One Way to Convert Blog Posts Into Video Content 

Video marketing is hot right now. It’s an effective way to communicate your brand story and build relationships with customers. Because video is entertaining and easy to consume, more consumers are craving it. Consider that 43% of people want to see more video content from brands, and 55% watch the videos thoroughly. Videos under 60 seconds are most preferred, and marketers that use them grow revenue 49% faster than those who don’t use video.
Creating video content isn’t always as easy as putting together a blog post. You need a storyline, people or props, a camera and video editing software. But, don’t be intimidated by video content. Great videos can be filmed from your mobile device, and apps can be used to edit the finished product.
Let’s learn more about how to repurpose blog posts into engaging videos that your audience will love!
Writing a Script
Once you have chosen a blog post, read through it and create a script that will be used for your video. Simply reading the post aloud will be boring, so pull out the most important parts of your post. Remember, people prefer shorter videos, so divide your content into small sections. Stay away from long narratives, because again, this isn’t entertaining for viewers. When you have a script, you can record yourself on-camera, off-camera with visuals or using a slideshow.
Making the Video
Think about what you want to include in your video. One of the easiest and most professional ways to film your video is by recording yourself. If you don’t love being the center of attention, try not to be shy! People love when brands are genuine, so you’re giving customers a gift in itself by showing a real person behind the scenes of your company.
If you do choose to film yourself, you will need a mic and lighting setup, which doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. For more ideas on creating a video on a tight budget, we highly recommend this blog from Social Media Examiner that will walk you through your options.
Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank over a camera. Your smartphone camera will suffice. As you film yourself talking, plan on pausing the video between segments. For example, pause for 3-5 seconds by looking at the camera. This helps with editing, as you will want to insert key points, quotes and takeaways from the content.
Editing the Video
When the recording is complete, upload your video into a video editing tool such as iMovie for iPhones and iPads or HitFilm Express for Windows and Mac users. Both programs are free, high in quality and easy to use.
Editing is much easier when you break your video into segments. From there, you may insert the segments into the timeline where title slides and transitions can be added. Most video editing apps operate in the same way, so if you’re comfortable using one, you should be comfortable using another. Check out the tutorials if you have any questions.
Previewing the Video
Click the Play button to preview your video. If you need to move a clip, click on it and drag it to the position you want. As you go through, make sure that captions are added where necessary, as many people watch videos with the sound off. To help, many social media platforms have tools that generate captions for you. Review the text and edit it as you see fit.
When the video is completed to your liking, export it into the video format that you want and upload it to your favorite social media channel. If your video generates traffic, consider boosting the post to get more engagement and brand awareness.
Making the Slides
Another way to create a video is by doing a slideshow presentation. This is faster and easier compared to recording yourself, and is particularly great for newbies. Better yet, you can choose from the millions of stock photos and videos to create your slideshow. The photos can be edited to fit your brand, and programs like Adobe Spark let you put the finished product together with not much effort.
Creating the script for your presentation is the hardest part. When you know what you want to say, you can start building out the slides in a way that makes sense. Choose from one of the many available templates, or create your own. The templates available in programs like Adobe Spark are pretty great, and they can significantly speed up the efficiency of your project.
Editing the Slides
As you work through the template, add the slide styles you want to create such as video, text, photo or icon. Insert blog highlights and move the slides around to tell your story. When you’re satisfied with how the slides read, you can change the colors and music. Not all programs allow you to upload your own music (Adobe Spark is one of them), so you might be stuck with a limited music library. We’re certain you can still find some great tunes!
When complete, download the slideshow presentation and share it how you wish!
Conclusion
Video marketing has so much to offer your brand, you don’t want to omit it from your content marketing strategy. Hopefully, our ideas for converting blog posts into short videos will motivate you to explore video content. The best part is, you can get started today with your very own video and reap the benefits of effective brand storytelling, improved relationships and increased ROI.
If you need a helping hand, don’t hesitate to reach out to WSI Net Advantage at 510-687-9737. We are experimenting with a much simpler solution called Lumen that allows you to upload a video and share it to social media in a snap! Call us today to learn more.