How to Repurpose a Long YouTube Video for a Short Format & Maximize Reach: A Full Guide for Various Platforms

It is evident that short-form videos have become a big part of our online lives today and are certainly here to stay. In fact, 73% of consumers now prefer short videos when searching for products or services. This format is not just a passing fad; it is the future of content marketing. Even though YouTube was initially aimed at longer content, short videos have become a vital tool for creators who want to grow their audience and stay relevant across multiple platforms supporting the format. However, creating new content for every social network can be pretty time-consuming and exhausting. That's why it's essential to repurpose existing content to attract more viewers to your channel. We'll show you how to do it best.

Why Is It Beneficial to Repurpose Long YouTube Videos?

Repurposing content is about working smarter, not harder. If you break down a single long YouTube video into multiple smaller pieces and post it across other social media channels, this becomes beneficial in many ways, for instance:

1. You can extend your reach. Different social media platforms attract different demographics, age groups, and user behaviors. By repurposing your YouTube content, you can reach other audiences and connect with people who might not otherwise discover your channel.
2. Repurposing boosts your engagement rates. Shorter content tends to perform exceptionally well on social media platforms. In particular, short-form videos are reported to receive 2.5 times more engagement than long-form videos. This is an excellent opportunity to redirect this engagement to your full-length videos on YouTube, bring more people to your YouTube channel and keep them there longer, as those who love your shorter content are more likely to watch your longer videos.
3. It is a great way to improve your SEO and discoverability. Sharing your content across different platforms really helps to boost your online presence, making it easier for new people to find your account. By sharing your content on various social media channels, you are creating more chances for users to see you. This is really important because each platform has its own search algorithms, hashtags, and recommendation systems that can help promote your content to potential viewers.
4. Social media algorithms love new content. Platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts are all about keeping users engaged by constantly bringing them new, relevant content. Turning long YouTube videos into shorter clips helps you keep up this level of consistency without being stressed by the burden of creating new content from scratch.

Why Just Cross-Posting Isn’t Enough?

Cross-posting – sharing the same content across all platforms with no changes – might seem like a good idea, but it is certainly not the best strategy. The main reason is that each platform has its own algorithm that decides what content users see. For instance, TikTok’s algorithm is about grabbing attention fast, while Instagram focuses more on visuals. If you just cross-post without adapting, your chance of being picked up by these algorithms gets significantly lower. Moreover, users of different platforms may prefer different types of content. You cannot post the same content both on TikTok and LinkedIn, right? TikTok users might find professional content too dry or uninteresting, while LinkedIn users might view videos that are too casual or trend-focused as unprofessionalI. This works with other platforms that allow posting short formats as well. This is why repurposing your content for each platform is a great way to meet users’ expectations.

Understanding the Algorithms and Audience

It is important to consider the audience and algorithms of each platform before posting your short video to promote content that really resonates with their specific audiences. Each platform uses its own criteria – such as watch time, engagement rates, and relevance – to decide which content to push to a broader audience. If you repurpose content without considering these factors, your videos might not perform as well. Here are the platforms that are available to post your content and the main things you need to know to adapt your content:

1. TikTok
   Audience: TikTok’s audience consists mostly of young people, particularly Gen Z and Millennials. Users typically search for entertaining, creative, and often humorous content. The platform is all about trends, challenges, storytelling, and viral content, which makes it a great place for quick, entertaining videos.
   Algorithm: TikTok's algorithm is highly responsive to user behavior, favoring content that captures attention within the first few seconds. It relies on AI to analyze watch time, engagement, and interaction with trending sounds and hashtags, boosting content that aligns with these elements.
2. Instagram Reels
   Audience: While Instagram Reels reaches a broad demographic, it's especially popular with Millennials and Gen Z. Users prefer visually appealing, polished content that aligns with Instagram's aesthetic, often showcasing creativity, lifestyle, and behind-the-scenes moments.
   Algorithm: Instagram’s algorithm promotes content that engages people and receives likes, comments, and shares. It also looks at how quickly people engage with a post after it goes live. The algorithm also values consistency in posting and uses hashtags, user interactions, and past content performance to determine which Reels appear on the Explore page.
3. YouTube Shorts
   Audience: YouTube Shorts has a pretty diverse audience, with a lot of people in the 18-34 age range. This includes users who prefer short, informative, and entertaining content.
   Algorithm: YouTube Shorts’ algorithm prioritizes content that has high engagement rates, particularly videos that quickly grab attention and encourage viewers to watch until the end. Unlike other platforms, Shorts can be linked to longer videos, which the algorithm sometimes promotes.
4. Facebook Reels
   Audience: The audience for short videos is generally older than that of TikTok and Instagram, with many users being in the 25-45 age range. They often like content that is informative, socially relevant, or tied to current events. Facebook users also tend to engage with content that they can easily share, such as family-oriented videos, news clips, and content focused on the community.
   Algorithm: Facebook’s algorithm looks for content that gets people talking. This means that posts with comments and shares get higher visibility. The platform tends to promote videos that grab attention and keep you watching and also looks at the context, such as the type of content users have interacted with in the past. So, making videos that get people chatting or that tie in with what's going on in the world can be a great way to get noticed.
5. LinkedIn Short Videos
   This might not be an obvious choice, but LinkedIn has also started featuring short-format videos on the platform. Even though there is no dedicated place for scrolling through short videos, it features short videos in the feed.
   Audience: LinkedIn is a professional, career-focused platform. It has got industry leaders, professionals, and job seekers all over it. People on LinkedIn are looking for content that offers insights, industry news, tips for professional development, and ideas from leaders in their field. Videos that are useful, educational or add some professional value are really appreciated on LinkedIn.
   Algorithm: The platform prioritizes content that fosters professional engagement, such as comments, shares, and conversations around industry-specific topics. It favors videos that are directly relevant to a user’s career interests or professional network. Furthermore, LinkedIn boosts content that has high engagement shortly after posting (so be aware of the time you post), as well as content that aligns with current industry trends or provides valuable insights.
6. Reddit Videos
   Reddit is also not an obvious choice for repurposing content, but it also supports short video formats and has some peculiarities you can benefit from.
   Audience: Reddit’s audience is diverse, with a strong presence of users aged between 18 and 35. Reddit users are highly engaged and demonstrate a strong affinity for specific topics. They form niche communities (subreddits) that focus on a diverse range of interests, including technology, gaming, fitness, finance, and more. Redditors place a high value on content that is informative, clever, and relevant to the community's interests.
   Algorithm: Reddit's algorithm works differently from other social platforms. Content is prioritized based on upvotes, downvotes, and the level of community engagement (comments and discussions). If your repurposed content fits well with the interests of a particular community, it's likely to receive positive engagement.

Best Practices for Repurposing a Long YouTube Video

To repurpose videos effectively, there are several practices you should follow to ensure your content resonates with the audience on each platform. The first thing you need to do is work out which parts of your long video are the most impactful. Not every part of your YouTube video will be suitable for other platforms. Focus on sections that naturally get people engaged – like a great story, some wise advice, or a moment that really moves them emotionally. You can look for specific tips for each platform in the part above.

In addition, different platforms have varying requirements for video dimensions and length. Take those into consideration too while editing. It also makes sense to add captions, as many users watch videos silently, especially on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where videos often autoplay without sound. This also helps keep viewers engaged, even if they're in environments where they can’t turn on the sound.

All of these things can be done automatically with AI Video Cut.

It's really straightforward. Just link to your video, choose the output video type, and let AI do the rest. It will edit the video for you and will also add captions. You can always choose the length and format of your video and create either topics-clips or a trailer of your video.

For instance, you can make a trailer for your video without spending plenty of time trying to capture its essence using AI Video Cut. Here are the simple steps on how to do it:

1. Open the AI Video Cut website and enter the video link in the top field
2. Select “Trailer”
3. Choose the duration
4. Choose the aspect ratio of the final video
5. Click “Submit”
6. Once the video is processed, download it directly from the website or via the link sent to your email

Think of adding a call to action that encourages viewers to take the next step – whether that's watching the full-length video on YouTube, visiting your website, or subscribing to your channel. Putting your call to action in the right place can really help attract more people to your YouTube channel, keep them watching for longer, and attract more subscribers.

Most importantly, regularly post repurposed content to keep your audience engaged. Consistency is crucial for staying relevant in most platform algorithms. If you are not sure which video content to repurpose, take a look at your analytics and trending videos on the platform in general to see which videos have the most engagement and views.

Editing Tips for Viral Short Videos

Editing a short video implies creativity, technical skills, and understanding what your target audience wants. Here are several techniques that have been shown to help with engagement rates:

• Start with a hook. The first few seconds are crucial both for viewers and algorithms.
• Keep it short and engaging. Remember about short attention spans, and keep your videos brief. Cut anything you don't need and focus on the most important bits. Use shortcuts to keep things moving. This technique is excellent for keeping viewers engaged.
• Incorporate J and L cuts. The J cut technique is a great way to create a smooth, natural transition between scenes. It involves hearing the audio from the next scene before seeing the corresponding video, which helps to maintain flow and build anticipation. With an L cut, the audio from the previous scene keeps playing as the video transitions to the next one. This is a great way to emphasize a reaction or provide continuity in storytelling, making the transition feel more seamless.
• Add trending elements. Use trending music or sounds from the platform’s library to boost your discoverability. Some platforms also have trending templates. If applicable, incorporate trending formats that are popular on the platform.
• Remember about emotional impact. It doesn’t matter if your video is funny, inspiring, shocking, or just reliable – edit the video to make people feel something. That way, they're more likely to share it with others.
• Do not forget the quality check. Before you post, check the video for any technical issues, like audio syncing, transitions, or typos in text overlays. This is a simple step that is also extremely important.

Understanding the algorithms and audiences of short video platforms is crucial if you want your repurposed YouTube content to be effective. This will allow you to optimize your content for each platform’s specific environment, which can help you reach more people, engage them, and make a more significant impact on your personal brand. Integrating AI Video Cut can simplify the process, helping you create content that resonates across multiple platforms and save time while you enhance your online presence. Use your existing content efficiently and align it with platform-specific demands to stay ahead and attract new viewers.