Today, almost all of the most popular social media platforms support videos: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, but also Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Pinterest. They even make them more visible than images or text – videos usually get 48 % more views. In this article we show you how to easily repurpose your video content and to share it accross multiple social media channels for maximum exposure, engagement and efficiency.
Do you spend countless hours creating top-quality videos that you’re proud of just to share it to a single social media network? You might want to recycle video content for multiple social media platforms. Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Optimizing your reach: Repurposing video content across various social media platforms enables you to tap into new audiences. This maximizes the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts.
- Saving time and resources: Repurposing video content eliminates the need to create entirely new content for each platform. By leveraging existing videos, you can save valuable time and resources that would otherwise be spent starting from scratch when creating social media posts.
- Boosting audience engagement: Repurposing video content helps you sustain engagement with your current audience, keeping them interested in your brand. By delivering valuable content in different formats, you can maintain a strong connection and encourage ongoing interactions.
- Enhancing visibility and brand awareness: Extend the reach of your content by repurposing it across different platforms. This strategy amplifies your brand’s visibility and generates greater awareness about your products or services, making it an indispensable component of your marketing strategy.
Would you like to watch this post as a video?
What is video content recycling?
Video recycling or repurposing your videos means more than just sharing the same video across multiple channels. It involves taking your existing video content and transforming it into different formats or adapting it for various platforms. By repurposing videos, you can extract valuable information, ideas, or messages from your original content and present them in new ways to reach a wider audience or extend the lifespan of your content.
There are a variety of strategies you can use to repurpose your videos, depending on the platform and your goals. Some of the most common ways to repurpose include include:
- Trimming videos to fit different platforms: If your video is too long for a specific platform, consider trimming it down to fit the platform’s requirements. For example, Instagram Reels are limited to 60 seconds, while TikToks can now be up to 3 minutes long.
- Creating shorter clips or highlights: Instead of repurposing the entire video, consider creating shorter clips or highlights that can be shared on social media platforms. This can be a great way to tease your full video and entice viewers to watch the whole thing.
- Adding subtitles: Adding captions or subtitles to your videos can make them more accessible and engaging, while also improving your video’s SEO.
- Posting at the perfect times: To use each platform’s requirements to fuel your success, take a look at user behavior. When are users most active on the platform? Schedule your videos at this time to reach maximum engagement. Social media tools like Blog2Social help you with that by showing you the best times for each network and automatically publishing your videos.
Which social media networks work best for video sharing?
When it comes to repurposing videos, it’s essential to consider the characteristics and requirements of different video networks. Each platform caters to a slightly different target group. While some networks may overlap in their target audience, they often engage viewers in different ways. Here are some of the video networks you should consider for repurposing:
- YouTube: Ideal for tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, and in-depth dives into topics.
- YouTube Shorts: Allows for quick glimpses into your content, suitable for capturing viewers’ attention.
- Vimeo: A platform known for high-quality and professional videos, appealing to a sophisticated audience.
- Instagram (Reels): Perfect for short, entertaining, funny, personal, and educational videos.
- TikTok: Popular for short, trendy, creative, and educational videos.
- Facebook: Offers visibility to a wide range of video content, appealing to millions of users.
- Pinterest: Emerging as a great platform for video content, especially for DIY, inspirational, and instructional short videos.
- LinkedIn: A professional networking platform where video content can help you reach a business-focused audience.
- Twitter: Allows for sharing videos, capturing attention in a fast-paced environment.
- Mastodon: An open-source social network that supports video content sharing and an alternative to Twitter.
- Discord: While Discord is primarily known as a communication platform for gamers, it can also be used for video marketing to engage with specific communities and target audiences.
The perfect format for each network
To ensure your repurposed videos align with the requirements of each platform, it’s important to consider video resolutions and aspect ratios. Different platforms have specific dimensions for optimal viewing experiences. For example, vertical videos with a 9:16 aspect ratio are suitable for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest. Square videos with a 1:1 aspect ratio work well on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Mastodon, Discord and LinkedIn. Horizontal videos are typically associated with YouTube or Vimeo.
Remember, not all videos are a perfect fit for every platform. If you have a long, twenty-minute video on YouTube, you’ll need to make alterations to share it on platforms like TikTok or Instagram. However, when repurposing videos, the easiest approach is to share them on social networks with similar requirements. For instance, you can repost TikToks to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
Understanding the video networks, their formats, and requirements allows you to effectively repurpose your videos for different platforms, maximizing your content’s reach and engagement. By adapting your videos to the characteristics of each platform, you can create a more cohesive and appealing experience for your audience, increasing the chances of attracting and retaining viewers.
Your video reporposing strategy
Create a horizontal video
To create videos that are easily repurposable, it’s advisable to start by creating a horizontal video. Film your video as you normally would and upload it to YouTube. To ensure your video is convincing and engaging, always keep the viewer in mind, taking them on a journey and delivering the information that interests them.
Post the video on YouTube and Vimeo
When you upload your video on YouTube and Vimeo, optimize its visibility by adding an attention-grabbing headline, a captivating caption, and relevant tags.
Shorten your Video
Next, consider shortening your video to three minutes or less. Alternatively, you can create multiple snippets, focusing on the most interesting, entertaining, or funny parts of the video.
Create a square video
Utilize these clips to create new videos in a square format. Use your preferred video editing tool to place your video on a square canvas, adding a solid-colored border to the top and bottom.
Add a headline and subtitles
Enhance the square video meme by incorporating a catchy headline and subtitles. Place the headline in the border at the top of the video and the subtitles in the lower border. The subtitles are especially important because 85 % of people watch social media videos without sound. This ensures your message can be understood even without audio.
Post the square video
Now, share your square video on various social media platforms! Square videos tend to perform exceptionally well on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also share them on Twitter or Mastodon for wider reach.
Create a vertical video
For platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Pinterest, create a vertical video. Use your horizontal video clips and add larger borders at the top and bottom to maintain a 16:9 ratio, perfectly formatted for these platforms. Similarly, customize the headlines and subtitles for each social media network, introducing variation and catering to their unique audiences.
Speed up the process with Blog2Social
To streamline the process, leverage tools like Blog2Social. This platform allows you to tailor your social media posts to meet each platform’s specifications. You can personalize captions, titles, and add important keywords and hashtags. Blog2Social simplifies the adaptation of your descriptions and videos, enabling a single workflow for all selected platforms.
To maximize visibility and engagement, make the most of your videos by scheduling your posts at optimal times when your audience is most active online. If you’re unsure about the best posting times, Blog2Social can automatically schedule your posts for the ideal times on each network, ensuring maximum engagement.
Tips for maintaining quality and engagement when repurposing videos
While repurposing your videos can save time and effort. It’s important to maintain quality and engagement to keep your audience interested. Here are some tips for maintaining quality and engagement when recycling video content:
- Maintain brand consistency: Ensure that your repurposed content maintains a consistent brand voice and message across all platforms. This creates a cohesive experience for your audience and strengthens brand recognition.
- Optimize thumbnails: Select captivating thumbnails that accurately represent your content when repurposing YouTube videos. A compelling thumbnail can attract viewers, while a subpar one may deter them from clicking.
- Include a call-to-action: When repurposing videos, incorporate a clear call-to-action to prompt viewers to take the desired action, such as visiting your website, subscribing to your channel, or following you on social media.
- Engage actively: When repurposing your YouTube videos, actively engage with your audience on each platform. Respond to comments, pose questions, and foster discussions to keep your audience engaged and foster a sense of community around your content.
Get started with your time-saving video strategy!
Repurposing your videos for multiple social media channels is a powerful strategy that can significantly expand your brand’s reach and engage diverse audiences. By leveraging the right tools, such as Blog2Social’s new video sharing feature, you can streamline and automate the process, saving valuable time and effort while ensuring consistent promotion across platforms.
Here’s your checklist for effective video recycling: Save it for later and just follow the steps whenever you want to promote your video and repeat as many times as you want.
Understanding the unique requirements of each social media platform and employing creative repurposing strategies are key to effectively promoting your videos. With Blog2Social, you have the ability to tailor your video content to suit each platform’s specifications, ensuring optimal visibility and engagement.
Imagine the time and energy you can save by recycling video content instead of creating entirely new videos for each platform. Blog2Social’s capabilities enable you to efficiently repurpose your videos, reaching audiences on popular platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo, Facebook, and Pinterest.
By embracing the art of video repurposing, you can maximize the potential of your video content across the digital landscape. Extend the lifespan of your videos, captivate audiences in various formats, and witness the growth and impact of your brand.
Get the Complete Guide to Social Media sharing & Toolbox for free!
Social media is the most important source for driving traffic to a blog or website and generating reach. Readers and potential customers use social media channels to conduct targeted research, share information and discuss current topics. Click here to get the Social Media Guide
Christine has been a social media manager, online marketer and blogger for Blog2Social since 2019. She studied Marketing Management at IU International University in Cologne and graduated in 2023.
About the author
