You might have recently heard some news about Instagram planning to become a more video focussed platform following an announcement from Facebook’s head of Instagram at the end of June. Adam Mosseri revealed the company has big changes planned for the platform, by moving away from their ‘photo-sharing app’ status and testing new full-screen mobile video content and recommended video feeds, leaning more towards the style of TikTok.

With changes slowly coming to Instagram as they plan to ‘experiment with a number of things in this space over the coming months’, you might be wondering how you can continue to utilise your page, platform and following through video content. The world of video content can seem super overwhelming before you delve into it, but really it’s not as daunting as it seems - all you really need is your mobile phone!

To make it simpler, we’ve come up with some easy-to-create short form video ideas, split into sections so you can keep your content varied and your followers happy!

 

Showcasing your product or service is probably one of the simplest ways to jump on the trend and create some short-form video content – you’re already an expert on this topic and can simply share content of you ‘doing your job’!

Timelapse of your work

It can be nice to show your customers how your products are made from beginning to end, so they can truly understand the work and process behind the product – and give you credit for your hard graft! This one is super simple to create as all you need to do is set up your phone camera up to timelapse before you work and hit record.

New product reveal

New product reveals and ‘sneak-peak’ videos are a great premise for short-from video as they build anticipation and get customers excited!

Packaging orders

This is something that has blown up on TikTok and Instagram recently, so it’s a great way to hop on a trend! Small businesses have started filming the packaging process of customer orders, so the excitement after pressing purchase is prolonged as they get to see what happens before they receive their order!

 

It’s a great idea to pull back the curtain a little and engage with your audiences on a more personal level. Show your customers that your team is human and let your customers get to know the story behind your business.

Meet the team

It’s always great to see the cogs behind a business, including the team who make it all happen! When interacting with your small business, customers will likely be interacting with your team – so let them know who they’re chatting with and introduce your team members! Why not introduce your furry co-workers too?

Workspace tour

Share your workspace with your customers! Whether you’re in a shared office, a retail location or simply your kitchen table, people love to see where you’re working from and essentially where they’re buying from too. This could be as simple as an in-depth desk tour or a general preview of the space as a whole.

Day in the life

Offer your followers a glimpse into daily life and take them along with you on a typical day. This can help customers understand the process you go through to create products or how you go about your day and the typical tasks you complete.

Success story

How did you get to where you are today? What did it take you? How many obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them? As a small business owner, likelihood is you’ve already beaten plenty of hurdles along the way - let your customers know what you’ve achieved!

 

Short-form videos are a snappy way to offer up information to users that is super easy to digest. So, it’s a super easy way to share advice with your customers that is easy to take in - this could be by sharing useful tips or answers to common questions - and by creating helpful and useful content, you become a valuable resource to your customers too.

How to

According to Social Media Today, ‘How to’ searches on YouTube increase by 70% every year, so you can use video content to help educate your customers! Short videos create a super simple opportunity to show your customers how to use, or make the most out of, your product or service.

Top tips for your niche

If you’re a small business owner, it’s likely you have some level of expertise in your industry or niche, so share these tips with your customers! Whether that’s tips for breaking into the industry or tips to master a skill - if you run a small bakery, perhaps show people your best piping tips or hacks for a light and fluffy cake!

FAQS

Responding to common customer questions is a great way to create short video content. This gives you a chance to inform your audience and showcase your products and services, while offering up your expertise and adding a personable touch.

 

One of our key tips for creating video content is to have fun! If you enjoyed creating the video and had a laugh creating it, it’s likely that your audience will do the same when watching it! Don’t take yourself too seriously and just go with it.

Hop on trends

With millions of videos uploaded onto Instagram and TikTok daily, there are plenty of trends to join in with, and there’s always a new one just around the corner. A great way to get engagement and increase your reach is by trying out these trends and making them applicable to you and your business - don’t forget to use the appropriate hashtags too. 

Be relatable

One of the key things to remember when creating funny video content is to be relatable. Video sharing platforms are full of humorous skits that are relatable to broad audiences or niche communities, from ‘working from home’ acts to relationship tropes.

So there we have it, 12 simple short-form video ideas for you to give a go! The great thing about video content is that there is always something new just around the corner for you to try, or a trend for you to joing in with - you;ll never be shor for inspiration. And, if after this blog you're still not quite sure what video to shoot, just have a scroll on Instagram reels or TikTok!

We can't wait to see your videos, did the reel we created once we returned to the office?