Why start with a blank page when you can take something that already exists… and improve upon it? That's what I teach when it comes to creating new content. Why? Because for most of my clients, content creation is a chore. They'll use any excuse in the book to not have to produce another blog post. But, as has been proven time and again, smart, strategic use of content – blog posts, infographics, videos, etc. – can have a huge positive impact on even the tiniest of businesses.
Recently, I had a client struggling to come up with something to record a video about. So I asked her,
“what are the three most popular posts on your blog?” She had no idea.
But, if she had been able to answer my question, she would have known exactly what to record a video about. Because she already has plenty of proven material. Content that her readers have told her, through their comments, likes, and shares, mattered to them.
This kind of information is important, because any time you have content that's already popular on your website, it's probably destined to become popular as a video too.
Here's how to identify great content and leverage it for repurposing:
Install Google Analytics
You will need to have analytics on your blog in order to know which blog posts are getting the most traction. You can use Google Analytics to figure out what your website visitors go to first, which page they entered on, how long they stuck around, whether they read something else.
Understand What a Hot Page Is
A hot page is the page that gets the most views on your blog. In addition to views, find blogs that get the most comments, likes and shares. Read the comments to find out what people want to know, as this is a good way to determine what video to make.
Make a List
Using a spreadsheet or other method, make a list of the hot blog posts, with links, notations on visitors, likes, discussion notes and so forth. Use this as your starting point for coming up with video ideas.
Create a Video Creation Calendar
From the list, create a publication calendar that makes sense with your current and future promotion ideas. You don't want to make videos without knowing what your goals are (more sales, more newsletter sign-ups, etcÖ).
Repurpose Blog Posts
If you have a popular blog post, turn it into a video. Your script is practically written. You need to determine how you'll show it visually, and how you might either cut it down to a smaller and shorter point or expand it so you can go more in-depth about the topic.
Start with a How to Post
If you have any “how to” blog posts, start there. They are super easy to transform into videos; you can even make an explainer video with a how to post that will blow your viewers out of the water.
Fill in the Gaps
If you notice you have some hot pages, read through the posts. If you find gaps in a post even if it was popular, make a video that fills in the gaps, and then link to the video under that blog post.
Make Them Special
Consider doing more than “talking head” videos. Talking head videos are great because people like seeing your face (or any face) as it develops trust. However, you should also add in visuals such as charts, and images that advance your message.
When you go with what is already popular, you'll start off on the right foot when it comes to making videos. More than likely the people who liked the blogs you already made are going to like the videos you make, using the blogs as your starting point.