We’ve all heard the cliche that “content is king.” It still rings true today, however, as content creation is essential to any company’s digital marketing success.
But as anyone who’s ever worked in content marketing will tell you, it can be a struggle to keep up with the pace of producing high-quality, engaging content to hold current customers and draw in new ones.
That’s where the idea of content repurposing can be a lifesaver. You can take the great content you already have on your product pages, social media, and FAQs and save time and money by turning it into new video content.
Why videos? For one, the overwhelming majority of marketers have found that since 2020, video has increased their traffic and dwell time, helped them generate leads, directly increased sales and brand awareness, and is generally recognized as a good ROI.
So let’s take a look at some ways you can repurpose your old content to create new, engaging videos your customers will want to watch while helping you explore new business channels and control your content creation costs.
Product & Service Explainer Videos
Somewhere on your website, you’ve probably written an article explaining how to use a product or service. The good news is that this type of content is great for short, high-quality videos known as explainer videos.
These videos are a great way to explain your audience’s problem, how your product or service addresses it, and why the viewer should give you a try. For added effect, you can also include testimonials from satisfied customers to add some much-earned legitimacy to your claims.
To make a compelling explainer video, look over your current content and choose the points that would benefit the most from having a visual representation to help understand them. These videos don’t require a big production and can usually be made with a few simple animations or recorded demonstrations.
For example, let’s say you’re a company that sells durable workwear. You can make a video using product photography you already have and combine it with on-screen text to highlight all the great product features like double stitching, heavy-duty materials, and all-day comfort.
Also, don’t forget to include text or subtitles; Verizon found that 92% of customers in the U.S. watch videos on their phone with the sound off, meaning captions of some kind are essential to keep viewers engaged.
Social Media Videos and Shorts
Because social media videos tend to be short, you can get more bang for your repurposing buck by taking longer content, such as blogs (or even other videos), and breaking them down into smaller sections.
Choose one point, summarize it to fit the length of the platform, add subtitles, use relevant background images or video, play some background music, and viola; one social media video done!
For example, let’s say your company makes outdoor furniture and has a blog on “The Top 5 Ways to Create a Backyard Oasis”. Instead of focusing on the details of each idea, condense each one down into a short headline accompanied by an image showing that idea in action. Each headline and image is only on screen for a few seconds, and what may have been a 2-minute read can now be a 15-second video that gets exponentially more views.
FAQ Videos
Your FAQ is probably another form of content on your site that receives a fair amount of traffic. These are ideal for making short videos addressing a single topic or a small group of related questions. You can even make a series of shorter videos and release them one by one, then re-release them in a slightly longer, compiled form later.
Again, it’s important to understand your audience and the platform on which you post your video. An FAQ on TikTok will likely be less than 30 seconds long and only include a few questions and answers. On the other hand, a video for YouTube can afford to go more in-depth.
FAQ videos allow you to address other questions as well. Maybe you’ve received some interesting questions from customers through comments, direct messages, or emails that, while insightful, don’t come up often enough to warrant a place on the FAQ. You can take this opportunity to address them and turn them into a quick video.
When it comes to content creation, keeping up with the steady demand for original content can be challenging. Luckily, you have an entire treasure trove of content waiting to be repurposed into video. But no matter what type of video you make or what platform it’s on, don’t forget to add a call to action to encourage your viewers to get in touch or follow you for more great content.
