The complete guide toarticle to video
Learn why short videos made from your own posts work, which posts to repurpose first, how to make one step by step, and how to build a repurposing workflow.
Why turning articles into short videos works
A post that took a day to write usually gets read for a week and then sits in the archive. A short video puts its main idea in front of people who scroll feeds instead of reading blogs, and sends the curious ones back to the full post.
The work is already done. The argument, the examples and the numbers exist, so the video only has to condense them. That makes a back catalogue of articles the cheapest source of video a content team has.
It also keeps your voice consistent. The video says what your article says, in fewer words, so the feed and the blog tell the same story under the same brand.
Which posts to turn into videos
Some posts condense better than others. Here is one made with GhostShorts from an original explainer, plus two more formats from the template.
Real article videos made with GhostShorts
One post in, a narrated vertical short with captions out.
| Post type | What the video does | Tone that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Blog post | Condenses one published post into its main argument | Explainer |
| Newsletter issue | Turns each issue into a short that points to the archive | Punchy |
| Ranking SEO page | Moves a page that already ranks onto social feeds | Explainer |
| How-to guide | Walks the steps in order | Explainer |
| Case study | Puts the result first, the method underneath | Authority |
| Listicle | One line per point from the post | Punchy |
| Opinion or founder essay | Leads with the take and keeps the reasoning | Authority |
| Product update | What shipped and who it is for | Explainer |
Start with the posts that already perform. A page that ranks or an issue people forwarded has proven its idea, so the video only has to carry it to a new feed.
How to Turn an Article into a Video with GhostShorts
Four steps in the app, from your post to the finished video. Click any screenshot to see it full size.
- SourceA link to a public page, or pasted text
- Source length90 to 4,000 words
- Video length~30 sec, ~60 sec, ~90 sec
- ToneExplainer, Punchy, Authority
- Caption styles5, with a position you set
- ExportVertical 1080x1920 MP4
How long should an article video be?
You pick the length before the script is written. The script is sized to it, so a long post is condensed harder and a short one keeps more of its detail.
- ~30 sec~85 wordsA teaser that sends them to the post.
- ~60 sec~145 wordsThe whole argument, condensed.
- ~90 sec~215 wordsA longer piece with several points.
Fitting the post to the length
- One idea per videoIf a post makes three separate points, a 30-second teaser for each often works better than one 90-second video that rushes all three.
- Let the video send them to the postA short teaser does not need the whole argument. Its job is to make the right people click through to read the rest.
Can You Turn Any Article into a Video?
Article to Video is built for posts you wrote or have the rights to: your blog, your newsletter, your company’s pages. Paywalled or login-only pages will not import; paste the text instead. Practical guidance, not legal advice.
Good sources
What works best.
- Your own published posts and newsletter issues
- Drafts that are not published yet, pasted as text
- Public pages your team owns, linked directly
Staying accurate
What to check before you post.
- Read the script against your post
- Check every number, name and date
- Keep the claims yours: the video should say what the article says
Repurposing articles by hand vs GhostShorts
By hand, turning a post into a short means cutting it to a script, recording a voiceover, finding background footage and timing captions in an editor. Here is how the two compare.
| Step | By hand | GhostShorts Article to Video |
|---|---|---|
| Script | Cut the post down yourself | Condensed from your post to the length you pick |
| Voiceover | Record and edit a read | An AI voice reads the script |
| Visuals | Find or film background footage | A looping background clip from the library |
| Captions | Time every line in an editor | Word-synced captions in one of five styles |
| Accuracy | Your job | Checked against your source, and still read by you |
The time you save goes into the part that needs a person: choosing which posts are worth a video and writing the caption that sends viewers back to read.
Tips for repurposing articles into shorts
Teams that get results treat repurposing as a habit, not a one-off.
Start with your best posts
Repurpose the pages that rank and the issues people shared first. Their ideas are already proven.
Pick a tone per channel
Authority suits LinkedIn and B2B audiences; Punchy suits TikTok and Reels. Keep one per account.
Link back to the post
Put the article link in the caption or bio. The video earns attention; the post converts it.
Read before you render
Check the script against the source, especially numbers and names. It is your brand on the video.
Batch your back catalogue
Turn a month of old posts into a month of scheduled shorts in one sitting.
Add captions to every clip
Many viewers watch on mute, so captions carry the message. For videos you already filmed, try auto captions.
