Repurposing and Scaling Content

The Content Multiplication Effect

Imagine you spend 2 hours writing a detailed LinkedIn article about productivity tips for remote workers. You publish it, it does well, and then… it’s done. One platform. One audience. One moment in time.

Now imagine that same article becomes:

• 5 LinkedIn text posts (one for each tip)
• 3 Instagram carousels (visual breakdowns of the best tips)
• 2 TikTok scripts (the most surprising insights)
• 1 X/Twitter thread (the key framework)
• 4 Instagram Stories (quick tip graphics)
• 1 email newsletter edition

That’s 16 pieces of content from one original idea. And with AI, the repurposing takes 30 minutes, not 3 hours.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

• Identify which content is worth repurposing
• Use the “Content Tree” method to multiply any piece of content
• Prompt AI to adapt content for different platforms instantly
• Build a sustainable repurposing workflow

Recall: Platform Differences

In Lesson 2, you learned that each platform has its own culture, format, and audience expectations. In Lesson 3, you learned the HBCE framework for structuring posts. Both of these are essential for effective repurposing–you’re keeping the core idea but changing the delivery.

The Content Tree Method

Think of your content strategy like a tree:

Trunk: Your core idea or insight (one big piece of content) Branches: Platform-specific adaptations Leaves: Individual posts, stories, clips

Step 1: Create Your “Trunk” Content

The best trunk content is long-form: a blog post, a video, a podcast episode, a detailed LinkedIn article, or even a presentation. It should contain multiple sub-points, examples, and insights.

Why start long? Because it’s much easier to break a big piece into small pieces than to expand small pieces into big ones.

Step 2: Identify the “Branches”

From one trunk piece, extract:

• Key quotes (1-2 sentences that stand alone)
• Individual tips (each sub-point becomes its own post)
• Statistics or data points (numbers make great standalone content)
• Stories or anecdotes (personal moments that resonate)
• Frameworks or models (visual content gold)
• Hot takes (your strongest opinions)
• Questions raised (engagement post material)

Step 3: Create “Leaves” for Each Platform

Each branch becomes multiple posts across platforms. Here’s how:

Quick Check

Think of the last substantial piece of content you created. How many branches and leaves could you extract from it? Most people are surprised to find 10-15 individual posts hiding in one article.

AI-Powered Repurposing

Here’s where AI transforms repurposing from tedious to thrilling. The key: give AI the original content and specific platform instructions.

The Master Repurposing Prompt

“I created this original content:

[Paste your full blog post, article, or transcript]

Repurpose this into the following formats:

Instagram (3 pieces):

1. A carousel post (7-10 slides, each with a headline and 1-2 sentences)
2. A single-image post with a storytelling caption
3. A Reel script (30-60 seconds, conversational tone)

LinkedIn (2 pieces):

1. A thought leadership text post (hook + insight + CTA)
2. A “lessons learned” post in list format

X/Twitter (2 pieces):

1. A thread (5-7 tweets)
2. A standalone tweet with the most quotable insight

For all pieces:

• Adapt tone and format for each platform’s culture
• Each piece should stand alone (someone seeing just this one should get full value)
• Use my brand voice: [your voice description]
• Include a platform-appropriate CTA on each”

The Platform Adapter Prompt

For adapting a single post that performed well:

“This post performed really well on [Platform A]:

[Paste the post]

It got [engagement metrics] because [your hypothesis why].

Adapt this for [Platform B]. Keep the core insight but:

• Adjust the hook for [Platform B]’s audience
• Change the format to [Platform B’s preferred format]
• Modify the tone ([Platform B’s expected tone])
• Replace the CTA with something appropriate for [Platform B]
• Adjust length to [Platform B’s ideal length]”

The Repurposing Workflow

Here’s a sustainable weekly workflow:

Monday: Create or Identify Your Trunk

Either create new long-form content or identify an existing piece worth repurposing. The best candidates are:

• Content that performed well (repurpose your hits, not your misses)
• Evergreen topics that stay relevant
• Topics with multiple sub-points

Tuesday-Wednesday: Generate Repurposed Content

Use the AI prompts above to create platform-specific versions. Batch the whole process:

1. Feed AI the trunk content
2. Generate all variations at once
3. Edit and personalize each one

Thursday-Friday: Schedule Everything

Add all repurposed pieces to your scheduling tool. Stagger them throughout the week–don’t post the same idea on all platforms on the same day.

Ongoing: Track What Works

Note which repurposed formats perform best on each platform. Over time, you’ll learn that your audience on Instagram loves carousels but skips single images, or that your LinkedIn audience prefers story-format posts over list posts.

Quick Check

Map out your next trunk piece. What topic will you go deep on? List at least 5 “branches” you could extract from it.

Scaling Without Losing Quality

The risk of repurposing is sounding repetitive. Here’s how to scale while maintaining quality:

The 60/30/10 Rule

• 60% repurposed: Content adapted from your trunk pieces
• 30% platform-native: Content created specifically for each platform
• 10% spontaneous: Timely, trending, or real-time content

This ratio keeps your feed fresh while maximizing efficiency.

Spacing It Out

Never post the same idea on two platforms on the same day. Your cross-platform followers will notice. Space repurposed content by at least 2-3 days.

Adding Platform-Specific Flavor

When you repurpose, don’t just shrink or expand. Add platform-specific elements:

• Instagram: Visual storytelling, emojis, hashtag research
• LinkedIn: Professional context, industry data, career insights
• TikTok: Trending audio, fast cuts, personality
• X/Twitter: Sharp opinions, quotable one-liners, community references

The Freshness Test

Before publishing repurposed content, ask: “If someone follows me on multiple platforms, would this feel repetitive or would they get a new angle?” If it feels repetitive, add a fresh perspective.

Paid Amplification: Boosting Your Best

Once you know what organic content performs well, selectively boost it with paid promotion. This isn’t a paid ads course, but here’s the basic framework:

What to Boost

Only boost posts that have already proven they resonate organically. High engagement rate + relevant topic = good candidate for paid amplification.

The AI Ad Copy Prompt

“This organic social media post performed well: [Paste the post]

It got [metrics] and resonated because [your hypothesis].

Create 3 variations of this post optimized for paid promotion:

1. A version with a stronger call-to-action for [your goal: website visits/sign-ups/sales]
2. A version targeting [cold audience description] who doesn’t know my brand
3. A version for retargeting [people who’ve engaged with my content before]

Keep the core message but make each version more action-oriented.”

Key Takeaways

• One piece of long-form content = 10-15+ social media posts across platforms
• Use the Content Tree method: trunk (core idea) → branches (sub-points) → leaves (platform posts)
• AI makes repurposing fast–feed it the original and platform specifications
• Follow the 60/30/10 rule for content balance
• Space repurposed content across days so cross-platform followers aren’t bored
• Boost proven organic winners with paid amplification for maximum impact

Up Next

In Lesson 8, you’ll bring everything together in the capstone project. You’ll build your complete social media system from scratch–strategy brief, content calendar, batch-created posts, engagement plan, and analytics workflow. This is where all the pieces connect.