There’s no denying that the internet is saturated with content. In fact, one of the biggest challenges facing business owners and marketers alike is the mounting pressure to keep up with demand.
A regular supply of fresh content brings with it increased traffic, engagement and conversion opportunities, yet it can also prove to be an inherent drain on time and resources.
An increasingly common solution is to simply repurpose existing content. From giving evergreen content a quick tidy up to completely reformatting old blog posts, crack the process of repurposing content and you’ll soon have a wealth of new opportunities at your fingertips.
To get you started, here’s a quick look at how and why repurposing blog content for video could directly benefit your content strategy.
The power of video
85% of businesses now have internal video production resources in-house, while by 2019 it’s predicted that video will represent over 80% of all traffic online. There’s certainly an increased demand for video, and repurposing existing content to fit this popular format can be one of the most time and cost-effective ways of introducing video marketing to your existing content strategy.
The benefits of repurposing blog content for video include:
New audiences – like it or not, there are a significant number of people out there who simply don’t have the time or inclination to read lengthy blog posts. A recent survey revealed that 59% of executives are likely to choose video if both text and video are available on the same topic. Presenting content in a new format that’s more focused on visuals is one way to tap into this audience.
In-depth metrics – tools like Google Analytics give a good idea of how written content is performing, yet video has the potential to go one step further. Many platforms will give you a view of how much content has been watched and the point at which users are exiting the video, allowing you to learn more about what works best for your audience.
Increased ROI – 52% of marketers name video as the type of content that offers the best ROI. Repurposing existing content allows you to reduce the amount of time spent researching a topic, in turn becoming one of the most efficient ways to make video a regular part of your content strategy.
Getting started
Choose which content to repurpose
There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to determining which blog posts to repurpose first. Those that attracted a high level of organic traffic in their written form are obvious choices, yet you may find that some posts naturally lend themselves to being repurposed for video more than others. The key is in mining each blog post for the most important detail and using these to determine the angle of your video content.
Find the right platform
From YouTube to Slideshare, video can take any number of different forms. You may opt to work existing copy into a slick voiceover script or to set yourself up in front of the camera and take a more freestyle approach. Whatever you choose, keep this new format in mind and focus on covering only the highlights, in a way that’s visually appealing as well as informative.
Top tips
Give your video purpose
While entertaining the audience is a big part of any video marketing strategy, it’s important not to lose sight of your content’s message. Whether the original blog post was written to inform, instruct or generate discussion around a particular topic, your video should ultimately be created with the same aim. Statistics suggest that audiences are increasingly turning to video for informative content too, with searches related to “how to” growing by 70% on YouTube from 2014 to 2015.
Remember your tone of voice
Video should be an extension of your existing content strategy, not an entity in itself. Therefore, things like tone of voice and brand identity should be carried forward and kept in mind throughout the production process.
Keep it snappy
Engagement levels are highest on videos less than 2 minutes in length, so it pays to be picky about the content you choose to include. For longer, more in-depth posts, consider highlighting the main points in your video before linking to the post in full for those who wish to find out more.
While many marketers would cite time and cost implications as a key reason for their reluctance to introduce video into their content strategy, repurposing existing blog posts is a great way to ease these pressures.
Additional benefits, such as the ability to reach new audiences, go to show why repurposing content for video is becoming an increasingly common process for brands and businesses of all sizes.
If you want to know more about how to repurpose your content successfully or how to create a multi-channel content strategy, get in touch with our copywriting service team today.