Throughout the known universe, one of the rock-solid truths has been -- you never can have enough of a good thing. It’s only proper, then, that digital marketers adhere to this principle in the interest of maximizing success.
Implementing this worthy principle certainly can provide a big boost to digital content. A dazzling post shouldn’t be dropped into a slot and forgotten. It should be stretched freely, expanded to as many online locales as possible.
This doesn’t imply rampant duplication. Such a strategy would be a blatant sign of laziness and disgraceful apathy. No, it means content recycling, creating compelling variations on a theme or extracting a golden nugget that can be developed further in another place. The content source and general idea remain intact; yet they’re transformed into something new. Presto, change-o! You’re stretching, not copying.
There’s great precedent for this approach, and not just in the digital marketing world. Musicians sometimes wander into this territory. Mozart, for example, wrote a nifty piece entitled ‘12 Variations on a Nursery Rhyme’ (the melody of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’). By the twelfth iteration, it’s virtually impossible to recognize the original melody. Now, if Mozart is willing to stir the pot, you should be, too.
Content expansion is particularly valuable when the material has earned ‘likes’ galore. Don’t let the accolades go to waste. It’s imperative to capitalize on this windfall by giving ‘em more of what they adore.
Among the possibilities is to develop the core message further. This tactic works especially well when the starting point is short n’ sweet, like a social media post. When one of these compact posts achieves crowd-pleaser status, digital marketers can, with a bit of imagination, expand it into a blog, long-form post, email communication, newsletter article, or any other format with widespread viewer potential.
The especially daring can go a step further -- take an ordinary post, social or otherwise, and stretch it into a video. Not a bad strategy, considering the soaring popularity of video productions.
In addition to the recycling value of content expansion, the practice offers tremendous benefits to the average digital marketing staff. Think about it. Rather than struggling to uncover new ideas, those overworked staffers will glide along on a current of existing ones, thereby saving hours of time and earning longer lunch hours. All in all, a great deal for everyone.
If you have questions or comments about content development, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.