how to repurpose research: 3 content repurposing examples that make your research reach farther
How much does research cost in the long run? It is an overall process that ties up time, energy, and most importantly, funding.
We understand that gathering the correct information can help to drive company action on the next big product. It can also serve as primary marketing material for an upcoming campaign.
But what is done with that data after the fact and how much of it do you use for the next project? The answer is probably an astounding ‘nothing’ and ‘not a lot.’
Imagine putting all that effort and resources to create:
- Statistics
- Quotes
- Data reports
- Presentations
- Case Studies
- Charts
- And more…
Just for it to be used once and thrown in a folder or bin until the annual memory drive wipe. There doesn’t have to be a complete loss though!
Like the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, each piece of information gathered has more than one use.
They can be rearranged, reexamined, and all-around repurposed to work for you in other ways. Allowing you to squeeze every bit of broth out of your investment and achieve a greater return.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to three of the most overlooked forms of research that can be repurposed for your company’s benefit. We’ll also give you a few content repurposing examples, and hopefully, help you enjoy that meal a little bit longer.
1. Original Primary Source Research
Let’s talk about repurposing research for content creation and how one of the easiest sources to find is yourself.
When starting this process, it’s best to begin with a primary source that provides direct or firsthand evidence about a person, place, event, etc.
A few types of primary sources are interviews (video, in-person, audio), Q&As, surveys, focus groups, etc.—pretty much any interaction wherein you or your company provides evidence or information about what it is you do.
Now take a moment to imagine yourself in an interview, as the interviewer or the interviewee.
As you, the primary source, ask or answer questions during this time, a firsthand account of content and research is being created, all in one sitting. This is known as a research-creation process.
The best part? That content can be broken down and expanded upon into:
- Articles
- Editorials
- Quotes for social posts or sales decks
- Short-form video or reels
Today, when content fatigue is real and attention spans are short, repurposing your own voice into a dozen formats isn’t just smart—it’s strategic.
If you simply stop at the end of a Q&A and never revisit it later, there will be significant reserves of untapped material left behind.
Research creation processes practically make the gold themselves.
2. Research for Company Action or Internal Use
When a company undertakes a task or campaign, how much harvesting, strategy, and planning goes into that course of action? What happens to that research after?
So much untapped potential is waiting to be put to good use in that information, and not just for publicity, but to further create value in your brand. Those old nuggets of gathered data can be turned into content for internal storytelling, employee onboarding, or executive presentations. As an added bonus, publishing the statistics for public consumption is considered shareable data.
So, what is shareable data? Consider a company who sees a request north of 80% from its clients, all asking to bring in some sort of app design and maintenance program.
If they decide to expand their service offering, the statistics become data that can be shared with the public eye. A graph or live announcement that highlights this data effectively shows that the company listens to its clients. And transparency builds trust.
Many other benefits can come from research sharing. Take primary social platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook, for example:
- Cross-platform analytics for engagement tracking
- Promote more detailed research with blog posts
- LinkedIn carousels or infographics summarizing insights
- Short-form explainer videos using real data
Pro tip: Add timestamps or trends to keep it relevant and current.
3. Research for Client Solutions
When serving your clients, how often is research on the to-do list? In marketing, many problems that require unique solutions are seldom exclusive to a single client. That information gathered is likely to become an asset to future businesses facing similar challenges.
For example:
A company performs research for a client. While doing so, they discover the client would benefit from a geospatially targeted strategy as opposed to e-blasts. This solution comes from a string of common factors within the client’s customer base.
The research that was gathered for this case, can then be applied to other businesses that suffer from the same concern, throughout the world.
Creating a repurposing content strategy from that data then opens up an opportunity to publish and share these findings. Which then provides greater value to the company.
Potential content can come in the form of:
- Long-form blogs
- Q&A-style narratives
- Instagram or LinkedIn carousels
- Client testimonial graphics
- Slide decks or case study one-pagers
- “What We Learned” campaign summaries
This can be done to the extent that client confidentiality is uncompromised. It also allows for the aforementioned testimonials to arise.
Other businesses experiencing similar challenges will take value from this content as well. They will take value from the personal accounts given, providing evidence of your company’s aptitude for discovering solutions.
Final Thoughts on Repurposing Research
Why is repurposing research important? You’ll be able to draw greater content yield from these three core areas:
- Original research
- Research for internal or company use
- Research for client solutions
The overall ROI on your time and investment increases when these assets are repurposed. Don’t let all that content marketing potential go to waste!
A great way to prevent that from happening is to check out the content repurposing service provided by Expound. As a professional content repurposing partner, we work to ensure that all generated data and solutions are put to their most effective use. Book a discovery call with Expound today; your business and hard drives will thank you.
