Give Each Small Business Video a Job

Watch the video

A brand story, a useful answer and an event recap do different work. In the first reel from our Small Business Content Kit series, we look beyond the next upload and ask what the audience needs to understand. That is a more useful starting point than choosing a format simply because it is popular.

Name the job before the asset

A brand introduction can help someone understand the people and purpose behind a business. An answer can clear up a specific question. A recap can explain an experience after the event. Decide which task this video needs to perform before asking it to do all three.

Write one sentence describing the viewer and what should be clearer afterward. Use ordinary language. If the sentence contains several unrelated goals, separate them into different pieces.

Choose something real to show

Match the idea with the people, process or detail that supports it. A clear explanation becomes more useful when the viewer can see the relevant work. Use material you are permitted to share and keep the context accurate.

Do not turn every piece into the same sales message. A direct offer belongs where it helps the viewer take the next step; a useful explanation should still deliver the answer it promised.

Try the kit prompt

Choose one question your customers ask. Write the answer, identify the picture that would help and decide where the finished video belongs. That gives you a small, practical brief instead of another empty space on the calendar.

This article develops an idea from Jessica's Small Business Content Kit for SwoleNerd Productions. The kit is a source of prompts, not a promise of reach, leads or a fixed result. Use the idea to make one clearer piece, then judge whether the audience can understand what you intended.

See the Small Business Content Kit that started this series.

Talk through your next video

If you are planning a business video, start with what your audience needs to understand. Explore SwoleNerd Productions.