If you’re not repurposing video content, you’re leaving a lot on the table: time savings, better reach, increased engagement and a consistent content schedule—minus writer burnout and half-empty calendars.

You can create multiple micro content out of a single video footage. Repurposed video content can be transformed into shorter clips for platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, engaging a broader audience. This is how Alex Harmozi took his followers from 180k to 1.2M, how Gary Vaynerchuk creates 64 pieces of content daily, and so can you.

Here are tips, tactics, and examples on how to repurpose video content.

What does repurposing video content mean?

Repurposing video content is the process of adapting (or “recycling”) existing video content into video, audio or text-based formats to extend its lifespan and reach new audiences.

For example, you can convert interviews with experts into blog posts, short snippets for social media, or LinkedIn posts for promotion. That’s repurposing.

And so is cutting a YouTube video into short videos for social media promotion. Or adapting a 5-minute TikTok into a 90-second Instagram Reel.

Put simply: Instead of sharing the original video as-is, you simply modify its content for a specific platform, audience, use case, or promotional campaign, saving time and resources.

Using a video editing tool to segment key sections of a video into shorter clips can help isolate impactful moments such as quotes or interesting facts, enhancing efficiency and versatility in content creation.

This also works because not everyone likes to watch videos. Some may prefer reading blogs or skimming through a carousel of photos.

With repurposing, you can cater to the consumption preferences of multiple audiences using a single video.

What repurposing video content isn’t

Repurposing video content isn’t the same as reposting or cross-posting. Even though all three methods reuse the original video, the terms are often (wrongfully) used interchangeably.

This is because of how social media functions.

Since short-form content like Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and YouTube Shorts all have a similar 60 seconds to 10 minutes-long format, you can share the same video (without modifying) on multiple platforms.

For example, if you’re a fan of Fenty Beauty (or their marketing genius), you know how often they repost UGC videos on Instagram.

This simple tactic kills multiple birds with a single stone: It provides social proof, builds community, and boosts engagement for the brand.

This, however, isn’t the same as repurposing video content.

• Reposting video content is resharing someone else’s or your own videos on the same platform. For example, sharing a UGC video on Instagram from your own Instagram page.

• Cross-posting video content is publishing the same video on two different platforms. For example, publishing the same product promotion video on your Instagram and YouTube channels.

Video repurposing is a strategic method to maximize the value of existing video content.

At a glance: Difference between repurposing, reposting, and cross-posting video content

To summarize the differences, we can compare the three content marketing tactics based on the following factors:

Video repurposing transforms long-form videos into smaller, more engaging pieces tailored for various platforms.

Understanding Your Video Content

Before diving into the world of repurposing, it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of your video content. This means taking a closer look at your existing videos, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and determining which ones are worth repurposing. By doing so, you can ensure that your efforts are focused on the content that has the most potential to engage and resonate with your audience.

Start by reviewing your video library and categorizing your videos based on their performance, relevance, and quality. Identify the videos that have received positive feedback, high engagement, and significant views. These are the gems that can be polished and repurposed to extend their lifespan and reach new audiences.

Identifying High-Performing Videos for Repurposing

To make the most out of your repurposing efforts, it’s essential to identify high-performing videos that are ripe for repurposing. This involves analyzing performance metrics such as views, engagement, and conversion rates. Use video analytics tools to track these metrics and gain insights into which videos are resonating with your target audience.

Look for videos that have high engagement rates, such as likes, comments, and shares. These indicators show that the content is striking a chord with viewers. Additionally, pay attention to videos that have driven conversions, such as sales or leads. These videos have already proven their effectiveness and can be repurposed to achieve similar results on different platforms.

Types of video content suitable for repurposing

You can pick any of the following videos from repurposing. Since they’re longer in length, they are easy to adapt and modify.

• Product tutorial videos

• Customer testimonial videos

• Short-form videos like TikToks and Reels

• Webinar recordings

• Podcast videos

• Interviews with subject matter experts

• Event live streams

Video repurposing can extend the reach and lifespan of these types of videos by transforming them into smaller, more engaging pieces tailored for various platforms.

How to choose videos for repurposing?

There are many ways to reuse a single video. How do you choose the right format and platform to get the most out of repurposing?

Here are a few tips to consider.

• Think of repurposing ideas beforehand: This may sound a bit counterintuitive but always have a couple of ideas ready before filming video content. That way, you can shoot the footage correctly (for example, horizontally or vertically).

• Check performance metrics: How is your video library performing? You can check social media and website analytics to pull metrics and see what’s working well. These types of videos are usually ripe for repurposing.

• Go for contextually relevant videos: Crowd wisdom says you should only repurpose evergreen or popular video content. However, your focus should always be on what ideas are the most relevant for your audience at a given point in time.

• Choose a platform to target: Always be on marketing channels where your audiences are. There’s no point sharing repurposed video content on TikTok if they prefer getting emails.

• Find out the most suitable format: With video content, it’s easier to clip the footage and create short-form videos. But your focus For example, if you’re targeting Instagram, you want to create Reels as they perform better.

• Promote the repurposed content: There’s a common thumb rule in marketing: You should spend 20% of your time on content creation and the rest of the 80% on content promotion. It goes without saying that you should promote and amplify your repurposed content the same way you would your original videos. This will get you the eyeballs and drive user action.

Video repurposing can transform high-performing videos into multiple formats to maximize engagement.

9 ways to repurpose video content

1. Convert long-form videos into short clips and social media posts

If you’re publishing long-form videos like interviews, podcasts or livestreams, you’re likely left with a lot of B-roll footage. Consider editing them into short snippets, clips and carousels. FAQs can serve as a way to deliver information without the need to watch the full-length video.

Why? Because you just can’t go wrong with short-form content. In fact, they tend to get 2.5x more engagement than long-form videos.

Formula 1, for example, has been hitting the bullseye with every video they put out. If you’re a fan, you may have noticed how frequently they repurpose the race videos on socials to boost engagement.

Recently, when Daniel Ricciardo allegedly raced his final Grand Prix, F1 shared his emotional interview on YouTube.

They repurposed the interview into a series of snippets and Reels on Instagram.

Also shared as Shorts on YouTube.

Do note: This works for F1 because they produce videos of the highest quality, and viewers want updates. Everything about the business also boils down to what happens on the racing tracks.

This tactic may not translate well for B2B or software products.

2. Convert UGC videos into social proof for websites

This is a pretty clever use of user-generated content (UGC) videos.

If you’re wondering why, consider how interactive content affects website performance: Interactive content can generate 2x more conversions than passive content. Additionally, landing page videos can enhance conversion rates by delivering key messages efficiently.

This is what OpusClip (coincidentally an AI video clipping tool 🫠) has been doing with their “Wall of Love.”

They use Flockler to curate and display genuine customer testimonials posted on social media, showcasing why they’re #1.

This is brilliant because there’s no better social proof than UGC.

When your website visitors see customers raving about your products, they’re likely to leave either with a purchase or a positive experience.

So, embed UGC videos (or any product video) on your website and watch the engagement soar.

3. Convert customer success stories into case studies for website blog

You can never go wrong with repurposing video content into textual content. It is one of the oldest tricks in the book to maximize engagement and increase the lifespan of your central ideas. Why? Because text-based content is easier to edit and update than video content.

It’s also more accessible since you can translate the text into any language in minutes.

BigCommerce knows the drill, which is why they turn customer success story videos into written case studies to flaunt on their website.

Here’s one they did for Music Direct.

You can follow a simple process to convert videos into text:

• Transcribe the video script

• Identify key takeaways to highlight

• Brief the writer about the objective of the piece

• Produce the first draft using direct quotes from the video

• Publish the text with the video embedded in the page (if possible)

4. Create animated GIFS out of videos for email marketing

When repurposing video content, you don’t always need to think far. It can be something as simple as turning snippets from the video into GIFs.

For example, when Liquid Death partnered with Bad Birdie for a limited edition Uroclub, they repurposed their video Ad into GIFs for promotional emails.

Have a look.

This GIF is totally on-brand with LD’s tongue-in-cheek humor. It also adds personality, shows off your product, and captures the reader’s attention in a jiffy.

Animated GIFs level up email marketing like that.

5. Cut soundbites from podcasts for social media promotion

Every good podcast (or interview) needs a good promotion. If you’re investing in producing top-quality video podcasts, you should be editing the footage into short videos and clips for social media promotion. It is important to adapt video formats to fit the unique characteristics of various social media platforms.

• Take out a soundbite

• Cut a teaser for the podcast

• Create a montage with voiceover

The possibilities are endless, but we’re giving you two examples to take inspiration from.

First off, consider The Rich Roll Podcast on YouTube. He often edits the longer podcast into bite-sized soundbites and cross-posts the clips across Shorts, Instagram, and TikTok.

Another example comes from The Futur, which does the same. They also cut their podcast into bite-sized clips with catchy captions like “Why people hate sales so much.”

It’s a great way to stop the scroll and drive viewers to watch the episode.

6. Repurpose customer testimonials or influencer collaborations into social media Ads

This is no secret: 88% of consumers trust customer reviews as much as personal recommendations. So, building trust and providing social proof is of utmost importance.

However, we (also) often overlook something crucial: Most consumers also want to see the “product in use” to trust the brand. This is where video advertisements work wonders. Integrating repurposed video content into email marketing strategies can also be highly effective.

SOSHE Beauty, a skincare-infused, clean makeup brand, often uses testimonials from genuinely happy customers as social media Ads.

In the example above, they’ve compiled snippets of customers applying and reacting to different products into a montage-like Ad for Meta (formerly Facebook).

Note: You can’t use UGC videos on your own. Always get permission from creators before using customer testimonials and UGC videos as Ads. Also, give due credit to the creator.

7. Create teasers and highlight videos to promote special events, podcast episodes or contests

Repurposing long-form videos into teasers and highlights is a brilliant video marketing trick.

It could be anything: a conference, podcast episode, product launch, and more. No matter the event, they can build anticipation and create buzz, chatter and enthusiasm among the audience before a special release.

The Tim Ferriss Show, for example, always begins with a few seconds of teaser-like clips. It gives a glimpse into what’s coming next and sets the vibe of the episode.

In Vimeo’s case, the videos in question are cut more elaborately into teasers and shared on social media for their #vimeostaffpick campaign.

You can also use highlight and recap videos as teasers, as they both serve the same purpose: Providing a sneak peek. HubSpot used this tactic to encourage participation for the INBOUND 2024 event.

They compiled and crafted a recap video using the footage from INBOUND 2023 to showcase what participants can look forward to.

8. Create multiple short-form videos with a single footage

One footage, multiple micro content: When done cleverly, it’s the best way to maximize engagement while minimizing time spent brainstorming and creating videos. Video repurposing can transform a single footage into multiple engaging pieces.

This is where Fenty Beauty shines the most. For example, they shot a promotional Ad with Rihanna for the launch of their new lip products and repurposed the source video for Instagram and YouTube.

Below is when they first announced the campaign. It was a striking close-up shot of Rihanna using the new lip products.

They created another video when customers started inquiring about the lip combo Rihanna was wearing. This focused more on behind-the-scenes for this particular look.

And #BlackCherryLips soon became a makeup trend.

But every time, they modified the video to meet the marketing goal. This is what made the products go viral and drive sales for Fenty.

Pro Tip: If you’re planning to repurpose a single footage into multiple short-form videos, experts suggest shooting with a 4K in a landscape or the typical format mode. You can easily crop and edit the video vertically for social media.

9. Convert product tutorials into how-to guides

There is a bit of a dilemma with product tutorials: While they are technically created to “educate” a user, they’re often not the best guides to follow along.

Nobody really wants to pause and restart the video to learn how a product works. Do they?

On the other hand, offering a how-to guide gives new users a better chance at learning and learning quickly. This is a practice we follow diligently at Flockler.

For example, we published a simple, actionable video on YouTube demonstrating how a Flockler user can embed an Instagram hashtag feed on their website.

We later doubled the efforts by using stills from the video and writing down a comprehensive step-by-step guide for our blog.

You can also embed the tutorial in the blog post (like we did). This will boost your visibility on SERPs, as search engines favor pages with video content. You want to know another secret sauce? Embed your social media stories and posts on your website (you can also make’em shoppable) to encourage engagement and drive conversions.

Repurposing Video Content with AI and Tools

Repurposing video content can be a time-consuming process, but with the help of AI and tools, you can streamline the process and make it more efficient. AI technology can assist in various ways, from generating subtitles and closed captions to transcribing videos into text. This text can then be used to create blog posts, social media posts, and other written content.

AI can also analyze your videos to identify key moments, such as highlights and lowlights, which can be used to create shorter clips and teasers. Additionally, AI-powered tools can automatically generate thumbnails and preview images for your videos, saving you time and effort.

There are several AI-powered tools available that can help you repurpose video content. Video editing software like:

• Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro offer AI-powered editing tools and features.
• Video transcription software such as Rev.com  
• GoTranscript can transcribe your videos into text.
• Video analysis software like Wibbitz and Lumen5 can identify key moments for repurposing.

Best Practices for Repurposing Video Content

Repurposing video content requires a strategic approach to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your existing videos. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Creating a Routine for Repurposing

To maximize the benefits of repurposing, it’s essential to create a routine. Start by regularly reviewing your existing videos and identifying opportunities for repurposing. Develop a content calendar that outlines when and how you’ll repurpose your videos. This will help you stay organized and ensure that your repurposing efforts are consistent.

Assign tasks and responsibilities to team members to make repurposing a collaborative effort. This can include video editing, content creation, and promotion. By involving your team, you can leverage different skills and perspectives to create high-quality repurposed content.

Finally, track the performance of your repurposed content and adjust your strategy accordingly. Use analytics tools to measure engagement, reach, and conversions. This data will help you understand what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to refine your approach and achieve better results.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that you’re getting the most out of your video content and maximizing its reach and engagement.

FAQs

How do I recycle video content?

You can recycle (or repurpose) video content by changing its format or editing it into short videos and clips. Convert into blog posts, guides, Ads, infographics, GIFs, and promotional social media videos for different use cases. Repurposed video content is versatile and can be used across various platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels to engage a broader audience.

Can I repurpose YouTube videos?

Yes, you can repurpose your own YouTube videos in any way. But if the video in question belongs to another creator, you’ll need to seek their permission to use it.

What is a short-form video?

A short-form video is typically under 10 minutes long and shot vertically. For example, Instagram Reel, YouTube shorts, and TikTok are all short video formats.