The Best Way to Repurpose Content: Long-Form to Short-Form or Vice Versa?
Is the best way to repurpose content transforming long-form pieces into short-form content?
When you learn about repurposing content you usually learn how to break down a long video into shorter videos. Or a blog post into social media posts, or a podcast episode into short audiograms…and so on.
It’s all about the slice and dice!
But is there another way?
The fantastic thing about content repurposing is that there’s no ONE way to repurpose your content — and repurposing doesn’t flow in only one direction.
If there’s potential for your content to become something else that works for your audience, then go ahead and create it!
Your repurposing process doesn’t have to be as strict as long-form becomes short-form, and then back to the drawing board…
It could be short-form becomes long-form, long-form becomes even longer form, or short-form becomes micro-form.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some examples, showing how you can increase the ROI of your short-form content by repurposing it into long-form content. And I share how shifting your mindset can help you uncover a new realm of content repurposing possibilities.
Keep reading for some top tips!
Why remix your content repurposing process
Content repurposing can look like a straight line from A to B.
You create your long-form content — e.g., a blog, podcast episode, or video — and chop it up into short-form content — e.g., social media posts, 30-second videos, short and shareable audiograms, etc. Then rinse and repeat each week.
But it can also look like this.
You could create a social media post, that becomes a blog post, which becomes a video podcast series. Then that gets repurposed into snackable 60-second video bites for social media, which get repurposed into a book…
You see where I’m going. There’s no one best way to repurpose content.
Depending on your content, its repurposing possibilities could be endless. And it doesn’t have to look like an A to B system. It could look like the messiest, craziest route ever!
Now, I’m going to talk a little bit about why having a system in place is a brilliant idea shortly, but here are two reasons why you should consider mixing up your content repurposing process.
Evolve your content repurposing mindset
Of course, there are techniques and processes that you can (and should) follow to consistently create and repurpose great content. However, you should always be on the lookout for what else it can evolve into.
Getting stuck in a fixed mindset could limit your possibilities for growth — which is the absolute opposite of what repurposing is supposed to help you achieve!
Being open-minded about new formats, platforms, etc. can help you see the potential your content could have — big or small.
For more, check out The Content Repurposing Mindset.
Continually improve your process
All systems and processes within your business can get stale without constant refinement. I am always iterating systems in my business to make sure that things run as smoothly and effectively as possible — and that goes for my content repurposing process too.
Diversifying your strategy from time to time and exploring new avenues will help you figure out what moves the needle in your business, and what doesn’t. So never be afraid to experiment!
That was the focus of episode 195, Could Your Content Strategy Be Holding You Back? So do take a look at that post if stagnating strategies are a concern within your business.
So what happens when you approach repurposing your content with an open mind and a desire to refine your existing system? You get a repurposing process that defies all limitations!
Now let’s take a look at the difference between the structured vs. more creative approach with some examples…
The ‘best’ way to repurpose content: the long-form to short-form process
Let’s call this the more “traditional” method of content repurposing. It’s the method we rely on to create our content week-in-week-out at Content 10x and the system we recommend to our clients too. So for us, it is the best way to repurpose.
Why? Because it’s usually faster, easier to streamline an entire repurposing process from, and a brilliant way to consistently produce lots of fantastic repurposed content.
That’s to say the long-form to short-form process is an excellent foundational system for any business wanting to reliably and repeatedly create and repurpose its content.
Here’s a quick example of what this long-form to short-form repurposing process might look like:
You create a 20-minute podcast episode once per week. Then you repurpose that into content you can distribute over many weeks, such as a blog post, three 30-second audiograms, two social media graphics, and some accompanying text posts for social media.
Then it’s back to the drawing board to start creating the next long-form piece.
This is a perfect repurposing process — and it’s what we help a wide range of clients achieve every single week — but if you want to mix that format up, you can.
Another ‘best’ way to repurpose content: the short-form to long-form process
Now I’m going to share the reverse approach — starting with short-form and repurposing into long-form.
Social media posts are arguably the most abundant short-form content there is and it’s likely you’re already sharing tips and opinions, or just putting your thoughts out there via your favorite social channels.
But how can you increase your ROI on these posts?
Simple: extend their value and lifespan by repurposing them into longer-form content.
Here’s an example:
Short-form to long-form content repurposing: social media
Say one of your LinkedIn posts really struck a chord. People are liking, commenting on, and sharing your post. You could repurpose that same idea to other social media platforms to see if it generates more responses and keeps that conversation going.
You could then take that post and build on your point. Then create an article like this for Medium, a blog post for your own website, or even an industry article.
If you’re thinking that a single LinkedIn post isn’t meaty enough to turn into a long-form article, how about this? Group a selection of posts. Find posts with a common theme and pull them together where each post is a section of the blog.
One added benefit of repurposing social media posts into long-form content is you’ve already validated your idea. I really recommend this approach as it means you’re not wasting time creating content that your audience isn’t interested in.
Validating your long-form content with a short-form piece first is a brilliant strategy for anyone experimenting with new ideas. I explain the complete step-by-step process to doing this with social media posts in episode 183, How to Validate Your Content Ideas.
Now let’s look at one more example:
Short-form to long-form content repurposing: video
One of the best ways to create and repurpose your content is to segment it.
If you’re a podcast host or conduct video interviews, you might ask your guests the same killer questions, such as “what’s your biggest tip for someone starting out?”.
Segmenting your content in this way makes it super easy to repurpose. You might pull this section out every week, create a short video, and share it on your social platforms.
How about finding the best responses you’ve had to that question, and repurposing them into a brand-new long-form video? For example, “What 20 Top Experts Say About Getting Started”.
You could also collect each short video into a blog post and write a short synopsis of each interview. Otherwise, email your new video out to subscribers with some top takeaways or quotes, and, of course, back into lots of short-form content for social media!
You can see how meta it all gets when you open your eyes up to the possibilities!
So it’s easy to see there’s no surefire best way to repurpose content. Just use the best way for you. Whether that’s backwards, forwards, or upside down, the most important thing is maximizing your content, reaching your audience, and making an impact.
Just keep an open mind, and who knows what you’ll repurpose your content into next?
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Originally published at https://www.content10x.com on September 23, 2021.
