Monday, November 5, 2012

Out With the New, In With the Old

Okay, so traditionally the saying goes, "Out with the old, in with the new." But for all intensive purposes, old content can sometimes outweigh the new. Think about how excited you get when a 90s song comes onto your Pandora, or when your favorite movie comes on tv and you have to watch it, even if you own it on DVD. We love to think back to our past and reminisce, and the same thing goes with content. Below are a few ways to pull from old content:

You don't always have to create something new: If you're in charge of creating content for a company that specializes in snow boots, then your peak season will probably be in the winter. There are only so many times you can create content around snow. Still talk about snow, but find new ways to approach it. Instead of talking about only snow, mention how the boots are also perfect for rain, thanks to their waterproof exterior.

Share archived content: With most companies taking to Facebook and Twitter to post content, stuff is getting pushed back through feeds at breakneck speeds. It's okay to use content from the past, in fact, using old content will show the reader that even though a certain statistic or fact is from 5 years ago, it's still relevant and useful.

Play on nostalgia: Think about the cell phone. Less than 20 years ago it was bigger than the average person's head. Now, cell phones can fit in the palm of your hand and will even talk to you. Seeing such a significant difference within such a small space in time consistently amazes people. The same strategy can be used with content. If you have coverage from a product that previously failed, bring it back! It's fun to show your audience where you once were, and where you stand now.

Have you ever brought life back to old content? How did it work for you? Let us know!

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