We’ve all felt like we’re behind on content, always trying to come up with fresh new ideas. Chances are you’re probably making more original content than you need to and simply not squeezing every last drop out of each piece. Not only will this save you a huge amount of time in the long run, but it also allows you to tailor the messaging for different touchpoints. This is creating content value.

Blog, email, social media, and newsletter all call for different levels of detail. Additionally, users on each platform have different habits and expectations for what they’ll see — and how they’ll engage with it. For example: Someone who bookmarks a detailed blog post to read on their coffee break isn’t the same as the person who’ll do the same with an Instagram post while using the app in line at the bank. You need to capture your audience wherever they are.

Today we’ll show you how to take a well-thought-out hero piece and break it into bite-sized content for all of your channels. 

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

1. Start with a hero piece of content

Your hero piece is going to be the main piece of content you’ll pull from in the next couple of steps. Usually this is a blog, or maybe even a long-form whitepaper. No matter what you’re pulling from, make sure it’s well-researched and well-written. This will keep your content strong as it gets broken down into smaller pieces. Not sure how to format your hero piece for best results? Keep reading.

2. Wireframe your long-form pieces

This is how our team formats almost all of our long-form content. (Pssst, we used this trick on the blog post you’re reading right now.) 

• Start with your intro: “Here’s what I’m going to tell you.”  
• Follow with three or more sections that dive into relevant aspects of your topic. This is the part where you tell them. 
• Outro and call-to-action: “Here’s what I told you.” 

3. Point form each section

When it comes to those sections in the middle of your hero piece, it helps to think of bullet points to expand on. Be sure to talk through the problem, provide solutions, and discuss the different options for each unique scenario. 

4. Use the smaller points to create bite-sized content

This is our favourite part. You know those sections you created? Each of those is one piece of content! Yup, that’s a minimum of three pieces of snackable content from one blog post. We did that. 

So, where can those content snacks be used?

• Build each point into different Instagram posts to give your audience value over time.
• Turn them into a Reel.
• Add it as a block in your newsletter. 
• Or… all of the above!

The goal is to get the most out of your content. Remember, even your biggest fans only engage with 20% of your content across all channels — and you have new people who are just learning about you all of the time. Don’t be afraid to place the same messaging in different places or repurpose content you’ve previously used. (Just be sure to freshen it up when necessary!)

You have a ton of knowledge and you know your client’s pain points. Use that knowledge to build out one great piece of hero content — then squeeze out every last drop to get the most value!

For more tips on content and branding, visit our blog page.