With content so essential to a business's online presence and marketing today, it's important to think about content as a strategic asset. In other words, rather than just creating a blog post or an image as a one-shot deal, think of it as an asset that you are investing in. Then leverage it in multiple ways to get a good ROI from it. In other words, adapt and re-use your content – or “repurpose” it.

Let’s start with a written article, because an article is an accepted way of creating content. Then we’ll explore how to re-use it in different places; extend it into other forms; and help it spread to bring visibility, traffic, and leads to your business.

1. Post the article on your company blog

   Blogs are fast, easy ways to publish content online. Best of all, because it’s yours, a blog is relatively permanent and under your complete control. That’s why it’s so important to have one. Think of your company blog as the foundation and starting point for creating strategic content assets. And of course, once it’s posted, it’s easily shareable on sites like Facebook, Google+, and other social platforms.

2. Share it in your email newsletter

   A blog post is good, solid content, but it depends on people being drawn into your blog to see the post in the first place. One way to reach out and touch someone with your blog post is to put it in your email newsletter.

   Include a short snippet plus a link back to your blog post to read the rest. This is a good way to entice recipients on your list to visit your blog.

3. Rewrite it, add fresh insights, and create a guest blog post

   Guest blogging is a popular way today to reach out to an entirely new audience, by having your content appear on a third-party site. Think of it as demonstrating your thought leadership to a new audience.

   Rewrite the article, amend it, give it a new title, and THEN submit it as a guest blog post. That way, when people follow your bio link and end up back at your website and blog to explore, they will be presented with something that looks fresh and not just the same thing.

4. Pull out a quote from the article, and create an image

   By creating an image, you now have a visual content asset. Social platforms are expanding their visual features. Twitter, for example, now allows you to post images directly to Twitter and have them show up as images in your stream – not as links. Image posts on Twitter currently are getting double the engagement versus text or link posts in our tests.

   Start with a stock image. Put your company logo in the lower corner of the image, along with the article title or a pithy pull-quote superimposed in words over the bottom third of the image.

5. Create several images, and turn them into a slideshow

   Let’s say your original blog post offered 10 tips. Turn each tip into a separate image with words atop an image. Then load each image into a PowerPoint presentation as a separate slide. Add a title slide. Load it on Slideshare.net. Voila! You have a presentation that is portable and can be embedded by others into their websites or shared with social followers.

6. Turn those images into a video for YouTube

   Video is great for search visibility and is very shareable. Take those same images you used in your slideshow, and load them individually into YouTube (yes, you can do that!). Choose a clip of YouTube’s royalty-free music, add a few transition effects from YouTube’s video editor tool, and now you have a video presentation.

7. Write a post on LinkedIn or Google+

   LinkedIn has opened up the ability to publish long-form pieces on its platform. You can also publish long form on Google+. Rather than republishing exactly the same original blog post, publish a “sidebar” type of article. This is an article that covers a related topic or angle, and links back to your original blog post. LinkedIn has best practices advice on publishing long-form content.

8. Develop an infographic

   This technique is great for posts that include statistics of some kind, or explain a process that lends itself to visual interpretation. Have your graphics designer create an infographic, (i.e., a graphically oriented way of conveying data or processes). Include an embed code to make it easy to share. Need help creating the infographic? Try Fiverr.

9. Turn it into a checklist

   Sometimes tips make a great checklist. Why not turn your post into a one-page checklist with little check boxes? Add your logo and website address, then save it as a PDF. Allow readers to download and print off the checklist.

10. Format your post into a one-page printable article

    Using an application like Publisher, take your original blog post, and format it to appear like a pleasing one-page, stand-alone article. Then have copies printed, and include them like “sell sheets” in brochures along with other marketing materials for prospects. Or use them as handouts at events.

11. Extract the key points and turn them into a press pitch

    Remember those ten tips or points from your original blog post? Turn them into a press pitch email to send out to editors and journalists. Try to tie them into a current event on a related topic that the editor may be seeking commentary on. Or simply offer yourself up as an expert willing to give advice on those points.

12. Start or add to a Pinterest board

    Use the neat image(s) you created from your blog post as the starting pin for a group Pinterest board. Also, share it on your own Pinterest page.

13. Expand your article into an ebook

    They say “there’s a book inside each of us.” Today, a book can mean a 20-page electronic book. Start with your original article, and add detail to each point. Then add a few worksheets, checklists, and lists of online resources that complement your points. Turn it into a PDF ebook. Load it on your website as a free download incentive for signing up for your email list.

14. Create a bookmark, T-shirt, or other physical item

    Grab a quotable sound bite from the article, and turn it into a slogan. Using CafePress or another tool, print the slogan on items for marketing purposes. Or simply grab an abbreviated version of the tips, and create bookmarks or other items of inexpensive swag to give away at events.

15. Develop a webinar

    Use that article as a guide for holding a webinar. You’ve already got an outline; just create some slides and present it live.

There’s a lot you can do with one humble piece of content, if you just let your creativity go and then expand upon it.

This article originally appeared on www.inc.com/comcast.