This is the first of a five-part series on how to repurpose content to save time and increase exposure. Today, we’re going to explore how to repackage content that originates with a Facebook contest. 
Think you don’t have to time to brainstorm and write new content for every medium? Stop posting in separate silos. Creating stand-alone content for each medium is highly inefficient. When you cross-pollinate and repackage content across mediums, you save time and energy, and give your campaigns more momentum than ever. Use this example to see how you can take one piece of content and turn it into a multi-channel campaign.

Example: Facebook photo contest
Let’s say you’re running a contest on a Facebook app where fans can submit their best nature photograph. The best image selected by guest judges wins $1,000. You may be running the contest to obtain email opt-ins, increase Facebook fans, simply drum up awareness about your company, or a combination of the above.
Once the contest is live and you’ve shared it in an engaging Facebook post, this social content strategy to repurpose your material:

  1. Just before the contest launches, write a press release about the contest. Explain why it’s unique and exciting, and how it’s related to your brand/products. Pitch it to relevant media and bloggers, and post it on the wire. If you’re lucky, it will get 69picked up and re-posted, driving more entries, better exposure, and desirable SEO value.
  2. Once the contest has launched, send your customers and prospects an email encouraging them to enter. You can build the content into an existing weekly or monthly newsletter, or create a stand-alone email campaign for the contest to encourage entries and engagement.
  3. Post a link on Twitter that directs users to the contest entry form on Facebook. Do a short post such as, “How would you like to win $1,000? Click here to enter our photo contest: <link>” Make sure to tweet about this at least once a day, and experiment with different calls to action. For example, another could say, “Prove you’re the best nature photographer—enter our contest for a chance to win $1,000. <link>”
  4. Share it on your LinkedIn company page. Write a post about this contest and why your team is excited about it, and link to the entry page. Also, encourage your colleagues to post about it on their individual pages so their contacts can see some of the great work they’re doing at your company.
  5. Create a blog post about your contest. Make sure to emphasize the prize/incentives and steps to enter. Include a call to action that leads them to the entry form, and include a compelling photo.
  6. Pin that blog post on your Pinterest page (this is why you need a compelling photo). Perhaps you have a board called “photography” or “contests,” or even just a board that features your company’s work where you can pin it. This pin will link back to your blog post. Once a consumer clicks on the photo, they’ll learn about the contest on the blog and can click onto the Facebook page and enter. (Note: You can’t pin directly from Facebook, which is why you have to go through the blog.)
  7. Once the contest is over, post the winning image on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You may want to create Facebook and Pinterest albums of the best runner-ups. Consider sending out another press release or email announcing the winner.
  8. If it was a success story for a client, write a case study about it. You can post it on LinkedIn or put it on your website as a pdf.

Come back soon for the next installment on how to use social content marketing to repurpose your material and maximize your resources. We’re huge fans of social media at esd & associates — check out some of our work!
Written by Emily Crone
After being a writer and editor for several leading online publications the past eight years, Emily Crone is managing the social media, content strategy and copywriting efforts for national and Texas-based clients. Her writing portfolio includes BedandBreakfast.com, HomeAway.com, About.com and CreditCards.com, as well as Texas Monthly and Tribeza magazines.