We all love shiny new things, but sometimes fresh isn’t best. And when you’re a busy creator balancing a ton of different priorities and your content, you’ve got to work smart. That’s why repurposing content is so important for creators. And it’s pretty easy, too.
In today’s article, we’ll give you three easy steps to repurpose your content and five ways to use it.
Why Repurpose Content 🤔
It may seem counterintuitive, but reusing old videos can be a content creator’s greatest tool. We know most advice is to be unique, original, and totally new. But sometimes you just don’t have the time to make brand-new content. Not to mention you’ve already spent a ton of time creating the content, only for it to collect dust.
Repurposing your old content will save you time and allow you to get more “bang for your buck” when it comes to your content. We don’t recommend doing it all the time, but do put it to use when you need to!
How to Repurpose Videos 💡
Step 1 – What’s it For?
This is a two-part question. The first is: why do you want to repurpose this content? There’s no wrong answer, even if it’s “I just don’t want to film right now”. Knowing why you need this clip will help guide you. Depending on your reason, it might even help you narrow down your search before it’s begun.
The second question is: what do you want to accomplish with this content? Some creators just need to get out of a slump, while others are looking for an engagement boost. Having a strategy of some kind will make choosing your videos much easier. It will give you a better idea of what to look for and how to repurpose it.
Step 2 – Hunt it Down
This step is the hardest part of repurposing your content: finding and reviewing all of it. Having an idea of what you’re looking for when you start will help significantly.
If you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, then be prepared to spend some time scrolling. Look at your old videos to see if something stands out, if there’s something you love, or if you want to expand on something. Sometimes a shot you thought was alright is suddenly perfect for a new video!
If you haven’t already, we recommend keeping all the content you record. Literally all of it, even the stuff you don’t end up using. Repurposing content is easiest for people who film a lot and edit videos in a third-party app (think CapCut). You can either save it on an external drive or somewhere in the cloud. However, having a library of content waiting for you to reuse will make busy weeks or creative slumps less intimidating.
Step 3 – Crop and Edit
Once you find the clip you’re looking for, save it and/or drop it into your chosen editor. Again, having an idea of what you want the clip to accomplish will help tremendously. We’ll cover what exactly you can do with this footage a little later, but step three is all about refreshing this content to fit the goal you assigned it.
Step 4 (Optional) – Customize
If you’re planning to cross-post this content, spend a little time customizing it for each platform. It doesn’t have to be completely different. Just add an element or two from that specific app before you post it. Even something simple like choosing a song from that platform counts as customization! Every social platform favors its own content; the algorithm is more likely to push your video if it includes native elements.
Using Repurposed Content ♻️
B-Roll
A lot of creators will take extra b-roll (supplementary video that supports the main shots by adding context and background visuals) and reuse that specifically. As an example, a lifestyle creator might take a few aesthetic clips of their coffee from their morning vlog to go with an audio about coffee. They might repurpose a clip of their snoozing cat to match with a relaxing audio.
B-roll is the easiest thing to repurpose! All you need is the clip and a matching audio, and you’re golden.
Reactions
You can also Clapback an old video and react to it! What would you change about that recipe? What happened to that painting once the camera stopped rolling? If it’s a particularly popular video, maybe give us some insight into the process! This is especially good if you don’t have a content library yet. Your profile is a treasure trove, so take a few scrolls and dive in.
Clapbacks can help any creator work smarter, not harder. Check out our article on five ways to Clapback better. (Including this one!).
A New Take
You can also repurpose your old content by just giving them a new context. This is a bit like reusing b-roll, but instead, you repurpose the main focus of your video. A painter might reuse a long clip from one of their vlogs and put it over a motivational audio. Or, if you included some kind of hack in a longer video, take just that and reshare it.
Blooper Reels
If you save everything from your recording sessions, a blooper reel is perfect for you. Just find the best or funniest moments from your filming sessions and string them together. Your audience will love seeing how silly you can be. Have fun with it and don’t take yourself too seriously!
Classic Reposts
It’s not uncommon to see creators repost their videos from a few years ago. And we think that, so long as you mention it’s a repost, it’s fair game! You can take a popular video or one you really love and just repost it. Again, we don’t recommend doing this all the time, but it can be good to reintroduce popular content again every once in a while.
Won’t My Audience Notice? 😱
Short answer, no. If you’re repurposing content intentionally and carefully, then they won’t really notice or care. That’s why we recommend not doing this all the time. We also recommend not using clips from a video you just posted, unless you’re recapping an event or answering a question about the video. Try to space out your repurposed content, so it still feels new and exciting for your audience.
Also, you’ll have different audiences and followers depending on the platforms you use. The people who follow you on TikTok aren’t the same as Clapper or Instagram. And even if they are, most of your followers won’t see every single piece of content you post. Sometimes the content you reuse is fresh for someone on a different platform!
In Conclusion ✨
There’s nothing wrong with repurposing your old videos. In fact, it can fill out or boost your content strategy! If you’ve got some clips gathering dust or sitting on the content floor, don’t hesitate to put them to work.
To approach this from a marketing perspective (for all the small businesses out there!) take a look at this write-up from Kajabi.