“Copying” stuff you’ve already used…
Posted by: Luke in blogging, business, writing, tags: blog, blogging, new content, posting, writingI was looking through some Digg posts and noticed this from OIBO. It’s an interesting, simple idea, for a blogger like me who posts daily: Recycle your old posts by rewriting them better and in different words.
It’s less work than staring at a blank page and writing a completely new article from scratch. The ideas are already in written form — they just need put into different words, hopefully better words. And it’s not really the same as copying and pasting; entire new content actually ends up being created.
I usually edit my writing heavily anyway. I often delete major sections, change the order around, try to make it flow better. Often the whole article gets rewritten before it is even published — and sometimes despite the fact that the original was actually quite good.
Often inspiration — completely new ideas — hit me whilst in the middle of explaining another one. This provides topic material for an entirely new article. However, I have to stay on the original topic, and am thus constrained to a single paragraph or so on the interesting new one. By “heavily editing” an old article I get a chance to explore the new idea or perspective much more thoroughly than if I had jumped into it back then.
So when you dig through your archives and think “well that was dumb,” don’t be overcome with regret. Instead, copy it into a text window and start editing. When it’s no longer recognizable, chances are you have a decent new article.
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March 17th, 2008 at 11:55 am - Edit
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the plug back to the site! It is always a treat when others appreciate your work.
Regards,
Mohamed
March 17th, 2008 at 1:21 pm - Edit
No problem, Mo. Cool site you have going there. Nice to meet a fellow daily blogger.
I noticed your post on the plugins and downloaded a couple. I will probably be blogging about them soon.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:41 pm - Edit
I can understand your perspective on recycling older posts. It could really be useful as a tool to clarify and expand on prior ideas that maybe, the message didn’t get out well enough. Sometimes I look at myself from a couple of years ago, and I criticize the music I used to listen to or the clothes I used to wear. It’s a similar concept with older posts.
March 18th, 2008 at 2:44 pm - Edit
Welcome, Charles! That’s exactly how I see it. It is important to provide fresh perspective with each post, but nothing says you can’t re-use the old and make it better.
With search engines and human psychology being what they are, I feel strongly that daily updates are a key piece of the blogging puzzle. New, personal, relevant content. Even if you have to lean on a “crutch” like recycling old ideas, it’s still probably better than not updating at all in a given day.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:17 am - Edit
Here’s the link that should have appeared as a trackback some time yesterday. Thanks Mohamed.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:31 pm - Edit
Thanks Luke. I liked your idea of rewriting old posts from a new perspective. As one improves his blogging skills, and matures in his field, he can definitely express ideas better and can also make use of the right keywords for better ranking in search engines.