More ways to repurpose social media videos, part 2
This is part two in this series on repurposing social media videos. In case you missed the first post, check it out here. In that post, I write more about long-term vs. short-term impacts of videos and why videos belong on your website for longer-lasting impressions.
Welcome back!
Recording video footage can be hard. You have to figure out what to shoot, what shots to take, set up your equipment (even if you’re only using your smartphone!), set up the object of your shoot or decide where your subject will sit, record the footage, adjust the object or subject, record again from different angles, adjust the lighting, and on, and on, and on.
For all that goes into it, WHY WOULD YOU ONLY USE THAT FOOTAGE ONCE… ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NO LESS??
(I’m not typically an “ALL CAPS, bold, with color” kinda lady, but the frustration I feel cannot be expressed adequately by these words alone.)
While recording video does get easier over time, it still requires effort so make sure to maximize that effort.
Planning, Planning, Planning
Of course, you can simply press the record button without a plan and think of different ways to use the footage after the fact.
But what if there was a better way?
Planning your shots (especially when you have to get lots of footage) will ensure that you use it effectively, saving you time in the long run. Whether you use a worksheet or just pause and list all the ways you could use the footage before you start recording, you will get better quality, more usable footage when you plan.
Every time I’ve rushed recording footage, I’ve regretted it after the fact. I also have found that it’s helpful to record more footage than you think you need. Go ahead, ask me how I know. 😉
Definitions
Now before we get into the main point of the post (ideas galore!), let’s define some common words first.
ASMR (or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) - the pleasant, relaxing sensation you feel in your body usually when listening to certain sounds (although there can be a visual component for some, too)
B-Roll - environmental or atmospheric footage without dialogue or audio
GIFs - short, looping videos, usually six seconds or less in length
Time lapse - when the subject of the video has been sped up (e.g. a flower unfurling its bloom over the course of a day might be sped up for a 30-second video)
Voiceover - recorded audio of a person speaking that can be used with other footage
Now that we got the gobbly-gook out of the way, let’s get into the tips and ideas on how to repurpose your social media videos in new, fandangled ways.
Reuse footage into new videos
Some of these ideas will take more time and some less. Read through them all and see what feels right for you and your level of effort.
Combine the b-roll with new audio or text
Layer that lovely footage with different audio, music, voiceover, or text to create an entirely new video.
Take it to the next level (or work with a video editor) - You can use filters to even create different moods based on the vibe you’re trying to achieve (here’s a really nice example from a professional).
Use b-roll of products on your product pages
While you were taping that footage for a social media video, did you get any footage of your products? If yes, trim it down and upload it to your product pages on your own site or other platforms like Etsy or Shopify.
Take it to the next level (or work with a video editor) - Your content might inspire you to change it up for your product pages. For example, you might want to update that footage of a sneaker to include text pointing out all interesting features of said sneaker.
Compile footage into a tutorial
Blend a series of shorter videos into a longer tutorial video.
For example, if you have a few short social media videos about basic crochet stitches, you could combine those into a longer video about the 5 most common crochet stitches a beginner might need to know. Separate each section with a consistent graphic and you’ve got yourself a tutorial compilation that could live on YouTube, be embedded in a blog post, or linked from other pages on your site.
Mix and match clips in a new video
In shooting video, you might have footage of you using the same tool, technique, or product across different videos. Consider cutting out clips from videos and combining them into an entirely new video about a related topic.
For example, for DIY home renovators, they might have footage of them using the same tools in different videos. Cut those snippets and string them together into a new video about tools they commonly use. Or add a voiceover or text to create a short review of the tool or show a technique.
Another example I like is when a wrong technique is used in a recording. If you have video of the correct technique, you can then use them side-by-side as a sort of “lesson learned” video.
Combine other videos into a relaxing time lapse video
If you have videos of similar topics, you can combine the footage, speed things up, replace the music with something relaxing, and create a time lapse video (here’s a painting example that will help you chill out).
Publish those bloopers
Always ask permission for this idea, but if the people who were recorded don’t mind, blooper footage can be repurposed into highly entertaining videos for your blog, website, or social media.
And if you have permission and don’t have enough for a full bloopers Reel, you could take screenshots of funny faces people made while filming and share those instead.
Let the hilarity ensue!
Create gifs from your footage
Some of your content might have a funny twist to it or could be used effectively on your blog posts, in email newsletters, or in other social media posts as a GIF. The awesome thing about GIFs is that you can create them with just about any clip because they’re so short.
I’ve even seen people add GIFs to their email signatures or share them on social media with clever captions.
Some people may say GIFs are dead, but I’ve closed my ears to that nonsense. Those were also the people who told me QR codes would never be helpful. Long live GIFs!
Share published videos in new ways
Resize or shorten videos for different platforms
Because social media platforms have different aspect ratios (e.g. horizontal, vertical, square), it does take extra work to resize and re-format a video to look just right on another platform.
But it usually will take you less time to do that than create a whole new video. So if you’ve pulled together a horizontal video for Facebook, LinkedIn, or other platforms, see if you can revise it so it fits as a vertical video for Instagram and TikTok.
Likewise, if you have an Instagram Reel that can be repurposed into a YouTube Short (a vertical video less than 60 seconds in length), that could be an easy way to give your video new life on a different platform.
Another option is to create a video teaser for the full video. Here’s a great example on Instagram with the full video on YouTube.
As you can see in the example, they shared the first bit of the video on Instagram and then right when they hook you with the beautiful fabric, an animated slide pops up to shuttle viewers to YouTube to watch the rest.
Share via email
Email marketing platforms make it super easy now to link to videos and even post GIFs to entice people to click on those links. So if you have an email newsletter, make room for your videos to be shared there!
And don’t just share that video once and call it good. You could re-share it at relevant times of year or in a year’s time as a look back post.
Repurpose the video into a video ad
Some platforms allow and encourage video ads as an eye-catching way to grab attention from visitors. Repurposing your social media video into a video ad might require some shortening, resizing, and checking that the message meets your ad goals.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook make it easy to boost a post into an ad, which can make it easier to try out video ads without much additional work.
Use screenshots from the video
This is a simple way to double the exposure of your videos - capture screenshots from your videos and create carousel posts for Instagram. You could use the images by themselves or add text and graphics to jazz them up further.
Alternatively you could take a whole bunch of relevant screenshots from various videos and turn those into a new Reel or other video. 🤯 (I hope I’m not getting too meta with that one.)
Another option would be to use screenshots for #ThrowbackThursday posts or you could blur out critical parts of the videos as a guessing game or quiz on social media. The opportunities here are endless!
Reuse your audio content into new videos
Great audio is just as fantastic as quality footage in my book. I like to record audio a few times in one round and highly recommend everyone do this for lots of reasons:
Sometimes your voice needs to warm up.
You may forget how to speak or say a word weirdly. You may find yourself laughing hilarious at your attempts to say the word.
Maybe there’s a ding in the background or someone rings your doorbell and your dog barks his cute lil’ head off.
Sometimes you just need to try out different inflections (or accents!) and pauses to hit on the right variation.
All these situations have happened to me while recording! You just never know when you need to splice audio from different recordings together or want to use parts of the audio for different videos in the future.
Create an ASMR video
Have you captured audio with a unique, pleasurable sound? Think softly clinking glasses, purring, or someone dropping buttons into a ceramic bowl.
Build a short ASMR video with that audio by pairing it with stock footage or other footage that’s relevant.
Want to get into podcasting? Wait no more!
You can extract the audio from your video and upload it to a podcast platform as a podcast episode. This works especially well if you have enough audio to pull into a 20-30 minute episode.
You could also embed that audio file in a blog post and write it up for your show notes, which is helpful for SEO purposes.
Final words of advice:
Don’t one-and-done anything!
If you remember nothing else from this blog post, please take this lesson: your videos can live beyond their single use.
After all, just like multi-use plastics, reusing your audio or footage is way more effective and efficient!
Now go forth and review your footage library to see what new video ideas jump out at you. And don’t forget to reach out if you need a video editor or video content strategist by your side! 😉
