What Layla Teaches Content Marketers About Repurposing
Have you thought about repurposing your own content be it video, blog, photo or podcast? Eric Clapton rearranged his famous song “Layla” and reached new audiences. We can, too.
As a child of the 70’s, “classic rock,” as we now call it, was always on the radio and turntable. You become familiar with the music, if not the lyrics.
Fast forward twenty years and, as a married woman, The Mr. and I were watching MTV Unplugged. Much to our surprise, and to a few in the audience, Eric Clapton had rearranged his own song! The beloved “Layla” from his Derek and the Dominos Days changed from grungy rock to a beautiful love song. Pure Brilliance!
Derek & The Dominos
Eric Clapton MTV Unplugged
The angst and anguish of the lyrics are matched in the first version by the rock anthem followed by it’s classic instrumental, causing one to reflect. The heartache and soul sorrow of the lyrics was highlighted in the blues version on MTV. Their moods are totally different. Their pace are different. The message is the same:
“Layla, you got me on my knees!”
He rearranged his own song, repurposing a song he’d already written, expanding the life span of both versions.
Blogging Jungle
Rearranging a song is not a new thing. A fun party game is to ask your friends who wrote (or performed) what song first? Was “Proud Mary” popularized by Tina Turner or CCR? Was Summertime better by Sam Cooke or Billie Holiday?
I listen to a lot of jazz and everyone and their mom covers each other. It’s hard to know who wrote what and who influenced whom. In many ways, that’s the blogging jungle in the social media world. If you Google a topic, you’re sure to find dozens of articles and blog posts. After all, we’re all experts, right?
But how much more powerful is it for you to repurpose your own content?
Here are a few ideas on how this can be done.
1. Make a video into a blog.
(This idea was a Guru Minute video).
2. Make a blog into a video.
3. Post a recap of the week’s, month’s, quarter’s posts.
(Hat Tip to Oscar Gonzales’ post on blogging prompts.)
4. Make an infographic out of your blog post.
(In this case, my friend, Ruby Rusine, made my post into an infographic, then launched her own post.)
5. Expand the theme of a blog post into a series.
(I did this with the Keys to Being Social series which started with Reciprocation.)
6. Turn your post into a SlideShare deck.
7. Turn your blog into a musical.
(Just kidding. Then again, if you have the talent, go for it!)
How do you repurpose content?
Love this, especially about turning a blog into a musical. I also love that I can listen to Clapton while writing to you. 😀
Happy to oblige! 😉
I think I like the MTV version of the song.
I agree with all of the above, and thanks for the call out. For sure, I had fun creating the infographic.
It was fun! Thanks for the great example.
I will write a children’s book, then I will take that book and repurpose it into 3 full-length movies with characters and stories that didn’t exist in the original book, and I shall call it “The Hobbit Trilogy”
Well played, Adam.
Exactly!
Thanks, Adam!
Great ideas on repurposing content! I think you do a fabulous job at it! I’m going to figure this out for my content and MeetGreen’s content! Strategy is the key!
You can do it!
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
I love doing infographics, it’s so easy and it can have so much important information! By the way, I love that song!
Me, too.
Great post, for sure those are great tips that we can wisely approach. Thanks for sharing.
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