I’ve been speaking about re-using content a lot recently, and that reminded me of an article by David Tvrdon, “Why turning newsletters into podcasts and podcasts into newsletters is a great strategy for publishers.” It was emailed out by Bo Sacks on April 11.
He gives three reasons right up front.
- Build your brand
- Maximize SEO, and
- Make content consumption easier
The basic message is that if something is working in one medium, try it in another.
The argument against trying this sort of thing is usually “we don’t have time.” David helpfully suggests that you could probably free up some time by stopping something you’re doing that’s not working.
I would point out that there are a lot of contractors in the world who can help.
Anyway, I liked this quote from the article. “the more habit building touchpoints there are between a publisher or an outlet and a subscriber, the longer he [] stays subscribed.”
Right.
You should also think of this. Some people like to read. Some people like to listen. Some people like to watch. And some people will pick the medium based on their circumstances.
If I like to read a newsletter, but I’m stuck driving that morning, it would be nice to be able to listen to it.
This seems like Dr. Obvious stuff, but a lot of publishers have not learned to repurpose their content.
There’s another thing to consider, which David doesn’t mention. Before you cancel a new venture – like a newsletter or a podcast – consider that it might have succeeded in a different format.
I know, I know. People like the idea of failing fast. If something doesn’t work, drop it. And there’s a lot of wisdom in that.
But some things just work better in a different medium. So before you pull the plug, maybe you should give it a try.
