Social media managers are expected to create valuable content every week.
But with limited resources and bandwidth, consistently coming up with new ideas can lead to a one-way ticket to burnout.
So in 2023, it’s all about working smarter, not harder — and that starts by repurposing your social media posts for different platforms.
Don't be afraid to repurpose your old content. Update it, refresh it, and give it new life.
— Enoch W. Kabange | Content Strategist (@enoch_kabange) August 9, 2023
In this blog post, we’re sharing the benefits of repurposing your content for social media and how you can start implementing these low-lift tactics, today.
“By repurposing content to multiple channels, we’re able to reach more people with a single piece of content. This makes it easier for us to focus on quality over quantity,” says Later’s Social Media Content Lead, Lindsay Ashcraft.
“By using what’s worked on other channels, we can get an idea of what might resonate on new channels without creating extra work for ourselves,” Lindsay explains.
The takeaway? You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel.
Aside from the time-saving benefits, recycling your content can also help you beat writer’s block, avoid creative burnout, and post more consistently.
In a nutshell: Repurposed content is the gift that keeps on giving, and is a great method for getting extra mileage on valuable posts.
TIP: Your audience is smart and can detect when you’ve been recycling content too often (especially if they follow you on multiple platforms), so avoid crossposting every day. Instead, do what works best for each channel you’re posting on.
#2: Repurpose Short-form Videos
Like most brands and businesses, short-form video content is an essential part of your content strategy.
And with so many social media platforms adapting and optimizing their platforms for short-form video, why limit your video content to just one platform?
There’s a common misconception that reposting your TikTok videos to Reels (or vice versa) could cause the algorithm to deprioritize your video.
However, here are two tips for optimizing your video content when you want to repurpose them:
Tip #1: Remove Watermarks
Watermarks are a big no-no when it comes to reposting your short-form video content.
Instagram has stated that “watermarks make the Reels experience less satisfying,” and thus this type of content will be “less discoverable in places like the Reels tab.”
To get around this, you can use tools on Instagram or TikTok that let you save your video (without a watermark) prior to publishing:
You can also remove watermarks from your videos by using third-party watermark removers like SnapInsta.app and SnapTik.app.
Tip #2: Keep Your Fonts and Audio Native to Each Platform
At Later, we frequently repurpose video posts — but the text and audio on each is native to the corresponding platform.
Why? To avoid being potentially deprioritized in search (many social algorithms can recognize when you’ve used features not native to their platforms).
Take this example, where we repurposed a TikTok into a Reel:
We downloaded the TikTok video without a watermark, and overlaid Instagram Reels text over the original TikTok text.
Then, we found the TikTok audio within Reels, and used it instead.
By making these text and audio adjustments on Reels, we optimized the video to be Instagram algorithm-friendly.
Many brands and businesses will often extract quotes from their webinars or YouTube videos, and turn them into carousel posts on Instagram, blog posts, podcast episodes, or even Linkedin posts.
Ultimately, reformatting your content is all about recycling high-performing concepts, copy, or visuals, and applying them to another platform.
Remember, content creation doesn’t need to be mentally taxing.
When you repurpose your content with the intention of bringing new life to your posts, you can increase your engagement and reach — with half the effort.
Chantal is Later’s Social Media Specialist and based in Toronto. Passionate about all things social (especially TikTok), her experience includes content creation, influencer partnerships, and digital storytelling. Outside of work, you can find Chantal in new cafes, biking around the city, and perfecting her Pinterest boards.
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