Never post the watermarked file
Save the clean version before you publish, or export from your editor rather than downloading from the app. This single habit fixes most repurposing failures.
The same applies in reverse. Reels watermarks perform badly on TikTok.
Recut for the destination
Reels audiences tolerate a slightly slower opening. Shorts rewards a stronger first frame because the thumbnail matters. LinkedIn needs captions burned in because most people scroll silently at work.
The body of the video can stay identical. It is the opening and the framing that need reworking.
Rewrite the caption every time
Each platform’s search and ranking reads the caption differently, and audiences expect different tones. Copy-pasted captions read as lazy and rank badly.