Start with the questions people already ask you
The hardest part of short video is deciding what to say. You already know the answers, because customers ask you every week. How long does a furnace last? What happens at a first physio visit? Can these berries be frozen? Each of those is a video, and each is something a stranger in your town is typing into a search bar.
Keep a note on your phone for a fortnight and add every question you hear. At the end you will have a list rooted in real demand rather than whatever happens to be trending. The videos almost write themselves, because you have already said the answer out loud a hundred times.
Ideas that suit valley businesses
Ideas travel best when they look like where you work. A shop on South Fraser Way, a greenhouse on Sumas Prairie or a truck loaded on a rainy morning tells a viewer something no stock clip can.
Pick two or three of these formats and repeat them. A recognizable series is easier to make and easier for viewers to follow than a different stunt every week. The topic changes each time, the structure stays familiar, and you never start from a blank page.
- Trades: a before-and-after from a real job, with the things that changed the quote explained in plain words
- Clinics: a tour of the treatment room and what a first visit feels like, with no patients on camera
- Cafés and restaurants: one dish made from start to finish, or the first batch of the morning
- Farm stands and retail: what is in season this week and how people can use it
- Professional firms: one rule of thumb explained in thirty seconds
- Every business: meet the person who answers the phone
Film once a month, not every day
Batching beats daily panic. Block a morning, pick six to eight questions from your list and film them in a row, changing the location or your shirt now and then so the clips look like different days. A phone on a cheap tripod, a window or an open shop door for light, and a clip-on microphone for noisy places cover nearly everything.
Film vertically, keep each clip under a minute and say the answer in your own words. Wind on a farm and a running fan in a kitchen ruin audio quickly, so test a few seconds before every take. If you would rather stay off camera, hands-and-product clips work well, or our media production team can film on location.
The first three seconds and the last three
Viewers decide almost instantly. Start with the finished result or the question itself, such as ‘This is what a failing hot water tank looks like’, rather than a logo or a long hello. Add captions because many people watch muted, and keep any on-screen text clear of the edges, where buttons cover it.
End by telling people one thing to do: call, tap for directions, book through the link in your profile or send a message. Post the same video to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok, uploading the original file each time so no watermark follows it. Business accounts often get a limited music library, so lean on your own voice.
Count what actually helps the business
Views are pleasant, but they do not pay invoices. Watch profile visits, taps on your phone number or directions, messages and the number of new customers who mention a video. Add one question to your phone script and booking form: how did you hear about us? The answers show which topics bring real enquiries.
Review once a month. Repeat the formats that earn saves, shares and messages, drop the ones that stall and stay patient, because short video builds recognition over months. When a clip does well, you can back it with a small paid boost aimed at the towns you serve.
Where social video is going
Short video apps are turning into search engines, with people typing a question and getting videos back, and Google now shows short clips in its own results. A library of videos that each answer one clear question, titled and captioned in plain language, will work harder over time than a feed of passing trends.
- 01People searching TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for local recommendations
- 02In-app booking and shopping buttons attached to video
- 03AI editing tools that cut and caption your footage faster
Questions & answers
No. A recent phone, steady hands or a cheap tripod, daylight and clear audio are enough for most clips. Professional filming earns its cost for ads, brand films and anything that will be used for a year or more.
Two to four times a week suits most small teams, but consistency matters more than volume. Film in one monthly session, schedule the clips ahead and keep a few spare in the bank for busy weeks.
Yes. Ask anyone who will be recognizable, and get a short written release from staff and clients. Clinics should keep patients out of frame unless a proper consent is signed. Check that any music you use is licensed for business accounts.
If filming eats your evenings, probably. Make the first month’s videos yourself to learn what you want to say, then decide what to hand off. Our team can plan, film and edit, and a free marketing audit will show whether video should be a priority.