News and Insights

Don’t Waste, Try Paste: A Fresh Take on Health Content Strategy

February 18, 2025

A recent cooking class in Portugal taught me an unexpected lesson about health content strategy. While chopping vegetables with a renowned local chef, she emphasized that nothing goes to waste in her kitchen – not even the watery insides of plum tomatoes, which she transforms into a delicious tomato water. This “waste not” philosophy perfectly mirrors how we should approach earned, owned or sponsored content development in health.

From Kitchen to Content: Waste Not, Want Not

Just as a skilled chef finds creative ways to use every part of an ingredient, health organizations must maximize the value of their content investments. Recently, when a client wanted to scrap an AI-focused article due to a CEO change, my immediate response was, “Let’s not waste it – let’s repurpose it.” This approach isn’t just about being thrifty; it’s about recognizing the value in well-researched, thoughtfully crafted content.

Best Practices for Content Optimization

The most valuable health content comes from peer-to-peer sharing. For example, at a recent HIMSS conference, instead of creating traditional product briefings, we focused on gathering real-world implementation stories. One client’s AI technology helped increase surgery capacity by 150,000 operating room minutes without changing staffing – exactly the kind of practical outcome that resonates with health leaders.

Making Every Piece Count: Real-World Examples

Here are a few examples of how we’ve successfully repurposed content:

• Transformed a panel discussion from the Healthcare Transformation Task Force’s 10th anniversary into a series of LinkedIn posts about value-based care progress
• Converted conference speaking sessions at VIVE into bylined articles for other health IT outlets
• Used insights from chief nursing officers’ technology implementations to create case studies, media pitches and social content
• Developed virtual roundtable articles from conference panel discussions, featuring multiple expert perspectives

Creative Solutions for Common Challenges

Health organizations often face restrictions on endorsing or even sharing vendor names or having staff speak with media. We’ve found some creative workarounds, like having clinical leaders contribute to professional association publications. 

For instance, when a chief nursing officer couldn’t speak directly to the media, we arranged for them to share their insights through the American Nursing Association’s channels. The same strategy has worked for finance officers, health information professionals, and IT leaders. 

The Future of Health Content

Technology is revolutionizing how we create and manage content. We’re using AI tools to make our writing more direct and reader-friendly, while tools like CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer help optimize our headlines for better engagement. But remember – just as a chef’s reputation depends on their skill and the quality of their ingredients – your content must maintain high standards of accuracy and relevance.

Quality Still Reigns Supreme

In health’s fast-moving landscape, from cybersecurity to AI advances, content must be current and authoritative. A year-old piece about health technology trends might be as past its prime as last week’s leftovers. However, with creative repurposing and strategic updates, you can extend the life and value of your core content while maintaining its freshness and relevance.

While not every piece of content can be salvaged (sometimes you really do have to throw out the tomatoes), approaching content development with a “waste not” mindset leads to more efficient, effective health communications that truly serve your audience’s needs.

Beth Friedman is a senior partner with FINN Partners’ Global Health Practice, specializing in healthcare IT communications and media relations.