Clients often ask me: “Is there a way we can use past corporate video production content and make it relevant in today’s digital world?” The short answer is, you bet. If you have the following, you’re in business:

Raw footage you never made use of;

Video created for one purpose, but only some of the content it is still current and/or relevant;

A corporate video that is a huge yawn and way too long for beneficial use online;

Or past videos that rank anywhere between terrible to mediocre, but could possibly benefit from new life breathed into them.

It’s likely you spent a pretty penny having a professional corporate video production done years ago, and now want to make it into something useable. The good news is that even an older video can be salvageable if put in the right hands.

Here are some ideas to consider if your business has invested in video in the past, but it’s not at all what it needs to be to get traction today.

1. Make one into many. Several bite-sized videos are often more beneficial to a company than one long standalone piece. If you have a dull, drawn-out corporate video with a few good content nuggets within it, it may be worth cutting it into multiple pieces for online use. Consider dividing the content by theme or topic, so that people researching your business can find what they need right away rather than being forced to sit through a long, boring video. People want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and if you can provide them that experience and deliver the content they are looking for, it’s more likely they’ll do business with you. Brevity is key in the digital world today.

2. Breathe new life into the old. Watch your existing video content with a critical eye, and have someone else help you with this. Does the video you’ve been using all these years still offer the energy, experience and messaging your audience craves? Depending on when it was created, chances are that some of the content is good and some is horrifying. One way to reinvigorate older content is to create a new story by blending new video content with the old, to create something fresh. You’ll be developing a new story with different flow in order to connect with today’s audience. This approach is good when you want to show your roots, but also prove your company is innovative and always evolving, by leveraging advanced video strategies, especially once it’s ready to be shared.

3. Position. Play. Profit. Once you know your video content is worthy, it’s time to make sure it gets eyeballs. Is your brand where it needs to be, socially? Does it have a YouTube Channel? It better. YouTube is the second largest search engine, with many searching for business, service and product information. With various other social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Vine, your message has a huge opportunity to gain extra traction in the digital space. Post your videos on the platforms that make most sense for your business, and make sure they are properly search-engine optimized so people can find them. Don’t just ‘set it and forget it’ either. To reap ongoing benefits of your online video content, you should be working to branch out your online networks, regularly re-sharing your content and tweaking SEO to discover what works best for your business. Once you have easily digestible online video content created, it may also be time to consider doing a highly targeted video advertising push, ensuring your message is delivered to those who need to see it.

Lisa Ostrikoff is a TV journalist and anchor-turned-creator of BizBOXTV, a Canadian online video production, advertising and social media marketing agency.

via Three ways to reinvigorate your soul-sucking corporate video – The Globe and Mail.