How to Make a Good Short Video for Your Small Business | 15 Practical Tips
How to Create a Good Video Short for Your New Small Business
You know you should probably be making videos for your business. Everyone seems to be doing it. Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook videos — short-form video has become one of the easiest ways for a small business to introduce itself, demonstrate what it does and start building a relationship with potential customers.
But knowing that you should make videos and actually pointing a camera at yourself are two very different things.
The good news is that you don’t need a studio, an expensive camera or professional editing skills. In fact, for a new small business, a simple and genuine video can often work far better than something that looks like a polished television advert.
Here are our tips for getting started.
1. Decide what you want the video to do
Before you press record, ask yourself one simple question:
What do I want somebody to know, feel or do after watching this video?
Trying to say everything about your business in one short video is one of the easiest ways to end up saying very little at all.
Instead, give each video one job.
You might want to:
introduce yourself
explain what your business does
demonstrate a product
answer a common customer question
give a useful tip
show something happening behind the scenes
explain how your service solves a particular problem
show a before-and-after result
direct people towards your website or a particular service.
One clear idea generally makes a much stronger short than five ideas squeezed together.
2. Start with the interesting bit
You have very little time to persuade someone scrolling through their phone to stop and watch. So don't begin with a long introduction, an animated logo and:
“Hello, my name is Sarah and I've recently started a business called…”
Get to the point.
Try starting with something that gives the viewer a reason to stay.
For example:
“Three mistakes I wish I'd avoided when I started my business.”
“Here's what £50 can do to transform this room.”
“Most people don't realise this when choosing a wedding photographer.”
“Can you tell which of these two is handmade?”
“This is the question nearly every new client asks me.”
You can introduce yourself afterwards.
Think of the opening few seconds as the shop window. Give people a reason to come inside.
3. Keep it about the customer
A common mistake with promotional videos is making them entirely about the business.
“We were established in…”
“We are passionate about…”
“We offer…”
There is nothing wrong with telling people about yourself, but potential customers are usually thinking about something slightly different:
What's in this for me?
Instead of simply describing your service, explain what difference it makes.
Rather than:
“We offer bookkeeping services to small businesses.”
Try:
“If bookkeeping is taking over your evenings, here's how we can help you get those hours back.”
It's the same service, but the second version starts with the customer's problem.
4. Don't write a speech
Trying to memorise a perfectly written script can make even the most relaxed person sound strangely like they're delivering the evening news.
Instead, make three or four bullet points.
For example:
Opening: “Three things to check before employing a builder.”
Point one: Insurance.
Point two: References.
Point three: Written quotation.
Ending: “We've put a full checklist on our website.”
Then talk naturally around those points.
If you stumble slightly, that is perfectly normal. Your customers are not expecting an Oscar-winning performance. They are trying to decide whether you seem knowledgeable, trustworthy and like someone they might want to do business with.
5. Use your phone — but use it well
For most small businesses, a modern smartphone is perfectly capable of producing excellent short-form video.
A few small things make a surprisingly big difference.
Clean the camera lens before you start. It sounds ridiculously obvious, but fingerprints can make otherwise good footage look hazy.
Film vertically when you're creating content for short-form social media.
Keep the phone steady. A small tripod is useful, but leaning your phone securely against something works too.
And look at the camera lens rather than watching yourself on the screen. It feels odd at first, but to the person watching it creates eye contact.
6. Pay attention to light
You don't necessarily need specialist lighting.
You do need enough light.
Standing facing a window will often give you much better results than filming underneath a ceiling light.
Try not to stand with a bright window behind you because your camera may expose for the window and turn you into a mysterious silhouette.
Natural daylight, facing towards the light, is a very good place to start.
7. Sound matters more than people think
Viewers will often forgive slightly imperfect video.
They are much less forgiving when they can't hear what you're saying.
Film somewhere relatively quiet and avoid large empty rooms that create an echo.
If you're outside, be aware of wind. What sounds like a slight breeze while you're filming can sound like a hurricane through a phone microphone.
You don't need to buy a microphone immediately, but if video becomes a regular part of your marketing, an inexpensive clip-on microphone can be a worthwhile investment.
8. Add captions
Lots of people encounter videos while scrolling in places where they either can't or don't want to have the sound turned on.
Captions mean they can still understand your message.
They also make your videos more accessible.
Most social platforms and editing apps can generate captions automatically, although it's worth checking them before posting. Business names, unusual words and regional accents can occasionally produce some entertaining results.
9. Show things, don't just talk about them
If you're explaining a product, show it.
If you're a gardener, show the garden.
If you're an upholsterer, show the chair halfway through the restoration.
If you're a consultant, show a planning board, report or process.
If you're a baker, please show us the cake.
Short-form video works particularly well when the picture helps tell the story.
You can also film several little clips — sometimes called B-roll — and put them together later. A ten-second shot of you working, another of the finished result and another showing a detail can quickly become an engaging little video.
10. Keep the editing simple
Editing can become a rabbit hole.
You do not need twelve transitions, animated flames, spinning text and a dramatic cinematic zoom.
Cut out unnecessary pauses.
Add captions.
Perhaps add a little music.
Put a simple title on screen.
Then stop.
The editing should help people understand the video rather than constantly reminding them that somebody has edited it.
11. Remember your brand
Your videos don't all need to look identical, but they should gradually become recognisable as yours.
You might consistently use:
the same typeface
your brand colours
a particular style of caption
a familiar filming location
the same opening or closing format
your logo discreetly at the end.
Consistency builds familiarity, and familiarity helps build trust.
12. Give people something to do next
Don't leave your viewer thinking:
“That was interesting. Now what?”
Finish with a simple next step.
That might be:
“See the full range on our website.”
“Follow us for more tips.”
“Send us a message if you'd like to talk about your project.”
“Download the free guide from our website.”
“Tell us in the comments which one you'd choose.”
Not every video needs to sell something. In fact, it shouldn't. But it helps if the viewer understands what they can do next if they want to continue the conversation.
13. Don't chase every trend
Trends can be useful, but your business doesn't have to perform every dance, lip-sync or viral challenge that appears on your screen.
If a trend naturally suits your business and personality, use it.
If it doesn't, leave it alone.
Useful, interesting and genuine content has a much longer shelf life than awkwardly forcing your business into somebody else's trend.
14. Make several videos at once
One of the easiest ways to make video marketing manageable is to create content in batches.
Rather than setting everything up every Tuesday afternoon to make one video, spend an hour recording four or five.
Change the camera position slightly.
Film a few close-ups.
Answer several common questions.
Record an introduction.
Capture some footage of what you're working on.
You will suddenly have enough material for several weeks.
15. Your first video probably won't be your best one
And that is completely fine.
Your tenth video will probably be easier than your first.
Your twentieth will probably be better than your tenth.
You will discover what your audience responds to, what you enjoy talking about and what style feels natural for your business.
The important thing is to start.
Don't wait until you've bought the perfect microphone, redesigned the room behind you, learnt professional editing and finally feel completely comfortable in front of a camera. That day may never arrive.
Make something simple. Make it useful. Publish it.
Then make the next one.
A simple formula for your first business video
If you're still wondering where to begin, try this:
HookStart with a question, problem or interesting statement.
Useful bitGive one piece of genuinely helpful information.
ProofShow the product, result, example or your own experience.
Next stepTell the viewer what they can do if they'd like to know more.
For example:
“Thinking about starting your own consultancy? One of the first things I'd recommend is deciding exactly who you want to help. Trying to appeal to everyone makes writing your website, pricing your services and marketing your business much harder. We help new small businesses turn those early ideas into a clear brand, website and practical plan. You'll find more small-business advice on our website.”
That's a perfectly good video.
No film crew required.
One final thought
Video marketing can feel uncomfortable because you are making yourself — and your new business — visible.
But that's also exactly why it can be so powerful.
People buy from people. Seeing the face behind a business, hearing somebody explain what they do and getting a glimpse of how they work can create trust in a way that another carefully designed social-media graphic sometimes can't.
Don't aim for perfect.
Aim for useful, clear and recognisably you.
And press record.
Download our free Video Short Planning Sheet
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