How We Turned One Old Blog Post into 11 New YouTube Shorts

Problem

The Ohio State History Department had something most brands only dream of — centuries of compelling stories and a treasure trove of images.

What they didn’t have was a way to make those moments feel alive for today’s audience.

Their longform content was rich, accurate, and beautifully researched… but it wasn’t built for the quick-scroll, thumb-stop reality of modern viewing habits. They needed to translate history’s depth into a format that could hook a younger audience instantly — and then lead them from short-form engagement into deeper, longform exploration.

That’s where CXG came in. We saw the opportunity to turn their archive into a binge-worthy short-form series — marrying accuracy with speed, context with punch, and making history not just something you read, but something you feel in 60 seconds or less.

Approach

Creating new content can feel big and stressful — from brainstorming and writing to shooting and editing. But it doesn’t always have to be. If you’ve already done the hard work to tell a story once, why not tell it again?

That’s exactly what we did with our CXG x OSU Origins campaign.
We took a single blog post — Top Ten Unprecedented Elections in American History (Link: https://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/top-ten-origins-other-unprecedented-elections-american-history) — and transformed it into 11 YouTube Shorts. The goal: boost engagement, reach younger audiences, and educate thousands along the way.

Just like you can recycle plastic bottles into playgrounds, you can recycle content into something innovative and exciting. A good story can (and should) be told in many different ways. At CXG, we make sure no great story — or great work — goes to waste.

Behind-the-Scenes Video (Link: https://vimeo.com/1036138118)

Solution

Our roots
OSU Origins already had a powerful story: exploring current events through a historical lens. One 2016 blog post highlighting the Top 10 Unprecedented Elections in U.S. history (Link: https://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/top-ten-origins-other-unprecedented-elections-american-history) was timeless — it just needed a wider audience.
An eye for growth
The Origins YouTube channel had a small following but wasn’t tapping into its full storytelling potential. CXG saw an opening.
Plan of action
Using the blog as a blueprint, we mapped out voiceovers and visuals for 11 unique YouTube Shorts.
Shooting day
We recorded all 11 voiceovers on campus in a single day, with both CXG and OSU’s history department lending their voices for accuracy and personality.
Putting it all together
CXG combined the voiceovers with curated stock images, added subtitles for accessibility, and edited each short for maximum impact.
The finished product
CXG staggered uploads to keep the audience engaged. The results?

+2.6M views
8 of 11 shorts reached 100K+ views
One short (2000 presidential election) topped 800K views
Channel engagement skyrocketed, bringing in a younger, more interactive audience

And Then We Did It Again

After the presidential campaign success, we applied the same approach to OSU Origins’ Oscars Top 10 Dresses series (Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGtrpR1vPOU/).

Results:

382K total views across 11 reels
Takeaway: In a niche cultural topic, we still drove strong reach without relying on mainstream virality.
159K views on the intro reel alone
Takeaway: The hook was irresistible, pulling in a massive audience from the first post.
1.6K+ total interactions
Takeaway: Engagement levels matched top industry campaigns.
73% of YouTube viewers watched at least half
Takeaway: Audience attention rivaled the best-performing Shorts creators.

More Content (Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/79YgY0HHACI?si=rDBRkKSMcZhmCYaE)

Summary

From presidential history to red-carpet fashion, CXG proved again that smart content recycling paired with precision storytelling delivers results.

Two different topics. Two different audiences. Same outcome — more reach, more engagement, and more viewers walking away with a story worth sharing.

At CXG, we don’t just recycle content — we give it a second life that hits harder, lasts longer, and reaches further.

Visit Ohio State Origins Site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MynOcyWmp93pV-SQW0IuA