the caption and a different image
• Inviting discussion collaborators on LinkedIn articles from relevant like-minded (or opposing) thinkers
• Trimming down the blog into a value-adding email or newsletter
• Filming a talking heads discussion on the topic between relevant members of the team
• Inviting discussion via Instagram Stories or a poll on LinkedIn
• Create a follow-up post using the comments from your initial posting across multiple platforms. 
• Posting your grid post to Instagram stories
• Reposting a story or event from a few years ago, #onthisday reflection, “Can you believe this was just last year?” or “Incredible to think how far we’ve come in five years” etc. 

One word of caution though. Proceed with care.

There are some automation strategies we see where common sense has clearly gone out the window – we always enjoy the collective disdain of a comments thread where bots from digital publications blindly repost breaking news from a year ago. Nothing makes the internet more cross than feeling like someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. 

But explore how you can make these ideas go further. Your content is a goldmine, exhaust it.

Yes, you do need some new ideas to demonstrate your creative clout. Great evergreen content can and should take top place on the priorities list.  Especially with the recent signs that Meta has once again changed the rules of the game – is anyone else getting recommended posts from months or even years ago? Not reposts, just suggesting posts from a while ago. 

But not every single thing you post has to be a new idea or new blog. It’s okay to find some quick wins to make life easier for yourself and keep the appetite of that insatiable content beast at bay.

So yes, put the effort into really brilliant content. But make it go further. I say to my clients, when it comes to your content, you need to wring the sponge dry for every last creative drop.