You know social media and email offer a formidable one-two marketing punch, but as a busy small business owner you might struggle to find time to create content for both channels. The good news is you don’t need to. You can save time and get more mileage out of your marketing efforts by repurposing your social media content in emails. Here are 10 ways to do it.

1. Recap your best posts

Identify the best performing posts from your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. Then, turn them into a roundup email. Since these are the posts your audience likes and shares, it’s a good bet your email subscribers will likewise appreciate them. Your social audience is vetting your email content for you!

You can do a new roundup each week or month, depending on how often you post to social media; or, create an annual end-of-year email that recaps the best posts for the entire year.

2. List favorite social tips

You probably post tips your social audience can use to solve problems or achieve their goals. Turn your favorite tips into a list you can send via email.

For example, a beauty salon might routinely post styling and makeup tips on its Facebook page. The salon can take its ten favorite tips and create an email with the subject line “Top 10 Makeover Tips” for a quick and easy blast its audience will love.

3. Reuse social images

Images are central to many social accounts, and for good reason: People tend to like and share images more than text-only content. You can identify the best performing images on your social accounts and repurpose them into email content.

Back to our beauty salon. Let’s say the salon posts images of satisfied customers rocking their new styles. Take the ten best performers — or perhaps the most interesting images — then turn them into an email: “Which hairstyle should you get? Be inspired by these customer photos.”

4. Poll results

Facebook polls can offer unique insights your audience will find interesting. If you run Facebook polls, repurpose the results into email content.

For example, let’s say our beauty salon runs a Facebook poll asking customers to rate four different hairstyles. Once the poll is complete, it can repurpose the results into email content: “This is the sexiest hairstyle today, according to readers.”

5. Link to social videos

Even though videos won’t play in most email clients, you can take a screenshot with the play button overlay and embed it into your email body. Then, link to the video hosted on your own website, social page, YouTube or Vimeo.

This strategy is excellent for how-to videos that help your audience. The video screenshot will naturally attract readers’ eyes and yield more clicks than a typical text link, and it’s a great way to introduce your audience to your other platforms — plus motivate new likes and follows.

6. Hot takes on recent events

What events are dominating the news? Do you post commentary on your social media accounts? If so, that commentary can be repurposed as email content.

You’re not limited to your own social content, either. You might do a roundup of hot takes from popular social influencers, complete with your own commentary for a unique and entertaining email that resonates with your audience.

7. Use social discussion as a springboard

What is your audience talking about? Do they have different opinions about a hot topic? Read through discussions on your social posts and use them as a springboard to create unique emails that offer thought-provoking insights.

For example, let’s say our hair salon posts an image and it sparks a debate about the impact culture has on hairstyle choices. The salon could use that discussion to craft a post that explores the debate, presents different points of view and naturally segues to choosing the right hairstyle for each subscriber.

8. Feature user-generated images

When users share images with you or tag you in photos, repurpose those images as email content. User-generated content lends a level of authority to your business and fosters trust. It also suggests authenticity and solidarity with your audience.

For example, our salon could create an email that features photos of users showing off their new hairstyles or beauty makeovers — inspiring content that’s likely to generate new leads from email subscribers.

9. List user-generated quotes

User-generated content is a great way to engage your email audience. Subscribers will identify with your social audience, so they’ll be interested in hearing what other people like them have to say.

You could list quotes from post discussions, social debates or feel-good quotes your followers have shared. Find a way to portray user-generated content as inspiration for subscribers, which can motivate lead generation and sales.

10. List social testimonials

Social testimonials — or social proof — can go a long way toward fostering trust from your email subscribers. Testimonials make it easy to list the perks and benefits of your business, products and services without coming across as overly promotional.

For example, you might identify your favorite testimonials then create an email titled “Why customers love our company.” Then, list the testimonials in your email body, along with links to relevant on-site content.

Bonus Tip

Content repurposing works both ways. Not only can you repurpose social content for email, you can also repurpose your best email content for social media. For example, you might ask subscribers a question and post the results on your social media page. Or, you can use your best emails (those with the most opens, clicks and replies) as inspiration for short-form social posts.

Use these strategies to double your marketing reach without doubling your effort. Put your messaging in front of more customers and free time to grow your business by repurposing social media content in emails today and every day.

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© 2019, Brian Morris. All rights reserved.