6 Ways to Repurpose Your Course Content

Creating an online course is not an easy task, but once the hard work is done you can leverage your course in multiple ways by repurposing your course content.

When I created my very first online video course back in 2010, I easily spent at least 100 hours shooting video, editing video, creating action guides, working on the site, marketing the course, supporting students, and on the list goes…

And when it comes to the value involved in an online course, your time is the most valuable asset of all. It doesn’t require a fancy, new computer or $10,000 in equipment to produce a course.

It takes you.

So why not leverage that investment and utilize the content you’ve created in new ways to drive your business or course further?

There are a few ways that you can repurpose your course content and in this post, I want to discuss three of the main ways you can do so.

#1 Use it as a lead magnet

The first, and most effective method of repurposing course content is breaking out a small section of it and using it as lead magnet.

If you’re not familiar with what a lead magnet is, its likely you already know what they are. This is a strategy which involves offering something for free in exchange for an email address to build an email list, which you can market to or even sell courses to over time.

You’ve very likely visited an online retailer’s website and been offered a coupon code in exchange for signing up for their email list…am I correct?

Discussing how to set up a lead magnet optin form is beyond the scope of this post, however, plugins like Convertful make the process simple to integrate your WordPress website with email list management services such as Aweber, MailChimp, or ConvertKit.

So if you have, say, an entirely comprehensive course on how to start a podcast from scratch, maybe you break out three or four videos on how to select equipment. You then use those to create a free mini-course, place an email option form on your website to get visitors to trade their email for a free course, and…

Voila! You’re building an email list!

Once you’ve gotten into the email list building, you can begin delivering valuable free content to your subscribers. Don’t just start pitching hard on buying your premium courses in your emails right out of the gate.

Build trust first, give your subscribers real value…and the sales will follow.

#2 Use it for your site’s blog

A little over a year ago, I started using an automated online video transcription service called Rev. If you have video content within your course, you can simply upload that video to Temi, pay $0.25 per minute of video, and within just a few minutes you’ll have that video available for download as text.

And what does that mean?

Well, Rev requires a bit of editing as it doesn’t deliver 100% accurate transcriptions (although it’s gotten really close) that means you have not only a course lesson video, but now you can do five minutes of editing to produce a nice, juicy blog post for your site which can be picked up by Google and indexed with all of those keywords you mentioned in your video.

The best part?

Since your video is likely behind a pay wall or in an online course, this isn’t treated as duplicate content by the Big G, which penalizes and punishes websites by de-indexing pages from their users’ search result listings.

Yes, believe it or not, some websites do just re-post online content like blog posts word-for-word, but Google is not a fan of this practice and will prevent websites from showing in search results just for it.

#3 Offer it up for guest posting

Now, using Rev to create blog posts from your online course videos is a great strategy. But, there’s an even better way to utilize those transcripts…

Marketing.

When we first started Fly Plugins and launched WP Courseware, our primary marketing tactic was guest posting on other websites. If you’ve not heard of guest posting, it’s basically a strategy to get your company or website name on an authority site in your niche when you don’t have your own following.

When we started Fly Plugins, for example, no one knew who we were or what WP Courseware was. So we began reaching out to large sites such as as WP Beginner, WP Mayor, and Pagely and offering to provide free blog posts.

All you really need to do is to reach out to the authority websites in your niche. Let them know that you have an article you’d like to present on their blog, let them know that you’d like a link back to your site in exchange, and let them know about the topic you’re proposing.

I love to write, but most website owners loathe keeping up a blog. This tactic works because you’re taking that chore off of their list…at least for the time being.

#4 Video Clips for Social Media

Social media is a bustling marketplace of ideas, and it’s where your audience hangs out. Take snippets of your course videos – those golden nuggets of wisdom, compelling questions, or even funny moments – and share them on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

These clips act as teasers, sparking curiosity and driving traffic back to your full course. They also show the human side of e-learning, making your content more relatable and shareable. Don’t forget to add captions; not only does this make your content accessible, but it also caters to the majority who scroll through their feeds with sound off.

Remember, social media is about building community. Engage with your audience in the comments, ask questions, and share insights. This two-way street turns your content into conversations, fostering a vibrant learning community around your brand.

#5 Turn It Into Interactive Webinars

Webinars are a powerful tool that can not only fill your sales funnel but allows you to rapidly guide a potential buyer through the sales funnel. They offer the unique advantage of real-time interaction, allowing you to engage directly with your audience, build trust, answer questions, and adapt your delivery on the fly based on participant feedback.

Imagine taking one piece core coures content that focuses on solving a major pain point and presenting it live, perhaps with updated insights or incorporating trending topics to keep it fresh. You don’t have to give away the secret sauce but you can give enough instruction to establish yourself as the authority on the topic and to whet their palate so that they have no choice but to click the buy now button. This live format also adds a personal touch, making your content more relatable and engaging.

#6 Create a Podcasts Series

Let’s talk about podcasts – they’re like the radio shows of the digital age but tailored to your audience’s interests. Transforming your course content into a podcast series is like giving your audience an invitation to learn on the go. Whether they’re commuting, exercising, or just taking a break, podcasts offer a convenient and engaging way for them to absorb knowledge.

Take each section or key concept of your course and plan it as a podcast episode. Share stories, bring in guests for interviews, or even host listener Q&A sessions. This format isn’t just versatile; it builds a personal connection with your audience, allowing your passion and expertise to shine through in conversations.

The great thing about podcasts, is once they are published, they are out there like a permanent billboard. You can have call to actions in your podcast and promote your course. Perhaps you can interview students who have experienced success with your course. Again, you don’t need to give away your secret sauce, but you will establish yourself as an authority on your course topic and those listeners who are ready for a deeper dive will be sure to enroll in your course.

Repurposing your course content isn’t just about getting more mileage out of your hard work; it’s about maximizing the learning experience for your audience, making your knowledge accessible in diverse and engaging ways. Each of these strategies not only broadens your reach but also deepens the impact of your teaching, creating a vibrant, interactive learning community around your content.