Producing video content for your business can represent a considerable investment in time and resources.
So, you’ll be glad to learn that each video you produce doesn’t have to be a “one and done” kind of a deal.
Regardless of your video’s original purpose and format, chances are you can repurpose the content in several different ways so you enjoy maximum bang for your (marketing) buck.
Repurposing video content not only extends your content’s lifespan – it also increases your ROI and helps you reach a larger audience in the process.
Here are five ideas for how you can repurpose your business’s video content to make it fresh again. You may be surprised to learn that it can be easier than you think!
Convert your video into a podcast
Perhaps you have video of a great interview you conducted with a team member, client, or someone in your industry. Or maybe you have some great training videos for your business. These types of videos are ideal podcast material.
Converting your video into a podcast couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is take the audio from the video, or ask your production company to do it for you. (If you choose to DIY, be aware that some free programs may contain spyware, so it’s important to do your research first.)
Once that’s taken care of, all that’s left to do is add in any necessary intros or outros, and voila – you have a podcast!
The great thing about repurposing your video content into a podcast is that suddenly, the barrier to someone consuming that content is even lower. While video is a popular format online, the one downside is that it requires your audience’s full attention. By contrast, podcasts are more easily consumed because they only require listening, not viewing.
Considering just how simple this option for repurposing video content is, and how effectively it can reach your audience, why wouldn’t you do it?
Convert your video into a blog post
If you have a training video, a case study video, a product demo video, or any other kind of informational video, then your content is ripe for repurposing as a blog post.
To convert your video into a blog post, you need to export the dialogue into textual form.
You can do this yourself by typing out a DIY transcript, or you can use a service like Rev.com or Fiverr, which will transcribe your content and save you time, all for minimal cost.
One of the biggest benefits of converting your video into a blog post is that written content is great for SEO. That’s because it gives Google something more substantial to “crawl” in order to better understand what your business does. A blog post is also more likely to appear in Google’s search results than a video when a user is researching a topic.
Don’t forget to embed your video at the top of the blog post. This offers two benefits. First, you don’t have to invest in finding an image to make the content look more appealing. And second, you can simultaneously cater to audiences who prefer to read and those who prefer to watch. Win-win.
Turn video snippets into social media “stories”
Another repurposing option is to turn your video content into social media “stories” for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or even YouTube.
To do this, you can edit existing footage into vertical format and cut certain sections down to 30-second clips, or, for a more extended message, create several 30-second clips designed to follow one another.
The content you repurpose into social media stories could be a teaser that links to the full video, or it could be a snippet from the video that works well on its own. Either way, it’s a great way to repurpose your existing footage for minimal cost.
There are plenty of ways to make your story content more engaging, such as adding questions, polls, music, or “stickers” and other images.
Most importantly, the numbers suggest that repurposing your content into social media stories can really pay off. According to Hootsuite, “58% of people in the U.S. say they’ve become more interested in a brand after seeing it in Facebook Stories”. Imagine what that could do for your business!
Make use of outtakes
If you have access to all your footage, not just the final edit, then you have a goldmine of potential content for outtakes, behind the scenes, or blooper reel videos.
You may choose to publish your outtake videos on social media or keep the new edit for internal uses only – for example, by saving it for your staff Christmas party.
Of course, if you choose to share a blooper reel video publicly, it’s important to make strategic decisions about what to include and exclude.
While blooper reels and other outtakes can be a great way to humanise your business and entertain your audience, you want to avoid embarrassing staff members or presenting your business in a negative light.
But, if you tread the right balance, outtake videos can be a great option for repurposing existing video content.
Create social media ads
Lifting snippets from video content that features and showcases your services or products can be a great way to repurpose those videos into social media ads.
Social media ads are usually quite short, because they need to catch and maintain the attention of people who are scrolling. 15 seconds is an ideal length. So, they don’t have to take long to make!
The easiest way to repurpose your videos into social media ads is to take existing footage and add a voiceover or text overlay (or both) to the content.
When creating social media ads, remember that according to Sprout Social, a whopping 94% of Facebook Ad revenue is from mobile users. In other words, chances are your audience will see your ad on their phone. As such, it pays to optimise your social media ads for mobile phone users. Mobile-friendly videos also generate more engagement.
Repurposing videos into social media ads is a low-cost way to improve the ROI on your original video investment. So, why wouldn’t you give it a go?
What do you think?
Now you know five ways you can repurpose your video content to refresh your marketing efforts and improve your ROI.
Which of these ideas would most benefit your business? Do you have another suggestion for repurposing video content for your business?
Let us know in the comments!