We do it every day. Take stuff that we’ve already used —
paper, bottles, cans, plastic bags — and reuse it or we take it somewhere
or give it to someone to make into something else. Nowadays we have all kinds
of cool names for what is basically recycling. Upcycling. Repurposing. Just
check out Pinterest.com and you’ll see a million different ideas on how to
repurpose an empty container of baby wipes or a ladder or a fork. Some of the
ideas are really fantastic, some not so much but all of them require work.
What if I told you that you could use recycling to market your business
without having to do much work at all. How?
Content. Recycle your content.
There are so many ways you can recycle your content it’s
mind-boggling and I’m not just talking about recycling your content
online. Those of you who are not interested in utilizing the Internet can
recycle your hard copy content, too.
For the web savvy
You can set your website up with an RSS feed or a content sharing
feature, so you and your clients can instantly share your content on Facebook,
Twitter, Digg, Reddit and literally hundreds of other content sharing sites.
And then it gets shared from there, and on and on.
© iStockphoto.com
But these days Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and plain old websites are
considered old school. Facebook is even ready to go public — it has been
around so long. So what are all the cool kids talking about? Pinterest.
Instagram. Tumblr. Gifboom. Every one of these is just another place to recycle
your content. Sure, you might have to paint or bedazzle it a little bit but you
don’t have to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel.
Use pictures and video
Pinterest is an online pinboard. According to its website, it is a place
where you can “Organize and share things you love.” You love what you
do, right? Your patients and customers love you, right? Make a board. Pin stuff
to it. Photos and videos. It could be photos from your old school website. Scan
in and post the thank you cards you receive. Post videos from your old school
YouTube channel. Pin them to your board and you’ve got yourself a brand
new online presence in one of the hottest online communities around just by
recycling.
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| Elizabeth Mansfield |
According to Instagram’s website all you need to do is “Snap a
picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to
Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too — it’s as easy
as pie. It’s photo sharing, reinvented.” Sounds like recycling to me.
Orthotists and prosthetists who specialize in pediatrics or pets should be all
over this. Who doesn’t love a baby or a puppy, wearing an orthotis or
prosthesis that has been Instagrammed?
Too much boring content may cause people to overlook it. Make sure your
content is fascinating, innovative or useful to the reader.
Do more with less. It’s easy when you recycle your marketing
efforts. So get out there and start pinning!
For more information:
Elizabeth Mansfield is the president of Outsource Marketing Solutions.
She can be reached at elizabeth@askelizabeth.net.
