The Difference Between Duplicate Content & Repurposing Content
And how Medium’s new rules affect them.
Medium has recently instituted new rules for duplicate content which basically means you can no longer delete and repost older blog posts — at the risk of suspension of your account.
So, what does that mean for you and me — the writers?
I think ultimately, it is a good rule. How many times have you been scrolling through the people you follow on Medium and clicked on a post only to realize you’ve either already read it or something really, really similar from the same writer? It is annoying.
Deleting or unlisting old posts and reposting them is common in the blogosphere. It’s a way for posts that didn’t get much attention to get a renewed life, or for those who sometimes abuse it, get more attention/claps/interactions for little to no additional work.
But notice the distinction in the second bullet point: “without substantive changes and improvements.”
This is the key here. If you’re deleting an older post because it wasn’t that good or needs updating — rewrite, edit, and then post it! The topic may still be relevant, maybe the content needed some tweaking.
It’s important to remember that duplicate content and repurposing content are two separate things.
Do I Repurpose Content?
It depends on the content.
In the idea of “duplicate content:” I don’t just duplicate (copy/paste) old content. If an older post is relevant and interesting and valuable for readers, but did not really get any attention and is over a year old, then I may edit and revise it, delete the old version, and republish it with the updated info on my blog for it to see the light of day.
If it is not relevant and I still like the piece, I’ll leave it where it is.
If it is not relevant and I do NOT like the piece, I’ll simply delete it from existence OR potentially delete it but rewrite a new article on the same concept (if it was a good idea but bad execution or old/useless information).
In terms of “repurposing content:” I do repurpose content where I’ll take a concept from a blog post and create a Youtube video or social media posts about that same topic.
It’s not just about gaining new followers or the attention or the money from Medium. For me, and at the risk of sounding pretentious or altruistic, it’s about the content and knowledge.
I genuinely enjoy giving useful advice and I love interacting with readers and providing value. It’s free for people to read my content (within Medium’s rules and also completely free on my website) and I put a lot of time and energy and thought into writing for my blog. If something fell through the cracks, I want it to see the light of day and be useful for people.
I have “duplicated” content on occasion, but not very often and pretty much NEVER as-is. I always revise, edit, and update the post before reposting. In this way, what I do is generally seen as “repurposing” as opposed to copying and pasting the same thing (i.e., duplication).
Why People Repurpose Content/Benefits
There are many ways to repurpose content without just deleting and reposting it on the same blogging platform.
You can turn a popular blog post into:
- A video
- A slideshow
- An informational guide or brochure
- A whitepaper
- An infographic
- A podcast
- Images with quotes
- Social media posts
- An ebook
And more. Repurposing a content idea into multiple things gives you a wider reach and allows you to put it on different various platforms. This lets you reach different audiences with one core idea turned into different things.
It also extends the life of the content. With so much content being produced constantly, a great piece can fall through the cracks.
Cross-promoting content is also important. A Youtube video on a subject might also have a link to the blog post or an infographic. Both cross-promotion and repurposing content gives you an SEO boost, important to many companies, and reinforces your message to get additional credibility and authority.
So, what are your thoughts on Medium’s new duplicate content rules and how do you repurpose your own content ideas?
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