Turn 1 blog post into multiple short form videos

In this post, I’ll guide you through how to bulk create short-form videos from your blog posts using Canva and Zapier.

Step 1: Prepare Your Content

Begin with a blog post. This serves as the foundation for your video scripts. Store your finished blog in a specific Google Drive folder.

Step 2: Set Up the Automation

Zapier Integration:

Open Zapier and set up an automation (or "Zap"). The trigger for this Zap is a new document added to your Google Drive folder.

Connect to ChatGPT:

The next step is to use ChatGPT to convert your blog post into video scripts. You’ll need an OpenAI API key for this. Your prompt instructs ChatGPT to read your blog post and generate video scripts in a tabular format.

Customize Your Scripts:

Decide how many video scripts you want. For instance, you might ask for five scripts, each with three slides. You can also specify the tone for the content.

Formatting for Sheets

To save the scripts in a Google Sheets file, format the data using a simple Python script. If you're not a coder, you can get help through AI tools like Claude, which can assist you in creating the necessary code.

Create Spreadsheet Rows:

Set up the Google Sheets to create multiple rows for each slide of your videos.

Step 3: Prepare Visuals in Canva

Using Canva Templates:

In Canva, choose a mobile video template. You can start with pre-made templates or create your custom layout.

Single Page Setup:

Unlike some methods that create multiple pages for each slide, opt for a single page where you manage the timing of elements to avoid exporting multiple files.

Add Timing:

Use Canva’s timing feature to control when each text box and image appears.

Bulk Create Videos:

Head to the bulk create tool in Canva. You’ll paste your video script data into the pertinent fields. For visuals, manually select different images to accompany each slide for added interest.

Connect Data:

Ensure that you connect the text fields to your scripts in Google Sheets and the images to their respective slides.

Step 4: Export Your Videos

Final Review:

After everything is connected and set up correctly, create your designs.

Download:

When you export, choose to download all videos as separate files or as one file. The choice depends on how you’ve set up your slides and timing.

By following these practical steps, you can efficiently create multiple high-quality videos from your existing content. Not only does this save time, but it also allows you to produce engaging material consistently. Get started and enhance your content strategy using these tools!