The Best Ah-Ha Moment on Ways to Repurpose Your Content

I had an Ah-ha moment this weekend. I spent the weekend at Brandy Mychals’ Cracking the Character Code seminar where she gave some really great content about not only the Character Codes she developed, but also a lot of additional information on moving your business forward. At one point she talked about doing business in a very predictable way vs. doing business in an innovative way.

Based on a comment by Vicki Dello Joio from the audience, my Ah-Ha moment was that our business, Our Little Books, is very innovative. As a publishing company, we have a wonderful and unique product in our little books, and the service we provide in helping to demystify the whole process of becoming a published author goes along with that. However, how Our Little Books is moving forward as a business is very predictable. So even though we have a very innovative business, we are getting very predictable results. Thus, a disconnect and my Ah-ha!

What is strange about my Ah-ha is that as part of my job as Publishing Consultant, I talk with authors on how they can innovatively repurpose the contents of their books. Whether you have a big or little book, the content in your book can be used in multiple ways and is an excellent way to attract the different people in your audience. When you package the content in different ways, not only can you reach more people but you can also bring in additional revenue streams while increasing your credibility as an expert.

For example, here are some innovative ways to repurpose your book content that will result in innovative results (including the innovative idea of more income!):

• E-books – If you have a print book, you can turn it into an e-book (and vice-versa, e-book into print book). But with an e-book, you open yourself up to those readers who now only read on an e-reader. You can give away a part of your book to get people interested in the whole book, which all goes to building your fan base.

• Audio – You can make an audio book out of your print/e-book. Or, you can take the content and make an audio training, which you use in webinars or teleseminars. The training program would enlarge upon or complement the message in your book. The recordings can then be downloaded as either a give-away or sold product.

• Worksheets and workbooks – This could be part of a webinar or teleseminar. You can offer complementary worksheets that go along with your book, webinar, or training. You can offer a free tip sheet from the information in your book to use if someone signs up on your site. This will give you a mailing list for future webinars, training and future books and we all know how important the list is! Or you can make an entire workbook program that you sell as an independent product.

• Public speaking – You can take the information in your book and take your message on the road. Design a program around your book. You can make worksheets and training manuals to go with your topic.

• Podcast  – Get on the radio. A podcast is a great way to offer trainings and your book content without the travel involved with public speaking.

And here is a bonus innovative thought. If you have or are doing any of the above but do NOT have a book, then just repurpose the content of what you have and what you are using into a book! Now how innovative is that!

So thanks to my weekend Ah-ha moment, I realize that I need to practice what I preach to our authors. By doing so, not only will we have innovative products, but the business will move forward in an innovative way.

What innovative ways have you repurposed your content and how is it moving your business forward in an innovative way?