Running a business leaves little time for video, and the hardest part is often just knowing what to post. Product photo, discount, product photo again… and nobody watches.
The fix is to stop making ads and start making videos people actually want, each with one clear job. Here are 40 ideas, grouped by that job, that work for shops, cafés, salons, trades, studios and online businesses alike.
Every video has a job
A view is attention, not a sale. Give each video one main job, and you’ll know what to ask for and how to judge it:
| Job | Who it’s for | What to ask | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get found | Strangers | Little or nothing; maybe “follow for more” | Reach to new people, shares |
| Help them decide | People weighing options | “Save this,” “details in the description” | Saves, profile visits |
| Make it easy to buy | People ready to act | Visit, book, sign up, buy | Clicks, bookings, sales |
| Keep customers | People who already bought | “Show me yours,” “here’s the next step” | Repeat buys, returning viewers |
Don’t jam a hard sell into a “get found” video. Entertaining strangers and closing a sale in the same breath feels like a commercial, and people scroll past commercials.
Get found (1–12): videos strangers want to watch
- The making of your best seller, start to finish, in 30 seconds.
- A satisfying process shot: pouring, cutting, wrapping, packing.
- Before and after of a job you did (same angle, same light, real result).
- The mistake most people make with the thing you sell, and the fix.
- A myth in your industry, tested on camera.
- “Day in the life” with a spine: “Can we get 40 orders out before noon?”
- Packing an order, ASMR-style.
- The weirdest request you’ve had (with the customer’s permission if they’re identifiable).
- “What $20 gets you” at your business versus elsewhere, fairly.
- A trend that genuinely fits your business, done your way.
- Your space opening in the morning: lights on, door unlocked, first coffee.
- A quick tip anyone in your area or niche can use, even if they never buy from you.
Help them decide (13–24): answer the doubts
- Your most-asked question, answered properly.
- “Is it worth it?” An honest look at your product’s price and what it includes.
- Who it’s for, and who it isn’t for. That one sentence helps the right people pick you.
- A side-by-side comparison of your two most popular options.
- How it’s made, with the materials and the time it takes.
- What to expect on a first visit or first order, step by step.
- How to choose the right size, color or option.
- A real customer’s experience, told by them, with permission and any connection disclosed.
- The thing that goes wrong, and how you handle it.
- Your guarantee or returns policy, explained like a person.
- A quality test: drop it, wash it, use it for a month.
- Meet the person who’ll do the work.
Make it easy to buy (25–32): one clear next step
- A walkthrough of exactly what’s in the box or included in the service.
- How to book or order, filmed on a real phone.
- A new product launch, with the real price and when it’s available.
- A genuine limited run or seasonal item, with real dates and stock (never fake countdowns).
- A gift guide from your own range, by budget.
- “The three things to order if it’s your first time.”
- A live session answering questions about a product.
- Where to find you, for a local business: parking, the door, opening hours.
Keep customers (33–40): help them get more from it
- How to care for what they bought.
- Three ways to use your product they might not have thought of.
- Customer creations or setups, reshared with permission and credit.
- A thank-you for a milestone, with a real behind-the-scenes look.
- Answering a comment with a video reply.
- What’s coming next, and asking customers what they’d like.
- Fixing a common problem after purchase.
- The story of your business: why you started, what’s changed.
How to make these work
Help first, then ask. People happily support someone who’s already helped them. Give away genuinely useful tips, even ones that help people who’ll never buy from you. When the ask comes, it feels like a natural next step, not a pitch.
Show, don’t claim. Demos and fair comparisons beat adjectives. “This will fix your skin” is a claim. “Here’s what happened to mine over four weeks” is an honest report.
Be honest about limits. “Great if you want X, not if you need Y.” It builds trust, and it can mean fewer returns and complaints.
Never fake it. No fake reviews, staged customers or invented scarcity. Use only real testimonials with permission, and disclose any connection.
Make your profile a landing page. When someone taps through, they decide in seconds. Your bio should say what you do and who for, with one link to your single most important next step, and your best videos pinned.
How to plan it
- Pick three pillars from the groups above, for example a process video, an answered question and a behind-the-scenes look. Our guide to content pillars shows how.
- Choose a pace you can keep. For a busy business, two or three strong videos a week is plenty, plus simple posts.
- Batch the filming. Film four videos in one quiet hour before opening. See how to batch film a week of videos.
- Check what works. Track reach for “get found” videos, saves for “help them decide,” and clicks and bookings for “make it easy to buy.” Different jobs, different numbers.
The Content Planner builds a posting plan from the hours you actually have, with a short weekly review. And the Idea Scorer helps you pick which of these ideas to film first, and fix its weak spot before you do.
Try it
Pick one idea from each of the four groups. Film all four in one session this week, and post them over the next two weeks. Then look at which job each one did best, and make more of that.
