How to Easily Repurpose Podcast Content and Why

"Work smarter, not harder." Industrial engineer Allen F. Morgenstern, coined the phrase in the 1930s after he developed a work program to help increase productivity using less effort.

Like most business owners, podcasters are struggling to operate effectively within an increasingly content-saturated industry. Podcasts are by definition an audio format, which can be seen as a marketing nightmare for creating promotional materials.

But, what may seem to be a weakness could actually be a strength.

There's still an opening for some old-school marketing strategies in this auditory industry. When done well, reformating podcast content can reveal powerful new growth opportunities. Here's how to easily repurpose podcast content, and why you should!

What do we mean by repurposing podcast content?

Content repurposing is the process of recycling a piece of content. For many marketers, repurposing can mean taking a piece of content (say, a blog or podcast episode) that's intended for one channel and reformatting it for another (an email newsletter or social media post).

"Repurposing content means taking one asset and reusing it somewhere else. It involves adding to or heavily modifying your content to add more value." —Claire, content marketer at Lower Street

Dips and plateaus in podcast listens can stem from multiple industry changes; how audiences digest content, the frequency, and quality of new content being produced, or even the relevancy of content.

By taking an existing piece of content and reformatting it for multiple channels, you can add a fresh perspective and broaden your reach.

Why You Should Repurpose Podcast Content

While the tech, metrics, and availability regarding podcasts have drastically improved over the years, so has the quality level of content being distributed. While that's great news for consumers, from a promotions standpoint, herein lies the problem.

As big-name creators have the resources to put out top-shelf episodes, other podcasters need to be inventive if they want to stand out. And this is the beauty of podcast repurposing.

When you repurpose podcast content you have the opportunity to greatly expand your reach.Anyone can leverage their podcast and create highly targeted, omnichannel content at scale.

If you want to understand why content repurposing is key to an effective marketing strategy, you need to ask how content distribution has changed direction over the years.

Instead of the traditional push strategies (where a company pushes its brand towards the consumer), it's all about the pull. By now it’s considered standard to drop bullish tactics and instead focus more on drawing listeners in with educational, informative, or entertaining content.

By breaking up your existing content and repackaging it to fit into any three of these categories, you're more likely to bring in quality audiences.

The 'Rule of 7'

Famous marketing expert Dr. Jeffrey Lant helped revamp the 'Rule of Seven' saying for the modern age. But, it was the film industry during the 1930s that kick-started this notion.

Consumers need to see your brand's messaging a minimum of seven times before taking action. While you could think this directly applies to the more prominent brands, this rule does have its place within podcasting.

Potential podcast listeners need to constantly be informed of a podcast before they tune in. Although it's much easier to reach people now than it was during "The Golden Age of Cinema," the world is a content-noisy place.

That's why repurposing podcast contentpodcast repurposing is so effective—it's a way to create and distribute a lot of content and promote it across numerous channels quickly. The more content you can create and post, the more people will see and recognize your brand.

Repurposing Podcast Content Benefits: SEO

In 2019, Google announced that it's making it much easier to find, and listen to, podcasts. Previously, Google indexed podcasts based on their titles or meta-descriptions alone. But now, they're able to analyze audio and bring users the most relevant content—all thanks to AI and natural language processing.

While space-age audio content categorization is cool, it's still not 100% accurate. So, anyone looking to market a podcast effectively shouldn't discount the importance of old-school SEO practices. Podcast SEO is something that should be done on podcast platforms, as well as your own website.

Consider your show notes and descriptions. You're probably already putting time into making them accurately describe each episode. This provides an opportunity repurpose podcast content into web content.

By repurposing your podcast content into blogs, and adding targeted keywords, backlinks, internal links, imaging, transcripts, and video, you'll help boost your podcast's visibility and authority.

Expand Your Reach

Improving your SEO can increase your discoverability and therfore potential listeners, You can also utilize cross-promotion and advertising to create awareness, which is essential in growing your listener base. Although all these avenues have their place, you should never underestimate the power of organic reach.

The concept of "recommendability"- how much would a listener want to share your podcast with a friend -  suddenly becomes an essential component of any marketing strategy.

Even with in-depth data on our side, predicting the changing preferences of an audience is getting harder. To get around this, ideally, you want to look into how people are discovering new shows.

According to Tom Webster, Edison Research Senior Vice President and creator of the podcast "I Hear Things," it's all about recommendations.

"If three people recommend a podcast to you, it could be about something you never dreamed you'd be interested in, and you'll try it." —Tom Webster

"I can assure you that organic reach is more potent today than it was ten or even five years ago because our networks are growing every day," says Tom. "There are a million shows on Netflix. But each season, we talk about one or two. Those become the "hits" of the season. The rest—don't, because people don't talk about them."

The bottom line is, you want to make your show easy to recommend, and with that easy to share.

But, thanks to the audio nature of podcasts, it's complicated. Take YouTube or TikTok videos; if you want to recommend them to someone, you can easily share them in a message, on a Facebook feed, by tagging them. Simple.

But podcasts have to go one step further. Repurposing episodes into small, shareable samples is how you effectively increase your organic traffic. Using text, imaging, video, and audio from your episodes, and then cross-pollinating over multiple channels will only boost your chances of having the "share-ability" element.

Repurposing Podcast Content Builds Authority

There's usually a reason why someone wants to start a podcast—they know a lot about a topic, so they want to talk about it.Pearls of wisdom are a significant asset for any brand, and giving away your insights freely to an audience puts you in a position of authority.

Authority creates trust—something that is vital for any brand or business.

When you repurpose podcast content across multiple channels, you are repeating your messaging and expertise while creating an ecosystem of trust that will continue to draw listeners back.

Brand Awareness

It's 1988. You hear three powerful words: 'JUST DO IT.' A simple yet iconic phrase, coined by the athletic titans Nike. This small, seemingly innocuous saying quickly became a powerhouse for content repurposing and generated brand awareness and authority beyond anything they expected.

While we have to give credit to the relentless advertising team and opportune timing (the body worship craze of the '80s was in full swing at this point), the delivery of this content was impeccable.

Nike became a master at evoking a visceral emotional response. That feeling of, "If these guys can do it, why can't I?" The classic "swoosh" tick, accompanied by the phrase, soon became the trope of a generation.

Largely thanks to innovative TV adverts, merchandise, outdoor billboards, and print media. But then they started to explore new, untrodden marketing territory. Graffiti art, documentaries, and even a series of posters aimed towards female empowerment IN BRAILLE!

Just Do It

Now, you have to understand that your podcast will probably never reach the dizzying heights of Nike's fame.

But, if a brand can take a single phrase, repurpose it to the millionth degree and take a company from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just under a decade—then it might be worth taking note.

Brand awareness stems from being visible. So when you take something as simple as your podcast episodes, get inventive, and repackage the content, the more likely you'll be seen—and most importantly, heard.

11 Ways to Repurpose Podcast Content

Repurposing podcast content isn't duplicating. Instead, you're providing something new by tailoring the content to the needs of each channel and audience. And, there are so many ways to do so, here are just a few.

1. Repurpose your Podcast into Video Content

Video podcasts are on the rise, quickly becoming a norm, with about one third of podcasters adding a video element to their recording. Investing in video podcasting is well worth it for growth. Consider that YouTube is the number one preferred platform for podcast listening, and you're looking at an entirely untapped arena when it comes to podcast content repurposing.

Why are podcast videos so beneficial?

• When a listener can see you and your co-hosts/guests interacting, it increases your authenticity and relatability.

• Video podcasts can allow your audience to feel like they too, are a part of the conversation.

• A study conducted at University College London found that video induced the highest level of trust compared to other formats. Videos are easy to access and stand out in social media channels more than a standalone image.

These facts may give a little insight into why Joe Rogan is still the top dog of podcasting. Rogan and the team spread their content across YouTube, condensing a two-to-three-hour-long interview into bite-sized segments.

Film Your Episodes: If you're already recording audio, why not film video too? That way, you can post your podcast episodes on YouTube in full and condense them down into smaller, highlight segments.

Use video for social media highlights:

• Facebook videos: Great for targeting a specific audience. They are smart, shareable, and personal.

• Instagram Reels or TikToks: Ideal for engagement. They're direct, and social, and highly pushed on the platform

• YouTube videos: Perfect for building a loyal audience.

Pro Tip: Record a time-lapse video to share with your audience, providing a behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to record your podcast.

2. Podcast Transcripts

Transcription is the process of translating audio into easy-to-read text. Not only are they great for listeners, but creators too. Investing in transcripts is one of the most invaluable resources a podcaster can have to hand.

From a content standpoint, they are a treasure trove of content and a repurposing dream. They make it easy to repurpose podcast content, without too much time. Pull out quotes, topics for blogs, snippets for social media, and more.

• Inclusive: Podcasts rely on hearing audio to participate. According to the World Health Organization over 500,000,000 people suffer from hearing loss and podcast audio can be a major obstacle for many.
  Transcribing your podcast episodes can only expand your audience further while simultaneously upgrading your reputation as an inclusive podcast that's accessible to all.

• SEO: When optimizing your podcast for search engines, transcribing your podcasts will also help with SEO. Google can crawl the text which in turn boosts your searchability.

• People prefer reading: It's not just deaf or hard-of-hearing audiences that benefit from transcripts, but also those who prefer to read, or find it more convenient than listening.

• Social media friendly: Transcripts make your podcast immediately easier to share on all social media platforms, especially when pulling quotes, highlights, or interview segments.

3. Blog Posts

Any podcaster worth their salt knows that they have to create a good solid set of show notes for each episode. But show notes are just the tip of the content iceberg.

So, you've got to come up with other ways to implement white hat SEO tactics across your content, and optimized blog posts are the way to go.

First off, blog posts are the ultimate opportunity for podcasters to stoke conversations further and provide extra value. It's the prime spot to dive into and expand on the topics you discussed in your episode.

Secondly, you can condense long interviews. Let's face it, podcast interviews can hold a wealth of information—but sometimes way too much for a standalone blog post. Include between 40%-60% of the interview's content and keep quotes to a minimum.

Remember, your blog isn't a full-length transcript. Instead, it should act as a standalone piece that directs readers toward your show. So, if you've been trying to decide between a blog or a podcast, here's your answer: Both!

4.  Repurpose Podcast Content into Infographics

Over 90% of marketers use visual content in more than half of the articles they publish. Infographics provide a host of benefits as standalone pieces of content on any social platform. They're eye-catching, which makes them highly shareable, and they can help you connect with your audience and even improve SEO.

• Infographics sustain the attention of readers

• Visually laying out facts and figures allows readers to process content more efficiently by dissecting complex subjects into an easy-to-follow format

• Infographics are ideal for online sharing and can boost search engine rankings

When drafting your infographics, treat them like a blog post. Make sure they have a gripping headline, clear topics with supporting facts or examples, and a conclusion. There are many infographic generators online, including Piktochart, CopyPress, and Canva.

5. Get Your Podcast on Social Media

The number of people using social media is just over 5 billion worldwide (in 2024). Within that figure, the average user accesses on average 6.7 platforms per month. That means the potential reach for your podcast is enormous, but it's so underutilized.

I’m willing to bet, you already have dedicated social media channels set up, so why not repurpose your podcast into pieces of micro-content to leverage their potential? For example, grab a powerful audio segment, create a short video or striking image, and tease listeners with a two-minute episode clip.

The founder of The Hustle, Sam Parr, is the master of highly engaging social media content and can lend some inspiration.

Templates: Social media templates make content creation a much more streamlined process. Utilizing free online design and publishing tools such as Canva means it's as simple as dragging and dropping assets to form a social media visual; that way, each post is guaranteed to be on brand and consistent.

Facebook: According to Facebook, live videos get 10x more engagement than regular video content. Your audience will more than likely have questions after an episode airs, so hosting a Facebook Live Q&A will help drive a stronger connection.

Live videos can also be served up as additional content for other platforms, such as your website, Instagram, etc. Facebook is great for longer posts, so use content from your podcast transcripts to build a mini-blog or guest "hero" post, highlighting some of the key takeaways and information.

LinkedIn: Content creation on LinkedIn increased by 60% in 2020, and so did engagement rates. When posting on LinkedIn be sure to focus on educational materials. LinkedIn users are looking for information and relevant content within their field.

Blogs and teaser videos with targeted captions work incredibly well. According to LinkedIn, users are 20x more likely to re-share a video post. Which is something to keep in mind.

TikTok and Instagram: Together with Facebook and YouTube these are the most used social platforms in the world. Both are highly visual, and are pushing video content. They also work as mini search engines, so if your audience is looking for your solutions, they can find you.

X (formerly Twitter): Try a thread for your podcast. Threads are a series of connected Tweets. With a thread, you can provide more context, mention updates, or go deeper into a point by connecting multiple Tweets.

6. Audiograms

An Audiogram is a shareable video that has been converted from an audio file. Podcast audiograms include a dynamically generated waveform and a cover image as background.

Generally, audiograms are between 30 seconds to two minutes long. Audiograms are simple to create, embed, and share—making them ideal for social media engagement.

"Don't leave it to your listeners to have to become audio editors. Isolate the best moments and share them." —Tom Webster

Primarily, podcast audiograms act like movie trailers by giving a sneak preview of what's in store. The most effective audiograms layer audio, branded imaging, and text elements to grab viewers' attention. For social media scrollers, audiograms are far more enticing than a line of text with a link or static image.

So, what's their reach? In a recent study, the audiogram production service Headliner presented a podcast episode on Facebook in two different formats. One with a static image, and the second with a podcast audiogram. The audiogram brought in 5x more traffic!

A few things to consider:

• Optimize audiograms for each platform: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter require different dimensions for images and videos.

• ALWAYS add transcription/subtitles: to your podcast audiograms. Videos with subtitles are watched over 90% of the way through, compared to 66% of videos without captions.

• Use appealing images: Impactful images can increase your click-through rate by up to 95%. Use an image that syncs with the content of the episode or branding.

• Keep it short: Ideally, your podcast audiograms shouldn't be over two minutes long.

Lower Street words of wisdom: Audiograms haven't proven to be highly effective at connecting listeners to an entire podcast episode. So, it seems their impact isn't as high as, say, native video content.

However, they are incredible in terms of engagement, brand awareness, and interaction on social media platforms. Also, audiograms do stand out in social media streams as they hold that coveted FOMO aspect.

7. Quote Graphics

In the chatter of a podcast episode, there are often many quotable nuggets that could be converted into shareable graphics.

When it comes to social media marketing, the posts that do well are the ones with added visuals. For example, Tweets with graphics are re-Tweeted 1.5x more than those without. On Facebook, graphic posts get up to 37% more engagement.

Try to find a quote that tells a story or hits on an emotional level. It needs to resonate totally on its own, so it better hold some kind of gravitas. What also matters is that it's visually appealing.

There are many podcasters who go down the DIY approach for these kinds of visuals, but sometimes it pays to have a professional step in to effectively match these quotes to your branding.

8. Podcast Show Notes

Countless podcasters take their episode transcripts, do some light editing and publish them as is. But, if you're not tailoring your show notes for every episode, you're missing an opportunity.

Show notes provide a whole host of SEO value for your podcast's website. Plus, when crafted just right, they give the listeners extra details, links, and resources relating to both the episode and your guest.

Use your podcast transcripts to construct an outline of any key points discussed within your podcast. Then, condense it all down into an enticing summary. 

When writing the show notes, keep SEO on your mind, consider the main keywords of your show and the episode and include them as much as is possibile, while remaining relevant. 

Don’t forget the small things. Including a guest's name in the episode title will help, especially if they're the kind of name people will search for. Don't skimp on your keywords, and utilize additional links to guest information, internal links, and resources.

9. Podcast Content Syndication

While not exactly repurposing on your own, here’s a great tip for gaining more reach. Podcast content syndication involves granting others the right to broadcast or publish your content, allowing them to showcase your episodes to their own listeners.

It's important to note that syndication doesn't involve transferring ownership or hosting of the content; instead, it allows others to display your content without altering it.

By syndicating your podcast, you expand its reach beyond your own platform and tap into new audiences. When your show is featured on other channels or networks, you’re automatically exposing your content to a wider range of listeners.

Syndication can take various forms, such as:

• Partnering with podcast networks

• Submitting your podcast to popular directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher

• Collaborating with other podcasters for cross-promotion

It's essential, however, to carefully consider the terms and agreements when syndicating your podcast. Ensure you have the necessary rights and permissions in place, and be mindful of any exclusivity agreements you may have with specific platforms or networks.

Consistency is also key—regularly updating and promoting your syndicated episodes across platforms helps maintain engagement with your audience. And in case you're wondering if it's a worthwhile approach, Native Media actually recommended budgeting for it as early as 2017.

Benefits of Podcast Content Syndication

While there are numerous advantages to syndicating your podcast content, the benefits listed below are specifically related to audience growth, networking, credibility, discoverability, and potential financial opportunities. (All things most podcasters are keen to improve or have more of.)

• Networking opportunities: Collaborating with other podcasters, platforms, and networks opens doors for future partnerships and connections, further expanding your show's reach.

• Enhanced credibility: Being featured on established platforms or promoted by reputable podcasters may lend credibility to your show, attracting new listeners and increasing its perceived value.

• Improved SEO: Syndication can enhance your podcast's search engine optimization, making it easier for potential listeners to discover your content during their searches.

• Revenue opportunities: Syndication can potentially lead to monetization opportunities through advertising, sponsorships, or paid collaborations with other podcasters and platforms.

10.  Repurpose your Podcast into Email Content

Even in this social media-dominated world, email newsletters are still one of the best channels for developing a stronger relationship with your prospects and listeners. They also tend to be a better channel for conversion. If you've got just a micron of branding and marketing ingenuity, you should already have a newsletter in place.

According to McKinsey Researchers, you're 40 times more likely to get new customers from email marketing than Facebook or Twitter.

For your podcast email campaigns, you want to be promoting any news, bonus material, or behind-the-scenes content. Discuss key takeaways from a current podcast episode and include graphics, videos, and audiograms to keep up engagement and bolster any talking points.

There's no end to what you can include in your podcast newsletters but featuring guest profiles, affiliate links, and sponsors with almost case-study-like copy and content are the ideal.

11. Turn Your Podcast Into an eBook or Course

Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. An eBook or a course can fit the bill for anyone who has been podcasting for a while.

Whether you realize it or not, your podcast holds a wealth of content. Valuable content. Content that can help serve others beyond just your audio.

The content heavyweight, Tim Ferriss, pieced together the Tools of Titans book out of the hundreds of hours he recorded on his interview-based podcast.

Course creation extraordinaire, Steph Taylor, helps entrepreneurs by leveraging their intellectual property (in this case, a podcast) and building lucrative online courses. Taking this route can strengthen your niche authority, reach a new audience and even create an additional revenue stream.

• Pick a theme: This is the hook for your book or course. It will be the central theme that you hang your chapters off.

• Brainstorm a table of content: Every individual topic you choose will be a subtopic or a supporting topic to your main theme. Go through your podcast episode archives and decide which ones fit in with the items on your table of contents.

• Where are you missing material? If you're missing material, fill in the blanks with an additional copy.

Pro Tip: If a book seems too daunting, why not opt-in for content upgrades instead? Design downloadable checklists, infographics, resource lists, step-by-step guides, templates, free courses, and other bonus content.

Final Thoughts on How to Repurpose Podcast Content

Many great podcasts tick by quietly in the background without getting the notoriety they genuinely deserve—usually thanks to bad distribution planning.

From social media to email newsletters, every distribution channel can have its place within a podcast's overarching marketing plan. While a one-off wonder episode can boost your organic traffic, long-term growth is the product of a much more targeted approach.

Remember, seven is the magic number here—it's the number of times someone has to see your brand before they decide to dedicate their time to you. Repurposing podcast content from previous episodes into smaller chunks gives you the "Rule of 7" edge and a broader reach.

Be sure to test the new content out. Tweak it to fit your own goals. Try something new, again—but above all, keep creating. The best podcast marketing strategies are the ones that keep evolving.