Everybody has heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder.” But when it comes to utilizing your content, are you working smarter? Let’s say you just shot an awesome promotional piece for your brand to use for a commercial. Instead of thinking, “We got the video we needed for our commercial. Great!”; start thinking, “We got the video we needed for our commercial. Now how, or where else can we use this footage to promote our brand?” Once you start thinking about all your social channels rather than focusing on one at a time, you’ll be able to repurpose existing content in new ways across platforms to get the most out of your assets.
Many brands already have a presence on social media (think Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) which opens the door to a variety of existing followers and audiences. Wouldn’t it be great if you could reach all of these audiences with the same content? Hint: you can!
Let’s revisit the example from earlier of shooting a promotional commercial for your brand. Go through the full commercial (or any longer form content you may have) and make note of any particularly engaging moments or elements that catch your eye. From there, you can take those “highlights” and create short video clips that can be used on your other social media pages.
Find a cool sound on TikTok and post a clip that will teach the viewer something or hop on a fun trend to show that your brand is agile and in the know. Does your brand have a YouTube channel? Take that shortened video and post it as a YouTube Short – this is a great way to capitalize on your existing audience of YouTube subscribers while also reaching new viewers who might not have seen your content if it was posted only as another video on your page. Instagram Reels is another great way to get the most out of your video content, and the good news here is that it doesn’t have to be a whole production. Social media users are looking for authenticity, and it’s the scrappy, unpolished clips that are attracting the most viewers. Don’t be afraid to pick up your cell phone and record and edit your content in-app. Just don’t forget to post it!
And lastly, let’s not forget about Facebook. With the recent introduction of Facebook Reels, you can utilize your same short-form video content yet again and take advantage of your loyal followers who already know your brand.
Repurposing content doesn’t just apply to video either. Did you recently write a blog or put out a press release? Take short snippets from long-form written pieces to use in a YouTube video description or as copy for a social post. Approaching any form of content with the lens of “how could I use this somewhere else?” is the key to making the most of your content and ultimately working smarter, not harder.
