Preparing and delivering a talk takes time and energy and, because you put a lot into it, you really want to get a lot out of it too.
That means, when people log off or leave the room after you have delivered your talk, you want to be in a position where you are only getting started with the content.
So in this blog post we’re going to look at ways to repurpose your talks in order to grow your brand, further establish your reputation as an industry leader and maximize your ROI.
Whether it’s for an in-person event or a virtual one, preparing your talk is time consuming and you expend a lot of resources on it, so the last thing you want is for your words and ideas to disappear when people leave the room or log off the virtual event platform.
You want those words to continue to work hard for you well into the future. So how can you make sure that happens?
You repurpose your talk into hundreds of pieces of content…
Pre-talk prep
When you accept the invite to speak, you want to find out if you will be given content to repurpose after you’ve delivered the talk.
This will mean getting in touch with the event organizers to find out about:
Video
Will they be videoing your talk and if so, will you get a copy of the recording and how can you use it?
If they are not videoing your talk, can you organize your own videographer?
Audio
Will they be making a separate audio recording of your talk?
If you have a podcast or create audio content then record your own audio by hooking up a lapel mic to a handheld recorder like the Zoom H1 handy recorder.
Photography
Will there be a photographer and will you get copies of the pictures?
If not, arrange a photographer or someone you know in the audience who can snap a few shots.
Speak to the organizers and agree on all of this.
Once you have arranged the above, write a ‘shot list’ of footage that you want to capture and run it past the videographer and photographer.
TOP TIP
If you have the opportunity, walk them through your speech and highlight important moments, laugh points and so on, so they know when to capture that repurposing gold!
To prepare your talk with repurposing in mind it’s important to consider the assets for example, your slides, as well as the structure of your talk – because if you develop your talk in ‘chapters’ you’ll be able to repurpose each chapter into something new….
10 ways to repurpose your talk
You’ve delivered your talk, now it’s time to get on with repurposing it for social media as well as your other platforms. Here are 10 repurposing ideas...
1. Blog post or article
A leadership-focused blog post or article could be ideal depending on the type of talk you are repurposing.
Take the most inspiring points and actionable steps from your talk and repackage them into a long-form written piece that will bring organic traffic to your website and help to cement your reputation as an industry leader.
If you did a lot of research in preparation for your talk, you may have enough information for more than one. You could do a series of blog posts based on your talk.
2. Podcast episode
This idea is for people who already have a podcast. By recording the audio separately it’s easier for you to repurpose your talk into a podcast episode. This could add an interesting new format to your show.
As an example, Gary Vee repurposes his live keynote speeches on marketing and business into podcast episodes, which are slotted in between studio recorded episodes.
3. YouTube videos
As we all know, marketing is all about video right now. According to Hubspot’s most recent Video Marketing Statistics report, people are watching more video than ever, meaning it’s a great idea to repurpose the video from your talk onto YouTube.
You can use the whole talk or edit the best bits into for a short highlights video. Don’t forget YouTube SEO and a custom thumbnail to stand out!
4. Social media videos
Short, teaser videos on your social media channels will get snippets of your talk to your audience, teasing their interest and encouraging them to find out more by visiting your other content.
Create Instagram Reels, Stories, TikToks and YouTube shorts from the video of your talk, creating each one according to the specs of the platform. Capture the most compelling, funny, interesting, charismatic moments!
5. Quote graphics
Pick some of the most powerful quotes, questions, or stats to use as eye-catching quote graphics. These will work well paired with the high-quality photos of your talk. If you don’t have access to your own designer, Canva is a brilliant substitute!
6. Image carousels
Take those quote graphics up a notch with image carousels, which are great for boosting engagement and, according to LinkedIn they are one of the most effective and yet under-used features they have! And Statistica says they have the highest engagement rate on Instagram…
TOP TIP
The most successful number of slides on LinkedIn is 7.
Each slide should be clear, visually compelling and focused on getting your message across. They are perfect for repurposing a talk as well, because you can use a slide per point, include powerful quotes and stats, and include a CTA at the end.
Maybe you don’t have one image carousel, maybe you have many. If you break your talk down into chapters, then maybe you have an image carousel per chapter?
7. Twitter thread
You’ve already storyboarded for the carousel, so wordsmith that storyboard into Tweets, that tell a compelling story.
Start with a strong hook as the first Tweet, to draw people in, then each one should reveal a bit at a time, keeping readers interested until the end, where you deliver your CTA.
8. Infographics
Scroll-stopping, thought-provoking infographics are a great way to turn your key learning points into something that is visually engaging. People are drawn to powerful visuals, so if there are a number of key points from your talk that you want your audience to remember, sum them up in a super sharable infographic.
If you have some interesting graphics in your slides they could be included too.
9. Behind-the-scenes footage
This is super important. BTS footage provides loads of content opportunities – so think about filming the travel to get there, the drinks reception, the hotel, the networking... this is all interesting content helping to take your audience along with you through the experience.
This content can be repurposed into Stories for Instagram for example, or a quick TikTok to give your audience a feel for the event. It’s also perfect for slotting in as intros and outros to the main video and B-roll.
10. White paper / report / book
This one depends on your talk and your audience. Do they want more in-depth content from you? Did you gather a lot of research in the preparation of your talk?
If you have a lot of original thoughts, fresh new insights and problem solving content included then it might present the perfect opportunity to create your own white paper, report, or yes, even a best-selling book!
Have we forgotten anything? Let us know below!