Why You Need to Start Repurposing Your Podcast for Video
When it comes to efficiency, marketers have mastered every aspect of the definition. They’ve perfected the art of maximizing the value of every single piece of content they create. In the past, when a blog was just a blog, or an interview was just an interview, marketers felt pressured to continue to create more content from scratch. This was despite the fact that the well-written blog or carefully conducted interview already provided audiences nuggets of wisdom that would prove valuable within the sales funnel. Now, marketers have discovered how to turn one piece of content into many. Their secret: repurposing.
Marketing consultant Justin Simon spoke with StudioPod founder TJ Bonaventura to discuss how the idea of repurposing content became so prevalent, how it works, and the impact the strategy has had on the marketing industry as a whole.
Why repurposing content has become such a hot topic
Repurposing content has become a popular strategy for a few reasons: it saves time, it saves money, and it provides results. According to Justin, “we [marketers] think of ourselves as content creators first.” As in, marketers are very good at creating engaging content; they are creatives. However, when it comes to delivery strategy, Justin believes that many marketers don’t have one. “A lot of people create something with the hope…that people will find it,” he explains. “Sometimes they’ll say, ‘well, maybe Google or SEO will help people find [my content.]’” In order to better grasp the overall concept of repurposing content, Justin says marketers should:
A. have “a real focus on being more strategic in what [they’re] doing,”
B. and understand that “[they] don’t have to create so much content…[they] can actually create less and still hit all [their] goals.”
How to become more strategic
The first step towards a repurposed content-focused plan is strategy. Justin likes to take a look at a company’s current marketing strategy to find the reasoning behind it.
“At the end of the day,” he says,”you want to be consistently in front of your audience…with the good stuff, everyday if possible. Reverse engineer back from that and ask yourself, ‘Where do I need to be in front of my audience? How do I get in front of my audience?”
You’ll essentially want to find the channels that your audience uses and outline the content you can deliver through those channels. For example, if your brand’s target audiences primarily use LinkedIn, you’ll want to create content that you can share on that platform. By “slicing and dicing your content into different angles, you can bring in micro content for 30+ pieces,” explains Justin.
How to repurpose podcast content for video
Justin shares his 3 C framework approach to his strategy focused on repurposing podcast content for video:
Cornerstone
Core
Cut
Creating a podcast that involves subject matter experts speaking on topics related to your brand is a great way to start building a bank of content. So in this instance, a podcast would be the cornerstone. It’s where everything else comes from. Justin advises that the cornerstone you choose is something that your brand already creates consistently.
The core represents the channel or channels you’ll be delivering content through. What type of content is appropriate for those channels? Reels, text, or images? Consider this when developing your cornerstone content. With a podcast, using tools like Descript allows users to record and transcribe audio and video. This provides marketers with the ability to create powerful video marketing assets.
Cut refers to cutting up your content into different pieces that can act as stand-alone topics; they don’t have to coincide with the original topic of the cornerstone content. That’s the beauty of repurposed content; marketers can create numerous pieces of content with different themes from a single piece.
Moving forward with repurposed content for your brand
So many organizations are hesitant about using repurposed content. “It’s hard to put metrics around a lot of this stuff,” explains Justin. “One of the main questions I get ‘Is how do you measure success?’” And that is where the disconnect is. A marketer can distribute micro-content across multiple channels, and each one has its own set of metrics that can indicate quick wins.
This perspective isn’t the right one. “Companies might blindly spend money on a webinar group because that’s what they think they’re supposed to do,” explains Justin. “Or they’ll write a whole bunch of ebooks. If they looked at the ROI of what they’re getting out of those things, it would probably be negative.” The focus needs to shift towards a long-term investment instead. The results are supported by the consistent content put forth by a brand over time.
StudioPod works with clients to create skillfully executed podcasts that are prime for repurposing. Our producers work with brands to develop their own B2B podcasts rich in valuable content. Reach out to us to find out how StudioPod can level up your brand’s marketing strategy with repurposed content.
Takeaways
1. We caught up with Justin Simon, an experienced marketing consultant who has figured out a way to repurpose content and maximize his clients’ productivity. He teaches them how to use already-existing content to create more, saving marketers time and money. He spoke about his 3 C framework:
Cornerstone
Core
Cut
Marketers should first choose a content cornerstone, or the foundation that will be used to create repurposed content. This should be content your brand creates on a regular basis. Next step is identifying the core channels. What platforms does your audience use, and what type of content can you post on it? A recorded podcast can be used to create reels on Instagram or for video clips on LinkedIn posts. The final step is cut; cut up your content and create. Categorize those pieces of content into different topics so you’ll have a “bank” of content to choose from. Read more on our blog here.
2. In marketing, are metrics everything? Not always, believe StudioPod founder TJ Bonaventura and marketing consultant Justin Simon. Playing the “long game” in marketing is like investing in your typical, low-risk mutual fund. The returns won’t be immediately evident, but they will be, over time.
Repurposing content is a hot strategy that maximizes existing content, but some brand executives are still hesitant to give it a shot. Why? Because it’s a long term investment, and the numbers they want to see won’t show up right away. It might feel safer to stick to the strategy that involves creating high quantities of “new” content.
In reality, the efficacy of a piece of content depends on whether or not your audience sees it, and if they do, that they engage with it. Constantly cranking out new content is difficult, and the accompanying pressure can affect its quality. Creating one piece of valuable content that you can cut up into numerous pieces of content is better. Learn why you should leverage your existing content on our blog here.
3. Hoping that your audience sees your content isn’t enough. Marketers have to make sure that a brand’s message gets to its intended audience, and that it brings enough value to convert them into customers. Adopting a strategy that focuses on repurposing content gives marketers the opportunity to focus on creating high-value, informative content that can continue giving on and on. How does this work?
Step 1: Take a look at your brand’s current marketing strategy to understand its goals and what it does to get there.
Step 2: Find out how to get in front of your audience. What channels do they use, and what do you need to do to get in front of them?
Step 3: Constantly create content applicable to those channels. Post as often as you can. This is why repurposing is beneficial; there’s no need to spend hours creating from scratch. You can develop high-quality pieces of content for a wide array of platforms with one solid piece.