Repurposing is a game-changer when it comes to improving your efficiency in content creation. But it's not enough to think about how you'll repurpose your content after it's been made - the real win is planning for it upfront. With video content specifically, think about the different ways you'll use the footage before you capture it. This ensures you've got the right output to use across various platforms. We film all our podcasts at Marketing Labs, but we don't just leave the cameras rolling. We make sure to leave breaks and repeat points so we can create clips for social media in the post-edit phase. This is a great way of creating content without duplicating efforts. Upfront planning and repurposing have helped us increase our output and improve efficiency.
I'm excited to share how I've been using AI throughout my content creation process. It helps with brainstorming, project management, and even creative aspects! But it's important to remember, AI is a powerful tool, not a replacement. I use it to streamline tasks and lower costs, which allows me to focus on the human touch – the creative spark that makes content truly unique and engaging.
When tasked with speeding up our production timeline, the most important step was creating an organized asset library. Whether it be in-application libraries or an organized folder structure that can easily be imported into a new project, having everything required for a brand in one place makes a massive difference. In an age where contract and freelance workers are more relied upon than ever, being able to share fully-approved designs, animation elements, and transitions removes the guesswork from their plate and doesn't require them to flip back and forth between brand guides or recreate existing pieces. This all saves time which, in turn, saves production costs!
Chief Content Officer, UGC Creator, & Brand Strategist at House of Bequest
Answered 2 years ago
Stop creating more work for yourself as a content creator with this simple strategy: quit overshooting. The moment I became more intentional with my shots and production process, I drastically decreased the amount of time I spent editing videos and pictures. If you want to be more efficient, you have to work smarter, not harder. This has also allowed me to take a quality-over-quantity approach for my clients and be even more tactful and creative with the content I do have in my library for repurposing.
Instead of trying to constantly create new content for each platform, we now focus on creating waterfall content. That is, one hero piece of content that can be re-versioned to create multiple pieces of smaller content for different platforms and objectives. For example, we now create one longer video that works on YouTube, Vimeo & LinkedIn. This content provides us with short edits for Instagram & Tik Tok. BTS footage from the making of supplies pictures, and video clips for most social platforms. We write a blog about the hero piece of content, and where possible, discuss it in a podcast. In this way, we can create content for a number of weeks based around a single idea or project, rather than having to constantly scrape together ideas and material.
In today’s digital video landscape everything is a bit easier than it used to be. Because of the recent changes in technology, we’ve changed the way we capture our footage on-location. Accepted video production techniques would have you shooting wide, medium and close-up shots of each setup to get “coverage”. Our agency specializes in B2B corporate videos which means that 90 percent of our shoots occur in working factories or labs during normal business hours when the clients are trying to get work done. As such we tell our crews to “shoot like video editors”, what does that mean? Well, it means that you need to know what the finished video is going to look like in your head before you ever shoot the first shot. Hitchcock famously said, “I have a strongly visual mind. I visualize a picture right down to the final cuts”. This mindset is crucial to getting the best quality footage in a really tight timeframe with the highest efficiency.
Content planning and scheduling. One of the hardest part about content creation on social media is staying consistent. Planning content ahead of time and scheduling posts while we're out of service in our regular posting time are two things that made a huge difference in our consistency as well as efficiency as coming up with last minute ideas under pressure can often be very time consuming. There are multiple content planning and scheduling tools online, but even a simple Excel sheet can do the work.
One change I've made to my content creation process is implementing comprehensive pre-production planning. I use tools like digital storyboarding software and project management platforms to ensure everyone on the team is on the same page. This minimizes misunderstandings and reduces the need for reshoots or extensive post-production edits. We also leverage generative AI for idea development and the scriptwriting process. However, this doesn't mean we rely solely on it. We use AI as a tool to augment our creative brainstorming and streamline initial drafts. We can quickly generate and refine concepts so the creative team can focus on polishing and adding unique human touches. Meticulous planning and advanced technology have significantly improved our efficiency and the overall quality of our content.
To boost my productivity, I implemented a content batching methodology. This means creating clusters of similar content creation tasks to take advantage of the well-established and well-documented psychological quality of flow states. The human brain is more focused and productive in flow states. With grouping, I can stay within a single creative context and reduce the cognitive overhead for task switching and setup/teardown phases. In addition, batching minimises the impact of interruption (a cognitive bias). This means it's harder to focus while returning to the context of a previously interrupted task. To make this work for me, I have instrumentalised project management applications to schedule these content batches for cadence. This approach creates focus and time management with reduced context switching, increasing the speed of the production of quality content.
It’s essential to understand that integrating SEO and data analytics into content creation can greatly improve your strategies. This approach helps in crafting more effective promotions, boosting conversion rates, and enhancing the overall performance of the affiliate program. In simple terms, by focusing on SEO and using data to guide content decisions, content creators can drive better results, benefiting themselves and the affiliate network.
Batching is my secret weapon! We used to waste time jumping between tasks. Now, we batch similar content creation tasks (writing, editing, graphics) – saves tons of time and keeps me focused!
Without a doubt, the use of AI programs has made a significant impact on the amount of time it takes to create assets. Using AI to help curate and create digital assets has been an absolute game changer. Not just does it cut the amount of time one would normally spend in creating custom assets to be used in a video production, but it has allowed my imagination to reach unbelievable heights. There is no longer any limit on what I can create and thereby use in my videos. For me, the use of AI does not take away anything from my creative process. Instead, it gives me the freedom to use my creativity without so many normal restrictions, such as: burden of knowing every technical skill and the time expense of tedious and detailed asset creation. I now feel there are no limits to what I can create in a very timely fashion.
Since there are three stages of creating content (Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production), we are always working to streamline the process. During pre-production, we ensure that a thorough shot script and filming schedule are prepared. During Production, our crew understands their responsibility and knows enough about other areas to help as needed. Finally, post-production is a factor of great editors, comprehensive software, and most importantly a strong ability for story-telling. Thus, there haven't been significant changes recently, but an evolution of the process so that all projects are produced with the highest quality, creativity, and efficiency.