(03/15/19)

Facilitated by Karen Hudson, Missouri Department of Conservation
Led by K.C. Dahl, Account Executive and Amy Winder, Director of Strategic Marketing, Learfield News
Summary and photos by Karen Grimes, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Repurposing content keeps great stories alive, keeping memories fresh. It also conserves staff time, expertise and resources. Old content on new platforms may help reach a younger audience, GenZ, who rely on a constant diet of instant news, automatically delivered to their smart phones.

From MailChimp to Audacity, there are low-cost and no-cost alternatives for communicators looking for technical resources, says Amy Winder, strategic marketing director for Learfield News.

Marketing leaders K.C. Dahl and Amy Winder from Learfield Communications challenged us to brainstorm creative ways to deliver mundane information like a weekly fishing report to new audiences.

First, they gave us the benefits, highlighting the advantages of reinforcing messages with dynamite stories from our archives – newly formatted to attract people who consume content in different ways. Delivering the same message on multiple platforms emphasizes the message’s timelessness and importance and can improve organic reach, which drives more than 50 percent of online traffic.

Before you start digging through the archives, ask yourself three questions about current content:

1. Is it evergreen? Will it be accurate months or years from now?
2. How much engagement did it receive the first time?
3. Are there ways to add newness?

Knowing your target audience is equally important. Different platforms have different fans. On Facebook, people like to share experiences like mushroom hunting. On Twitter, they share news and information, often grouped under a hashtag, e.g., #MorelMushroom. They post the world’s best mushroom recipes on Pinterest and share stunning outdoor photos via Instagram or on-site videos through YouTube.

Look for compliments and comments shared on social media to enhance messages. If a Facebook story on milkweeds stimulates back-to-back comments about Monarch butterflies, it’s time to revisit Monarchs. Likewise, many comments on milkweeds may spark interest in tips on how to grow them.

MDC Media Specialist Candice Davis reported our team’s new marketing strategy. By repurposing an existing fishing report, we planned to appeal to families with kids and recruit new anglers.

In another example, Missouri Department of Conservation pulled facts from past audio scripts and recrafted them into 1-minute radio spots, adding sound effects and a call to discover nature. Using Animoto, photos and video became slide shows to share on Facebook and YouTube. Adobe Spark helped encourage people to head outdoors with mobile images for Instagram and Snapchat. Check out Discover Nature Notes.

Dahl and Winder encouraged us to build a resource hub while developing new content and share each element on social media. They suggest creating artwork in different sizes to meet future needs. Then augment those pieces: when you write a blog post, record an audio interview, then compile photos or video for visual impact, and place all pieces on a landing page.

The leaders provided a multitude of ideas: from converting a webinar to a video tutorial or a power point to SlideShare for use on LinkedIn, or featuring popular blog posts or audio in your e-newsletters. Bring outdated information alive by sharing outdoor photos or creating an Infographic to capture current statistics.

Picking a target audience was challenging, but Robin Strelow, graphic designer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, pointed out alternatives.

Back to the challenge. The breakouts were the best part of the session. Our group’s task: In five minutes brainstorm ideas to repurpose outreach for a weekly Fishing Report, identifying Target Audiences, Platforms, Content and Execution. Then we had 10 minutes to develop a plan of action. After identifying 10 audiences, we focused on families with kids. Our tactics included blogs, classes, emails, regional and statewide species-specific videos, sound bites and web pages with tips for angling success.

Tasked with repurposing a how-to video on wild turkey calling, another group came up with a fun contest for the best YouTube turkey dance. Outreach included Turkey 101 for beginners, recipes and turkey restoration stories.

A group reinventing a blog post came up with a phone app to identify snakes, trail kiosks and an “I’m OK” T-shirt featuring a non-venomous snake.

Repurposing content depends upon available resources, but sometimes the challenge is changing our state of mind. Dahl and Minder asked us to examine our best content. Consider our target audience, the best platforms to deliver our message and ways to reinvent the content to reach them.

Here’s to promoting happy trails free from venomous snakes adorned with cheerful turkey dancers and successful anglers.