# Stop Copy-Pasting: Why Lazy Repurposing is Killing Your Reach
I’m going to start with a hard truth that most Brisbane agencies are too polite to tell you: If you are taking a video from TikTok and posting it directly to LinkedIn with the watermark still on it, you aren’t “repurposing content.” You’re cluttering the internet.
We’ve reached a tipping point in 2026. The algorithms on Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok have become incredibly sophisticated at detecting “lazy distribution.” They know when you’re treating their platform like a secondary dumping ground for content made elsewhere, and they will punish your reach for it.
At Local Marketing Group, we see this mistake constantly. A business owner in Newstead spends five hours filming a high-quality video, then spends five minutes blasting it across four different platforms using a scheduling tool. They wonder why it “popped” on Instagram but got zero traction on LinkedIn.
It’s because you ignored the context. Content is the seed, but the platform is the soil. If you try to plant a cactus in a rainforest, it’s going to rot.
In this article, I’m going to tear down the common mistakes of cross-platform repurposing and show you how to actually scale your presence without looking like a desperate bot.
1. The "Watermark of Death" and Platform Disrespect
Let’s address the most offensive mistake first. If I see one more LinkedIn post featuring a video with a bouncing TikTok logo, I might actually lose my mind.
It’s not just an aesthetic issue; it’s a technical one. Instagram and LinkedIn have both explicitly stated (and our internal data confirms) that their algorithms deprioritize content containing watermarks from rival platforms. Why would Mark Zuckerberg want to promote a video that has a giant “Download TikTok” call to action on it? He wouldn’t.
Beyond the algorithm, it signals to your audience that you don’t care. It says, “I didn’t think this platform was worth thirty seconds of my time to export a clean version of this video.”
The Fix: Source-First Editing
Stop using the in-app editors as your primary production tool. If you’re filming short-form content, film it on your phone’s native camera or an app like CapCut. Export the “clean” version first, then add platform-specific captions or stickers within the native apps.You have to understand that short-form that converts isn't about being slick; it's about being native. A video that feels like it belongs on the FYP will fail on LinkedIn if it doesn't respect the professional context of that feed.
2. The "One-Size-Fits-None" Caption Strategy
I see this daily: A business writes a 300-word deep dive into QLD property tax laws for Facebook, then copies that exact text into an Instagram caption where it gets cut off after two lines. Or worse, they use a dozen hashtags on LinkedIn, which makes them look like they’ve just arrived from 2014.
Each platform has a specific "language":
LinkedIn: Value-heavy, professional, formatted with white space for skimmability. The first two lines are your headline. Instagram: Visual-first. The caption needs to be a secondary punchline or a very clear CTA. TikTok: Fast-paced, slang-heavy (where appropriate), and built on trends. Facebook: Community-focused. It’s where people go to argue or share with their nan.
If you use the same tone for all of them, you’ll resonate with none of them. I’ve seen professional services firms in the CBD lose massive amounts of potential lead gen because they talked to their LinkedIn audience like they were teenagers on Snapchat. It’s a fast way to lose authority. This is a primary reason why professional services firms fail on social; they forget who they are talking to in the rush to be "everywhere."
3. Treating Your Social Calendar Like a Checklist
There is a massive misconception that "consistency" means "frequency." This drives me nuts. Many business owners are so obsessed with "feeding the machine" that they sacrifice every ounce of quality just to ensure a post goes out every Tuesday at 9:00 AM.
I’ll say it plainly: Posting five pieces of mediocre, repurposed garbage a week is significantly worse for your brand than posting one high-impact, platform-native piece of content.
When you treat your content like a chore, your audience treats it like spam. We recently worked with a client in Fortitude Valley who was posting daily across four platforms. Their engagement was non-existent. We cut their posting frequency by 60%, focused on platform-specific hooks, and their lead flow tripled.
Stop letting your calendar kill your growth. The algorithm doesn't reward you for showing up; it rewards you for being interesting. If you have nothing of value to say on a Thursday, don't say it.
4. The "Link in Bio" Friction Trap
You’ve written a great blog post for your website. You take a screenshot, post it to Instagram, and say "Link in bio to read more!"
Congratulations, you’ve just asked your audience to do three extra steps to consume your content. In 2026, attention is the most expensive commodity in Brisbane. People don't want to leave the app.
The Contrarian Approach: Native Value
Instead of trying to drive traffic away from the platform, bring the value to the platform.If your blog post has five key tips, don't tease them. Give away the three best tips directly in the post. Make the post a "complete meal" in itself. If people want the deep dive, they’ll find the link. But by gatekeeping the value behind a click, you're ensuring that 95% of your reach is wasted on people who will never click through.
5. Ignoring the "Hook" Nuance
A hook that works on a YouTube video (usually a 10-second intro) will fail miserably on a Facebook Reel (where you have roughly 0.8 seconds to stop the thumb).
When repurposing a long-form video into clips, most people just chop out a random 30-second segment. That is a recipe for a ghost town.
To repurpose correctly, you need to re-record or re-edit the hook for the specific medium. For LinkedIn: Use a text overlay that challenges a common industry myth. For TikTok: Start with the result or the climax of the story first. For Instagram: Use a high-contrast visual or a relatable "POV" caption.
6. The Failure to Translate "Vibe"
I once saw a local accounting firm try to repurpose a very serious, dry webinar into a series of "funny" memes. It was painful. It felt like watching your dad try to use the word "riz" at a Sunday BBQ.
Repurposing isn't just about changing the format; it's about translating the intent.
If your original content is an educational whitepaper, its "translation" for Instagram might be a carousel of simplified charts. Its translation for TikTok might be a "green screen" video of you explaining one specific statistic.
You cannot simply turn a spreadsheet into a dance trend. (Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not try to make accounting dance trends happen).
7. Over-Reliance on AI Without Human Context
Look, I use AI. We all do. But if you are using an AI tool to "automatically clip and post" your content across platforms, you are likely producing garbage social ROI.
AI is great at transcription and basic editing. It is terrible at understanding the cultural nuances of a Brisbane suburb or the specific professional etiquette of an Australian boardroom. It doesn't know that a joke about the Northside/Southside divide will kill in a local Facebook group but mean nothing to your international followers on LinkedIn.
AI should be your assistant, never your strategist. If you aren't reviewing every "repurposed" post with a human eye, you're eventually going to post something that makes you look out of touch or, worse, offensive.
How to Actually Repurpose Content (The LMG Way)
If you want to scale your content without the "lazy" stigma, follow this workflow. We call it the "Core-to-Cloud" strategy.
Step 1: Create the Core (High Value)
Start with one substantive piece of content. This could be a 10-minute YouTube video, a 2,000-word article, or a recorded keynote speech. This is where your best ideas live.Step 2: Extract the "Nuggets"
Identify 3-5 distinct ideas within that core piece. These aren't just "clips"; they are standalone concepts.Step 3: Re-Contextualise (The Hard Part)
This is where 99% of businesses fail. You don't just cut the clip. You ask: "If I were only seeing this on LinkedIn, what context would I need?"LinkedIn: Write a post that relates the nugget to a business outcome or a leadership lesson. Instagram: Create a carousel that visualises the nugget. TikTok: Record a 15-second "opinionated" take on that specific nugget.
Step 4: Stagger the Release
Don't post everything at once. If I follow you on LinkedIn and Instagram, and I see the exact same video on both at 10:00 AM, I’m going to unfollow one of them. Stagger your repurposed content by 2-3 weeks. It keeps your feed fresh and ensures that your "super-fans" aren't seeing the same thing twice in the same hour.The Australian Context: Why Local Nuance Matters
In the Australian market, and particularly in Queensland, we have a very low tolerance for "American-style" hype. If you repurpose content that feels overly salesy or uses aggressive "hustle culture" language, it will backfire.
I’ve seen this happen with Brisbane-based coaches who buy "repurposing templates" from US-based gurus. The language is too loud, the hooks are too aggressive, and the local audience senses the inauthenticity immediately.
Repurposing should allow you to show more of your personality, not less. Use local references. Mention the humidity. Talk about the local industry trends. That’s how you win.
Summary of Mistakes to Avoid
1. Leaving watermarks on videos: It’s lazy and kills reach. 2. Using the same caption everywhere: Each platform has its own grammar. 3. Posting to every platform simultaneously: It exhausts your audience. 4. Hiding value behind a link: Give the good stuff away for free on the feed. 5. Ignoring the hook: You have less than a second to stop the scroll. 6. Letting AI run the show: AI lacks the local Brisbane context your business needs.
Conclusion
Content repurposing isn't a hack to save time; it's a strategy to increase impact. If your goal is just to "save time," you're better off not posting at all.
True repurposing requires you to respect the platform and, more importantly, respect the person on the other side of the screen. They aren't just a "user"—they’re a potential client in Milton or Chermside who is looking for a reason to trust you. Don't give them a reason to think you're lazy.
If you’re tired of shouting into the void and want a social media strategy that actually moves the needle for your Brisbane business, let’s talk. At Local Marketing Group, we don't do "lazy." We do effective.
Ready to stop posting garbage and start seeing ROI? Contact Local Marketing Group today.