You know that the videos you do for Facebook and your YouTube channel are pure gold. In fact, you cover a lot of the topics that you talk to your clients about all the time on those videos. They would be incredibly valuable if you could use them in other ways, especially for that book you’re writing, but how do you do that?

I recommend starting with the outline for your book to see what videos you have that will fit in. Then, open your Facebook or YouTube videos page and look at the titles. If you’re giving them titles that let you know what the content of the video is (titles like “Repurposing your content” or “5 tips for maximizing your budget,” not “Time for another check in!” or “Hey there!”), then it should be easy to just read the title and know where it fits.

Then, follow this process:

1. Watch the first video listed in your outline. You don’t have to watch it all the way through, but long enough that you know what content is in there.
2. Decide if it’s really something that you want to include in your book. If the information is old or really isn’t relevant to the audience you are writing for, ditch it, and move on.
3. If it is relevant, decide how much of it you want to include. You may only want the bullet points or highlights. Or this may be important information that you want to capture and include in its entirety.
4. If you just want the highlights, review the video and take notes. Don’t forget to pause it when you need to write down something so you don’t miss out on the next gem. (I’m notorious for forgetting that I can pause a video to take notes. When you watch a mix of live and recorded videos, I think it becomes a common problem.)
5. If you want the entire video in your book, you can do it two ways. Using a speech recognition software will help you transcribe it. You may need to purchase the software, but there is also an option on your phone or computer in some cases. I’ve had varied quality on the phone and computer options, but it’s worth a try. You can also type as you speak. I’m a speedy typer, so I usually go with that option. (I’m used to taking notes during interviews, so it’s nothing for me to copy what I’m saying, especially if I remember to pause it.)

Then, you can repeat this process for each video that you have listed in your outline.

Remember that one of the goals in writing a book for your business is to do it with an eye on a deadline. You don’t want to stretch this out for a year or two and just write on whim. If you have a goal in mind, then repurposing those videos is a great way to not only help you generate content, but also to get you over some of the biggest fears that keep people from writing.

A blank page can be incredibly daunting, so getting through the outline and developing some content may be all the push that you need to finally get that book done and out the door!