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Repurposing content isn’t a new strategy. The formula is simple – create once, repurpose & reuse many times. Extend the lifespan of existing assets. This way, you not only increase the RoI of the content production process but also are able to scale up content marketing faster.
On the face of it, the process seems simple –
BUT before you start working on content repurposing, ask yourself these critical questions –
Confused? Don’t worry. Let me share all the tips and tricks we use at Content Beta that help our clients re-purpose existing content and convert text to videos.
We help B2B, SaaS and AI product teams ship on-brand videos without fresh hiring, for launches, campaigns and sales.
Content repurposing is the process of taking existing content and adapting it into a new format. Think of it as your favorite TV show spin-off. You’re taking the characters (content) you already love or are popular and creating a whole new plotline (format).
For instance, a blog post might be converted into a video, a podcast, an ebook or a social media post. It’s not just a simple copy-paste job. You may have to adapt to different platforms and different audiences. E.g., Instagram users hang out there for entertainment, whereas users on G2 are looking for testimonials & reviews to make a purchase decision.
Quick Note 1 – Content repurposing isn’t the same as repetition.
Quick Note 2 – Content repurposing isn’t the same as content recycling.
We’ll discuss this soon.
Look through your content archives. Find the best performing or high potential contents. These are your prime candidates for content repurposing. Keywords are – well-researched, evergreen, hi-impressions or views, popular, hi-volume search.
Now, let’s think about where your target audience likes to hang out – are they YouTube binge-watchers, LinkedIn lurkers, or podcast addicts? Choose a format that will fit their consumption habits like a glove – Vertical vs. Square or 60 seconds vs. 90 seconds.
Well, speaking of podcasts, Content Beta has got ’em! We chat with industry hotshots about product marketing and customer education. Our shows?
Now comes the fun part – it’s time to give the content a makeover. Remember, content repurposing is more than a copy-paste job. Give it a new spin, a fresh perspective, or a different angle. Use the latest design and transition trends. E.g., title box, animated subtitles, occasional stock video insertions, sound effects, etc.
Besides hiring a on-demand creative agency such as ContentBeta, you can also use a lot of DIY tools such as Descript, Canva, etc.
Now that you are done with content repurposing, it’s showtime! Publish it and don’t forget – a little social media shout-out or a mention in your newsletter can go a long way.
Keep a track on how your repurposed content is performing. Use the insights to fine-tune your content repurpose strategy for the next round.
Keep the cycle going! You can repurpose every new piece of content you create, right from the start.
Known for its inbound marketing software, HubSpot repurposed some of its top-performing blogs into a fun, informative educational video series. They raised the content repurposing bar and effectively took leverage of it to maximize its brand reach.
Blog:
Video:
Have the script ready, but nobody on your team can animate the video?
Here’s another win for repurposing content – Moz took SEO articles and created the legendary ‘Whiteboard Friday’ video series. Complex stuff made easy-peasy and highly accessible!
Slack didn’t just repurpose customer testimonials, they turned them into immersive video sagas. It amplified the impact of their social proof. Now, that’s how to repurpose content with flair!
Intercom took the content repurposing strategy up a notch. They showed us how to repurpose a blog post by morphing detailed product guides into a series of snappy explainer videos. User engagement skyrocketed!
Blog:
Video:
Your product UI keeps changing. How do you keep the video up to date?
Shopify excelled at content repurposing by turning how-to blogs into video tutorials. The idea was to cater to users who prefer visual instructions. And voila, visual learners hooked!
Blog:
Video:
Asana repurposed its in-depth blog posts into interactive webinars. It offered interactive content for its users while giving us all a masterclass in repurposing content for social media.
Zendesk went full Pixar, repurposing customer service tips into a fun animated video series. Talk about a creative and entertaining content repurposing strategy!
Mailchimp hit the content repurposing jackpot by turning case studies into compelling video narratives. Complex data made digestible via storytelling – content repurposing at its finest!
Blog:
Video:
Canva knocked it out of the park by transforming its design tips and guides into quick video tutorials. Bite-sized learning, anyone?
Salesforce repurposed its thought leadership pieces into podcast episodes and video chats. They proved the power of a robust content repurposing strategy. Now that’s how to repurpose video content with style!
We help B2B, SaaS and AI product teams ship on-brand videos without fresh hiring, for launches, campaigns and sales.
According to a report from Gartner, “Reusable high-performing content is ‘gold’ (content that can be reused or contextualized) reducing cost, reducing risk, and accelerating content creation. Push your team to reuse, contextualize, or personalize before creating new.”
Let’s check out why it makes business sense to re-purpose written content into video –
Imagine this: Your team has spent so much time brainstorming what should be text on the website of your landing page. The raw material of your explainer video script is ready! Does it not make sense to use the rich copywriting material to create a script and make a short explainer video?
These short videos can increase the time visitors spend on your page. This signals the search engines that your content is valuable and should rank higher. This video content is ideal for Top-of-the-Funnel Marketing (TOFU).
Sidenote: If you are looking for how to write a video script, click here to download our Scriptwriting Playbook which has 10 storytelling frameworks.
So when you create a pipeline for social media video clips in advance, you have done 90% of your part. Reach wider audiences from different platforms such as YouTube, Linkedin, Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram.
Are you stuck at double digit views (e.g., 9 views, 16 views…) on your uploaded webinars and podcasts on YouTube? Pick the best parts to convert it into <60 second shorts and use that as a teaser to redirect the visitors to important landing pages or lead form or to the original full-length webinar (source).
Transform PDFs, Case-studies, Presentations, or Blogs into professional videos that engage your audience quickly. If you wish to know what’s the cost if you outsource this hi-ROI task, click here to set up a discovery call.
While Content repurposing and content recycling sounds similar, the difference between them is giving your old car a turbocharged engine (that’s repurposing), or simply changing the oil and calling it a day (that’s recycling).
For example, Content repurposing is turning a blog post into a podcast. On the other hand, content recycling is updating an old blog post with new information. Both have their place, but repurposing really lets you squeeze every last bit of value from your content.
Vimeo is like the superhero of video hosting, packed with a comprehensive suite of features. Want to make your videos more appealing? Its interactive video and online video editor features are here to save the day. Need to make your content more accessible? Auto Captioning to the rescue! Hosting virtual events? Vimeo’s got your back with its webinar software.
But wait, there’s more! The Video Player and Video Library make managing your videos effortless, and with the Create Video Maker, Live streaming, and Screen Recorder, you’re all set.
Pocket pinch – $15 to $65 per month with an annual subscription.
Vimeo also values your secret identity with Video Privacy features and encourages team-ups with its Video Collaboration tool. And let’s not forget the video marketing, OTT Video Monetization, and Video Analytics features. Need more professional help? You can even Hire Video Pros. Basically Vimeo is a one stop destination for all your video platform needs.
LinkedIn has emerged as an effective video hosting platform for SaaS companies. For starters, it supports square video formatting, which is ideal for mobile viewers. Then there’s the auto-generated subtitles – making videos more accessible in sound-sensitive environments.
Got a complex SaaS concept? No problem. The platform allows for a generous video duration of 10 to 15 minutes.
Pocket pinch – LinkedIn also recognizes that a killer thumbnail is like the movie poster for your video. It draws people in and makes them want to see more.
ContentBeta re-purposed this video for Sera Systems
Need something like this for your product?
YouTube is the world’s largest video hosting platform. It holds immense potential for SaaS companies. It allows vertical format for YouTube Shorts, which is optimal for mobile users. The 60-second limit provides a unique opportunity to deliver quick, snappy yet impactful messages.
Thumbnails are important. YouTube knows the show starts before the play button is clicked. That’s where the title and thumbnail come into the picture. They serve as the gateway to the video content, making them critical for attracting viewers and driving engagement.
Facebook isn’t just for sharing cute cat videos and vacation snaps anymore – it offers SaaS companies a broad and diverse audience. First off, Facebook encourages vertical videos. It makes your content more accessible and engaging.
As for video duration, Facebook is cool with whatever. Got a quick feature to show off? Go for it. Need more time for a detailed analysis? No problem. But where it really shines is with titles and thumbnails. The right title and a thumbnail acts as a teaser and your SaaS videos could be the next big thing on Facebook. So, ready to get social with your video hosting? Facebook’s got you covered!
Context is everything. That is why first discuss internally about choice of – platform (YouTube vs. Linkedin), format (vertical vs. square), target audience profile (gatekeepers vs. decision makers), quality (highly edited or LoFi UGC), and add-ons (subtitles, stock video, etc.).
Be aware of the audience profile of different platforms. The audience for 30-60 second video format on TikTok, YouTube shorts and Instagram reels – love user-generated content that is of low-fidelity (LoFi = low quality and hence, look real). LinkedIn suits and Instagram hipsters are different breeds. Your content needs different dresses to impress the different crowd.
Don’t let yesterday’s news be today’s content. Use the latest trends in transition, animation, sound effects, and animated subtitles.
Repurposing isn’t a free pass for letting standards slide. Your audience seeks consistency in your brand across all touchpoints. They want to recognize your brand instantly, resonate with it, and remember it. It’s this consistency, this familiar face in the crowd, that earns trust.
Remember – each reincarnated piece is a new content for the viewers. First impressions matter.
Blind to results? Keep your eyes on the prize. How’s your repurposed content doing?
Don’t just repurpose for the sake of it. Make sure each new piece of repurposed content adds value to your audience.
Remember that content repurposing isn’t just about recycling. It’s about reimagining and innovating. The value of a business lies in reusing existing processes, content and customers. They have little or no incremental costs as compared to the incremental value they bring.
Most B2B companies prefer to transform written content into a format that is more retainable by the user.
It can range from an article being turned into an audio file for a website, onboarding material turn into bitesize video series, a string of carrousel graphic images of highlights from a blog for social media platforms, etc. Out of these the most popular one is converting blogs to video as it gives the highest engagement among potential customers.
The meaning of repurposing is to reuse an already created piece of content by transforming it into a different format and using it on platforms that support the new formats.
Most B2B brands create a bundle of content initially by putting in a lot of resources and money but have a hard time keeping up with the production of new content creatively and because of the budget.
In such a case SaaS companies turn to content repurposing, to reuse and circulate the same content through different channels.
Transforming written content into video can be tough without the help of an external agency.
For a SaaS company to achieve this in-house it requires a skilled team of to get the video produced when an optimized manner. The first few steps include going through the content and pulling out specific highlights to create short videos, writing down script and dialogue, deciding on the video style and getting in a voiceover artist.
After this the video will go into production using video editing software, sound design is done and once completed the video is hosted on a suitable platform.
We help B2B, SaaS and AI product teams ship on-brand videos without fresh hiring, for launches, campaigns and sales.
Rishabh Pugalia, CMO/Co-founder, ContentBeta. He advises B2B SaaS companies on brand visibility & product adoption through video & design. He believes in AI-assisted, human-in-the-loop workflows for scaling marketing ops.
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