I want to talk about a comment/question I recently received over on the Facebook page.

The question asks:

Now, I have a lot of thoughts on this…. but first I want to say that this is a phenomenal question that absolutely deserves to be heard and discussed.

It’s absolutely true that increased exposure is necessary to convert some folks into shoppers/buyers.  However, when not done strategically, recycling content over and over again can appear spammy or bot-like to the point that customers will go elsewhere.  This isn’t limited to regular people, but search networks as well.  You need to make sure you’re not accidentally creating your own duplicate content or search engines will look at you and say, “we get it…and?”

It’s also not always product specific –  It can be the brand itself that a person needs to see several times.  You can expose audiences to your business by tackling a multitude of topics from a variety of different angles.  Reposting a product several times on Facebook is product spamming.  Posting that product on Facebook, Instagram, other socials, running an ad, creating video content, updating the descriptions, writing a blog, etc…That’s just good marketing.  Focusing on different products or services also allows you to create brand awareness and familiarly with potential shoppers by increasing your content output without getting stale.

It’s like a certain large fast food chain that you’re all familiar with.  You know…the one with the clown.

They don’t just go on Facebook and post pictures of their fries all day long.  Might get a bit boring if that were the case.  They talk about all of their products, services, specials, and more.  Then, they’ll reiterate those messages on TV,  billboards, other social media sites; you get the idea.  They’re doing everything they can to expose you to their whole brand, not just a single product.   That’s because some folks may not like or want fries. Some folks may not be on Facebook.  Well, if they can’t get you with the fries on Facebook, maybe they’ll grab your attention with the burgers on Instagram.  Maybe you’ll see both posts as your stomach starts to rumble…  They’re attacking on multiple fronts in hopes of wearing your down and getting you comfortable with seeing their name.

Now, the point I’m trying to make is that it’s rarely about one single product, and if it is, you have to be very careful about how you’re posting.  Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you do only have one product.  You’ll need to focus all attention on that one product across multiple platforms without getting boring.  How do you do that?

You can’t just make the same post over and over again. 

Posting the same product over and over, however, is something that you absolutely can do. You just need to make sure you’re highlighting the different aspects of that product with every new post.

Maybe one day you’re posting about the amazing price of the product.
Next, it’s a post about one particular feature  of the product and who might find it helpful. 
Then, you create a post about the different colors available and how it’s able to fit everyone’s style. 

The list goes on and on.  This allows you to approach a singular topic from multiple perspectives.  Doing this allows you to create more and more short-form content posts that can resonate with different users across given platforms.  Pro tip – Make sure you have plenty of images to use for these posts.  Always using the same picture over-and-over again looks a bit…bad.

Recycling older content is another way to go.  It’s ok to remind people of a product that you featured last month.  Reminding people that X product is still around and still the best option for whomever you think would be interested is a great option to put that product back into the spotlight, while also highlighting it for folks who missed it the first time.   Just don’t this all the time.  No real updates need to be made to the original, recycled post.  Just let folks know that you’re still featuring said item because you know how special it is and you don’t want them to miss out.  It adds a little something new to the original post and avoids creating exact duplicates, at the very least.

Updating an older post is a similar concept, but one that introduces new, helpful information.  Maybe something has changed since the first post.  Perhaps a someone left a review worth sharing.  Who knows?  Recalling an old product post and adding new information to it shows your audience that you’re on-the-ball and take a bit of pride in what you’re trying to share within your community.

Now, let’s take these ideas and multiply them by 10, 20, or a 100 products.  How much content will you be able to manufacture now?

Of course, this is just my perspective on the global topic.  Marketing is always dependent upon the industry and audience so please approach any advice from a vantage point that benefits you and/or your customers.

-Bob