Editor’s Note: Originally written in 2013, Tamre’s ideas on finding new angles for the same topic is as relevant today as it was then.

Finding new ideas isn’t always easy when you’ve committed to writing quality blog content. You’ve taken the pledge to stay away from gimmicky posts. You’ve written about things that are fun. Now where do you go? Back to the beginning. Look at your old blog content for inspiration.

It’s difficult to find new angles when you’re in a niche industry or provide a very specific product. There’s only so much you can write if you’re in a line of work that doesn’t see a lot of change. For example, heating and air conditioning.  Every year there is summer and winter that isn’t going to change.

Don’t be afraid to take what you already have and make it work to your advantage. Your blog is a goldmine of content you can reuse and refresh to your benefit. Look back through your blog to your first posts when you were inspired and had so to share with the world. Providing a new perspective to your original post or expanding on an idea you’ve covered can be just as good, or even better as something brand new

Use old blog content to inspire something new

Why? In addition to updating old information, this process gives you an opportunity to create some relevant internal links between the old blog content and the new post.  For search engines and real people, more on this content links offer them a reason to stay longer on your website.

When Roundpeg started, the early blog content was short and sweet with links to resources and content. Now we go back and fill them out with more content or a fresh perspective. There’s a post Lorraine has updated over 10 times to grow with Roundpeg’s evolution.  The original content is still valuable, but the supporting ideas have changed.

I wrote a post about craft beer.  As the craft beer scene continues to grow, I’ll discuss the branding and marketing strategies of breweries as a follow up to the original post. Even a “whoa, I blew it on that one” post as a follow up to your “this year’s predictions” is interesting.  Your readers like to see you are human, willing to admit mistakes and learn from them.

Update content written by others as well.  Over the years people have come and gone at Roundpeg.  We can keep their posts fresh with editor’s notes, like the one at the top of the page which indicates the post has been updated by someone other than the original author.

Enhance your old blog content with links to resources

Highlighting resources like planning worksheets or a budget tool is helpful to newer readers or customers who may not be aware of them. Consider inserting links in the old posts to connect them to the new resources you have created.

Your evergreen content can be polished and republished, especially if it’s a seasonal topic. Take a look at your most popular posts and refresh them if they can be reworked or updated to reflect current trends or advancements in technology.

Add new images to existing posts or maybe record a podcast on a related topics to address the learning styles of different readers.

Don’t feel like once a post is published you can’t revisit it and update it, especially if there’s a big change in your industry and you’ve written about it before.

Your blog is an organically evolving place for you to grow your ideas and content. That’s what makes it so great; it’s not chiseled on a stone tablet.