Reels are suddenly getting a lot of traction on Facebook. They already account for about ten percent of our two hundred ninety thousand views, and that number is climbing. The problem is that it is super challenging to move those reels to our new site. Even when I do download them, the Facebook music triggers copyright issues, and YouTube kicks them back in seconds.
After a lot of trial and error, I finally have a working system. I can download Reels using a Chrome add-on, strip the music, and replace it with copyright-free music. Even then I was not happy with the photo size. That sent me down another rabbit hole, but I found two solid tools that make this much easier.
The first is OpenShot. It is a simple editor that allows me to remove audio from a video without any issues, and it is free. The second is Pixabay. It has easy-to-use, copyright-free music. Between the two, I can turn any set of photos into a reel. After playing with the apps for a day, I may skip the original Facebook Reels entirely and build my own from scratch using the picture editor. I can upload them as MP4s, and they will work on Facebook, YouTube, and our website.
As you can guess, we are expanding our digital footprint. This is great for the long term. With enough new original content, especially written content, some of the AI engines will start to take notice. That means our work becomes part of the pool of hyperlocal information. We are building toward becoming the premier source for open space information in town.
We already earned a Rising Content badge from Facebook, and that is a great sign. None of this changes the fact that we are still a group held together with duct tape and chewing gum when it comes to events. It does help us grow our members, and it keeps open space issues on the front burner in town. That is important. The fiscal situation in town is getting darker, and traditionally open space is always the first thing cut. The more people we reach, the better chance we have of protecting and promoting these places.
So if you see some new videos appearing over the next few days, it is just me testing ways to make this system work. Once the process is solid, you will see a steady stream of written content and new reels.