You made a video for your business that raises awareness, promoting products and services . Now you’re reaping the benefits of a tool that lets you connect with your target market. The video may have a place of prominence on your homepage and maybe you’re also using it at conferences or perhaps emailing it to a client list. But how else can you use it? Can you stretch that video even further by giving it new life and new purpose? Today’s blog is about repurposing video content.
Get More Bang For Your Buck
That video you made is more than a one-trick pony. It can be used across channels and platforms, giving you even more bang for your buck. Whether you reuse the entire video, cut it up into pieces, or take away the video element, there are myriad ways to squeeze every last bit of useful out of your investment. Think of a video like a well-made, versatile piece of clothing that can be used in a number of capacities. Here are some ideas for repurposing your video.
Podcast
The highest number of podcast listeners in Canada are between 35 and 54 years old. That’s a lot of purchasing power! Why not give them something to do during a commute, while they’re cleaning the house, or taking the dog for a walk? Many people like this easy-to-consume format, putting podcast content in high demand and give you an avenue to repurpose your video.
To convert your video to a podcast, try listening to your video without watching it. Does the audio alone make sense? Videos without a lot of text or graphics work especially well as podcasts. You may still need to make a few edits and possibly record a new intro or conclusion for the best effect. Just lift those audio files, do any necessary tweaking, and you have a podcast version of your video ready to distribute.
Blog
Blogs are a great way to raise awareness of your business. Through the use of keywords and high quality links, people will be able to find you and learn about your company. Blogs are also a good way to demonstrate thought leadership. If you have a video that talks about your industry, it could make a great blog!
Start by transcribing your video. You can do this yourself or use a transcription service. You don’t need to post the entire transcribed video; instead, pick out the most important points. Use some headings to break up the blog and make it easy for readers to find specific topics. Finally, embed your video. Now readers have the chance to understand the highlights through text, but they can also watch the entire video if they choose.
Social Media
Of course it makes sense to use video as part of your social media marketing plan. Did you know that tweets with video get 10 times more engagement than those without? While some platforms will let you upload a longer video, others limit video length. Even if you can upload an entire video, consider posting a shorter clip that suits the platform. Have a look at the recommended video lengths for various social media platforms and cut your full video into snackable segments.
For social media cuts, pick the part of your video that really speaks to your target market. That’s very likely be the first ten to thirty seconds. That’s the section that should hook the audience and summarize what’s coming. This snippet can work as a tease that entices your audience to watch the full video or find out more about your business.
The Long and Short of It
Think of your video (or videos) as modular. Can you combine two or more? Or divide one into pieces? Have a look at your video inventory with these questions in mind.
For a compilation, you can take shorter videos and string them together. This produces a sort of snapshot of your business. Add a voice-over or set the clips to music for cohesion. This works well if you have a stockpile of short videos made for social media.
If you have one long video, think about cutting it into segments. Longer videos are often already divided into chapters. You may even have title pages or text that serve as natural cutting points and can also act as the start of a shorter video. Take that snippet and post it to your social media channels with a sentence that will make your audience want to hit play. Another great way to repurpose your videos.
Webinar
Use your video as the foundation for a webinar. Run a video clip, then expand on what you showed. Video is a good way to increase the visual interest of a webinar and introduce whatever topic you’ll be discussing. Sprinkle video clips throughout your webisode to keep things moving and maintain audience engagement.
To prep for your webinar (internal link), go through your video and identify short clips that deliver strong messages. Look for provocative statements, jumping off points, or definitions. Anything that will serve as an introduction to the topic you want to discuss.
Stills
It may seem counter-intuitive use moving images for stills, but it’s actually a very useful way to repurpose video. These stills can be used in a social media post, on blogs, or for marketing materials. You can even make GIFs.
Scroll through videos to find images that stand out and will work as stills. Anything that catches your eye as you shuttle through footage is worth considering. This could be a chart or graph, text, product shots, or logos. Basically, any picture that helps tell your business story. Or you can start by thinking about where you want to use stills and then look for images that support that use.
That’s a Wrap
A finished video has nearly limitless potential. Even the raw footage used to make a video has value. Start thinking about how you can repurpose video and stretch that commitment to the format even further. One last idea: bloopers. A series of outtakes can be pretty entertaining for a viewer. Plus, it helps humanize your business. If you have some mistakes that made you laugh, chances are your audience will also enjoy them. Show the lighter side of your company buy posting a blooper reel on your website or social media channels.
