BuzzFeed’s Tasty is the God of repurposing content. Here’s why...

Cautionary warning: this article might make you very, very hungry. But hey, you might learn a thing or two about repurposing content too.

My one sided love for BuzzFeed’s food channel, Tasty, began when I signed up for an excruciating diet plan, but that is a story for another day. In my mind-numbing hunt for food videos I landed up on Tasty and there has been turning back since then. But, not for their recipes – my tryst with Tasty has been rather technical.

1. How BuzzFeed managed to crack the right amount of video speed; just the right amount of forward effect – slow enough that you don’t miss out on any details, fast enough that you don’t get bored.
2. The God of repurposing content! Tasty or BuzzFeed for that matter is the personification of the how to repurpose content articles you have been reading. One video, rather one recipe that is going to make its presence felt again over the next few months in a very contextual manner. Pay attention to the contextual bit.

The producers at Tasty or anyone who manages their content calendar deserves a pat on the back.

Now, shifting gears for those who have been unacquainted with repurposing content and why it should be done. In lay man terms, repurposing content would be packaging and presenting it differently for various objectives,

1. Justifying the economics of production: Every blogger and content creator invests a certain cost in creating a piece of content. Given the algorithms and the attention span, there is only so much that can be earned from that particular peace. To leverage the investment in production, it only makes sense to use and re-use the content as long as it is entertaining and contextual. Just to be clear, not over-use!
2. Reach a wider audience: Let’s say you made a piece of content for Set A of your audience; now, in a new format, with additional information, and new packaging the same piece of content could be relevant to Set B, for whom you would have had to create a new content piece from scratch.

There are a lot more reasons as to why one should re-purpose content, but, for now coming back to Tasty. While repurposing text content has been the trick of the trade for a while now, re-purposing video content without making it appear repetitive is rather new. The food content creator has managed to cater to various audiences through one piece. Here’s how...

1. Teaser

A couple of months ago, Tasty re-shared a video they created back in 2017, titled, 7 stages of diet. Now, why do I call this a trailer? The video is a stitched snapshot of some of the best recipes to have ever been featured by Tasty; further, it covers the various kinds of content they cater to – all packaged in a snackible format, making it the ultimate teaser to their food channel.

Takeaway: Tasty took the best of their content and compiled it one relatable video speaking to the viewers through their language. Keep a handy list of your best and evergreen content, it has the potential of becoming the face of your blog.

2. Trend Based

Food is one of the most sort after online content genres and even though it doesn’t need any statistic to validate the same, here it is - 100 million food boards exist on Pinterest. Yes, that’s Pinterest alone!

A number of local delicacies became a global rage and BuzzFeed was quick to latch on to many of them. One of the most memorable examples for me being the jiggly, fluffy Japanese Cheesecake! A globally loved dish that anyone and everyone wanted to get their hands on. Obviously, Tasty released a video of how can that cake be made at home, but, later repurposed it into various formats.

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One format included featuring original footage of the Cheesecake from Japan, the second part begun with a CTA (call to action) of here how it is you can make it at home. The second format, where Tasty used the same video was a comparison of American & Japanese cheesecakes.

Takeaway: Not only both the videos target different kinds of audiences but also, kept the buzz and momentum around the Japanese cheesecake going on their platform as the dish went on to become a worldwide rage. When leveraging a trend, think about how can you make it relevant and contextual for your audience.

Also Read:  Nisha Madhulika shares the success recipe of food blogging

3. Need based

In 2016, Tasty made a video titled, How To Make A Salad That Doesn’t Suck, which received, over 5 lac views on YouTube. While the video summarized the do’s and don’ts of salad making, there weren’t any recipes or follow ups.

A repurposed video of the same was released in January 2018, with a number of added salad recipes, thus, catering to the need of those who wish to implement the tips on how to make a salad that doesn’t suck with actual recipes. The video has over 9 lac views on YouTube till date.

Takeaway: With the repurposed video, Tasty managed to cater to a wider audience need and base. Further, the repurposed video received much more views, showing how added thought and perspective can help a piece of content reach its optimum level. It all boils down to what does your audience need? Social listening plays an important role here.

4. Theme based

This one is with a video showing the recipe of beef and broccoli. The first video released in June, 2016 was in the simple how-to format, teaching viewers how to make the dish. In 2017, the beef and broccoli recipe found itself stitched in a new video - 6 Chinese Take-Out Inspired Dinners.

The first video has over 5 lac views and the second video recorded over 1 million views.

Takeaway: While the first video was a mere recipe, the second one was based on one theme or technique, adding perspective and more value through additional information. How do you add value to an existing piece of content? In this case it was the theme of Chinese takeout, it could be anything for you.

5. Demand Based

While it does sound very similar to the aforementioned Need Based content format, it isn’t. Demand based content, is more in line with the current trend. For instance,  Keto and Low Carb – two terms that you often find people throwing around. Yes, it’s the all new buzz and a number of old recipes from Tasty found themselves in videos repurposed to cater to this demand.

Takeaway: It might not always be possible to create content at the snap of a finger. Delve deep, find content that can be repurposed to feed the new demands. Old is gold after all.

While these were some things that can be emulated when it comes to repurposing content, there are also things that shouldn’t be done. For instance, be very careful of what kind of content you select for being repurposed. Was it entertaining/knowledgeable and of good quality in the first place? Second, be extremely relevant and contextual – without these two you’re simply spamming your audience with old content.

I hope these tips are as relevant to you! In the meantime, go ahead, grab a snack, I know you’re hungry.