Let’s say you’ve just finished a killer blog post. You’ve poured your knowledge, time, and creativity into it. Now, you’re looking to get the most out of it. Should you take the easy route and spin it—rewording sentences, switching out synonyms, and calling it a day? Or, should you breathe new life into it by repurposing it—turning it into a video, a social media post, or even an infographic?
You’ve probably heard of both terms before, and maybe you’re wondering, “What’s the difference? Which one should I use for my content marketing strategy?” You’re not alone. Many marketers are stuck in the middle, trying to figure out which method will help them reach more people and build a stronger brand.
Before we get into the core, let’s get familiar with a brief explanation of the differences between them to proceed with a clear mind.
When you are doing Content Spinning you are changing the phrases, sentences, entire paragraphs or replacing major words with synonyms of the existing article. The end document looks completely new but it is not the case actually. It does not originate with your content ideas so it is considered a duplicate.
When you are repurposing content, you are recycling existing content or some elements of content marketing. The purpose here is to reach new audiences via new platforms with the same article. The end document is the same as the previous one but envisioned for a completely new purpose and in a new format.
In this blog, we’re going to dive deep into the differences between content spinning and content repurposing and why one will likely do more for your content marketing than the other.
Table of Contents
Understanding content spinning
Content spinning refers to the practice of taking an existing piece of content and rewriting it in such a way that it appears unique, usually by changing the wording, structure, or phrases. The goal of content spinning is often to create multiple versions of a piece of content quickly, often with the intent of boosting SEO rankings or creating more content marketing strategy for websites and social media platforms. Spinning is commonly used when marketers need to generate a high volume of content without spending a significant amount of time or resources.
Content spinning can be done manually by rewriting the text or using spinning tools (automated software) that replace words with synonyms, rearrange sentences, or alter the structure of the content. The main idea is to produce many variations of the original piece, thus increasing the number of content pieces available to promote on different platforms.
However, while content spinning might seem like an efficient solution to content creation, it comes with its own set of challenges. The most significant issue is the quality of the spun content. Often, spinning results in text that reads unnaturally or feels disjointed. This can frustrate readers and hurt engagement. Additionally, spinning doesn’t add value to the content itself. The purpose is to create quantity, but in doing so, the original content’s depth, creativity, and authenticity are lost.
Example of Content Spinning:
Original Blog Post:
“5 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Abroad.”
Spun Content:
“5 Smart Tips to Cut Costs on International Travel.”
Synonyms are swapped (e.g., “save money” → “cut costs”).
The sentence structure has been changed, but no new ideas or values have been added.
The spun content might sound slightly different but conveys the same exact information as the original.
Let’s understand how it benefits content marketing-
How Content Spinning Can Be Useful?
Although content spinning is not the most effective approach for high-quality content creation, it can still be useful in certain situations. Here are some ways content spinning can be beneficial:
- SEO Boost: When done correctly, content spinning can help create a higher volume of content for SEO purposes. Multiple variations of the same content can potentially rank for different keywords, improving visibility on search engines.
- Filling Content Gaps: Content spinning can be useful in filling in gaps in content quickly. For example, if a website needs a lot of pages to be filled with content in a short period, spinning can be a quick way to produce the required material.
- Cost-Effective: Content spinning can be a low-cost option for businesses that need content in bulk but have limited resources for content creation. It’s a way to generate material at scale without needing a large team of writers.
- Testing Keywords: Spinning content allows marketers to test different variations of the same content with different keywords to see which ones perform better. This can help in identifying the most effective keywords for SEO.
While these benefits may sound appealing, spinning should not be relied on as the primary content marketing method. It is often best used as a short-term tactic for generating basic content, but it should be combined with other strategies, such as repurposing and creating original content, to maintain high standards of quality.
Understanding Content Repurposing
Content repurposing, on the other hand, is a far more strategic approach to content creation. Rather than simply rewriting existing content, repurposing involves transforming a piece of content into different formats and adapting it to different platforms, keeping the core message intact while making it suitable for a new audience or medium.
For example, a blog post on a website might be repurposed into an infographic for social media, a video for YouTube, a podcast episode, or a webinar. The key difference here is that repurposing isn’t just about changing a few words—it’s about reimagining the content to serve the needs of a different audience and provide fresh value in a new format.
Repurposing is an excellent way to extend the life of your content. It creates more opportunities for engagement, and connect with audiences in ways they prefer. Instead of merely producing more content, repurposing allows you to make your content marketing work harder by adapting it for various channels and formats.
Example of Content Repurposing:
Original Blog Post:
“5 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Abroad.”
Repurposed Content:
- Social Media Post: Create an Instagram Reel titled, “Quick Hacks to Travel Abroad on a Budget”, featuring one tip per slide with visuals of destinations.
- Video Tutorial: Film a YouTube video called “How I Saved $1,000 Traveling Europe!”, using personal stories to elaborate on the blog points.
- Checklist: Turn the blog into a downloadable “Travel Budget Checklist” PDF for your website visitors.
- Newsletter: Send a newsletter titled, “Want to Travel Abroad Without Breaking the Bank?”, summarizing the tips with links to the full blog.
Now let’s see how it helps in content marketing strategy-
How can content repurposing be helpful for content marketing?
Repurposing content offers numerous benefits, particularly for businesses aiming to maximize the impact of their content marketing strategy. Below are some key advantages:
- Maximizes the Value of Existing Content: Repurposing allows you to get more mileage out of your existing content. Instead of creating new content from scratch every time, you can take what you’ve already produced and turn it into new forms, ensuring that your efforts continue to pay off long after the original content is published.
- Increases Reach and Visibility: By repurposing content into different formats, you can reach a broader audience across different platforms. For example, while your blog post might attract readers, turning that content into a video or infographic can attract viewers on YouTube or social media platforms, where people prefer visual content.
- Improves SEO: Repurposing content can enhance your SEO efforts. Creating multiple pieces of content based on the same topic but in different formats (e.g., blog, podcast, video) increases the likelihood that your content will be found by different search engine algorithms and ranked across various platforms.
- Encourages More Engagement: When you repurpose content, you have the opportunity to present it in different ways to encourage greater audience engagement. For instance, a long blog post can be broken down into smaller, more digestible pieces for social media, prompting more interaction with your brand.
- Saves Time and Resources: Repurposing content saves time and effort because you’re building upon what’s already been created. Instead of starting from scratch each time, you can focus on adapting content for new formats and platforms, making it a more efficient and scalable approach.
- Keeps Your Content Fresh: Even though repurposing involves using existing content, the process allows you to refresh and update your content. It ensures that it remains relevant and up-to-date. By adding new insights or current statistics, repurposed content can continually stay aligned with audience interests.
Let’s understand the difference between these two and which is best one-
The Key Differences Between Spinning and Repurposing Content
While both spinning and repurposing serve the same basic purpose—getting more mileage out of existing content—they take very different approaches. Here’s a breakdown of their key differences:
| Aspect | Content spinning | Content Repurposing |
| Approach | Altering words and phrases in an existing article | Transforming the content into a new format or platform |
| Originality | Content may appear new but lacks originality | Content is still original but presented differently |
| SEO Impact | Risk of being flagged as duplicate content by Google. | More SEO-friendly content is genuinely repurposed |
| Target audience | Same audience but with variations of the content | New audiences on different platforms. |
| Content Quality | Risk of low-quality, confusing content | Maintain high quality and keep value intact. |
Conclusion: Choose Repurposing Over Spinning
When it comes to long-term content marketing success, repurposing content stands far above spinning. While spinning might offer a quick fix, it risks damaging your brand’s credibility with low-quality, repetitive content. Repurposing, however, allows you to amplify your message, connect with broader audiences, and maximize the value of your existing work.
Repurposing, on the other hand, allows you to improve the value of your content marketing by expanding its reach and engaging a wider audience. It’s about working smarter, not harder. By presenting your existing content in fresh ways, you can ensure that your message reaches new eyes, remains relevant, and continues to provide value for months or even years.
At HelixBeat, content isn’t just a service—it’s our craft. We are experts in creating perfect content marketing strategies that give real-time results within a short period of time. Not only with creating content, but we also keep up with the latest content marketing trends, integrating them with many projects that lead to better results.
Frequently asked question
1. What exactly is content spinning?
Content spinning is when you take an existing piece of content and change it up by swapping words or rephrasing sentences. It’s a quick way to create multiple versions of the same content, often to boost SEO. However, the result is usually just a reworded version of the original, with no fresh ideas or added value.
2. What does content repurposing mean?
Content repurposing is when you take your original content and transform it into something new. For example, you might turn a blog post into a video, a social media post, or even an infographic. It’s all about adapting your content to different formats to connect with new audiences while keeping the original message intact.
3. How are content spinning and repurposing different?
Here’s the main difference:
- Spinning is like tweaking your original content with new words and sentences but without really adding anything fresh. It’s mainly about quantity.
- Repurposing, on the other hand, is about giving your content a makeover—changing the format, maybe turning that blog into a video, and reaching people in new ways.
4. Is content spinning helpful for SEO?
Content spinning can give your SEO a short-term boost because you’re creating more content with different keywords. But the downside? The spun content can be flagged by search engines as duplicate, which could hurt your rankings in the long run. Not ideal for lasting success.
5. Does content repurposing improve SEO?
Definitely! Repurposing is much better for SEO. By turning your content into different formats—like a video, podcast, or infographic—you’re able to increase your chances of ranking on various platforms. Plus, search engines love fresh content, so it can help boost visibility and engagement.
6. Can spinning content hurt my brand?
Yes, spinning can hurt your brand’s image. When content sounds forced or unnatural, readers get frustrated, and it can make your brand seem less authentic. It might even turn people off from engaging with your content altogether.
7. How can repurposing content help my marketing strategy?
Repurposing content lets you maximize what you’ve already created by reaching different audiences across different platforms. It keeps things fresh and saves you time by making the most out of what you’ve already produced. Plus, it can help with SEO, engagement, and growing your brand’s presence online.
8. So, which one should I use—spinning or repurposing?
If you’re looking for a quick fix, spinning might seem like an easy choice. But for long-term success, repurposing is the way to go. It keeps your content high-quality, helps you reach more people, and builds stronger connections with your audience. Quality always wins over quantity in content marketing.
