Start a Video Brief With the Viewer’s Question

Watch the video

Before choosing a shot, ask what the viewer is trying to understand. That is the idea behind reel twenty-seven of our Small Business Content Kit series. One clear answer gives a video a purpose and makes the next production decision easier to assess.

Write the question in the customer's words

Choose a question people actually ask, rather than a question invented to introduce a sales pitch. It may concern a process, a choice or what to prepare. Keep it narrow enough to answer accurately in the time available.

Then write the plain answer. If it depends on the project or circumstances, say what changes the answer instead of forcing a universal rule.

Find the picture that helps

Some answers are clearest through a demonstration. Others need a person explaining a decision or relevant supporting pictures. Choose the visual approach after understanding the question, not before.

Every shot does not need to communicate the whole story. It needs to support the point it is placed beside. Remove attractive material that pulls the explanation away from the promised answer.

Offer a sensible next step

The ending should match what the viewer now understands. A related guide, a fuller conversation or an invitation to discuss a project may fit. Several competing requests can make a useful explanation harder to act on.

This article expands a prompt from Jessica's Small Business Content Kit. Try it with your next post: name the viewer, write one real question, give one clear answer and show something that supports it. That is a practical brief. It is not a promise that one particular format or posting frequency will produce a commercial result.

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.

Quick answer: What does a producer need in a first video brief?

An original SNP animated explanation with AI narration.

Start with the person watching and the decision they're trying to make.

A couple choosing a caterer might want to see how a tasting actually works.

Write that question, the scene that answers it, and the link for booking a tasting.

Optional camera resource, separate from the illustrated camera. Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Sony FX30 (body only)