Video content is bigger than ever — and the trend is only getting more popular. Yet not everyone can come up with video content ideas at the drop of a hat. Can you relate?

According to Social Media Today, 66% of people prefer short videos of products or services. In addition, 85% of businesses use video marketing. If you’re not already employing video content ideas in your business, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your audience. 

Plus, you have so many different quick and easy options for sharing video content, there’s no reason not to use this format. In addition to simply filming something from your smartphone and posting it to social media, you can create live videos. And, now you have Instagram Reels — Instagram’s answer to TikTok — to create short-form video content.

Never fear if you’re feeling stumped in the video content ideas department. We’ve got seven video content ideas below to help you get started. Repeat these ideas using different content, and you’ll never run out of video content ideas again.

Learn more: How to Improve Your Social Video Content: 10 Tips From the Pros

Idea #1: Explain How to Do Something

What is something your customers are always asking about? What are some ways to use your products that customers might not be aware of? Think about the things you could potentially teach to your audience. Then get the camera rolling!

Sometimes, it seems counterintuitive to “give away the secrets,” so to speak. If you’re a cleaning business, for instance, why would you want to tell your customers how to clean their stovetop? Don’t you want them to hire you instead?

Yes, the ultimate goal is for your followers to become customers. However, social media shouldn’t be viewed simply as a sales platform. The majority of your time on social media should be spent building rapport with your audience, not trying to make a sale. 

So when you share a secret with them or teach them how to do something, you’re building trust and confidence. You telling them how to clean their stove isn’t going to prevent them from ultimately hiring you, if that’s what they’re looking to do. 

People don’t hire a cleaning business because they can’t figure out how to clean — and likewise, they don’t not hire one just because they saw a short “how to” video on Facebook. If and when they hire, it’s because they don’t want to clean their house themselves — and they’ve found a company they believe they can trust to get the job done. That could be you!

Read more: 31 Days of Social Media Content Ideas

https://www.facebook.com/TutorDoctorSugarLandSouth/posts/676330072958961

Idea #2: Describe a Popular Product or Service You Offer

As a business owner, you likely use the products or services you offer. Your employees probably do, too. What are some of your personal favorites and why? Tell your followers all about them!

This is the equivalent of the “staff picks” wall you might see in a bookstore or music store. You might not know these people personally, but don’t you feel more confident buying a book that someone else has recommended?

You can string together these “staff picks” into one video or create a series of videos to share over time. Invite user engagement by asking your followers to share their own favorites in the comments.

For example: Cartridge World Vestavia Hills explains popular back-to-school printer options

Idea #3: Share a Customer Testimonial

Along the same lines, you can ask your customers to share about their positive experiences with your company. Have you received any notes or words of appreciation from your customers, or online reviews from customers you know? How about sharing them in a quick video?

If you have a physical location with customers who are “regulars,” you can simply ask them if they’d be willing to be filmed. You can also reach out to customers directly and invite them to submit a video testimonial themselves. 

Like that “staff picks” wall we mentioned above, a “customer pick” is another great way to build trust and confidence in your brand.

https://www.facebook.com/psporlando/posts/182003340107855

Idea #4: Share the Personal Side of Your Business

Especially right now during the pandemic, many of us are spending more time at home, taking up new hobbies and finding different ways to stay busy. Show your followers some of the ways you’re making the best of these strange times!

When you share a video of you gardening, baking, playing with your kids or pets, or working on a home-improvement project, you show the human side of your business. You’re not all about making money and selling things. You have a real life, and your followers can relate to you. 

After all, who hasn’t tried baking a banana bread or converting their garage into a gym these past few months? These posts will hit home with the “we’re all in this together” crowd.

Read more: 5 Easy Ways to Power Up Your Social Media Presence in One Hour or Less

Idea #5: Film a Quick Clip of Something Bigger

Maybe you have a fitness business and you’re doing online classes. Or you’re a tutor offering virtual lessons. Try sharing a short clip from one of your full videos to give your followers a taste of what to expect.

If you continue sharing these clips, in time your audience will start gravitating to them. Invite your audience to turn on notifications for your posts so they get alerted when you drop a new video!

Again, you’re not giving away the entire farm. You’re building trust and rapport. You’re increasing the likelihood of followers converting into customers without going in for the “hard sell.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEANKtygXdg/

Idea #6: Share a Testimonial of Your Own

Do you have any favorite local businesses you can shout-out? Film a video testimonial of your go-to restaurants, markets, boutiques or service businesses.

When you post the video, be sure to tag the business in the post. Doing so increases the likelihood of them sharing the testimonial to their own audiences. And just like that, you increase your reach!

You can also invite engagement from your audience by asking them to drop a comment in the caption tagging their favorite businesses. You’d be surprised how much traction you can get from a post when you show some love to a fellow business owner!

Idea #7: Go Back in Time

Do you have any videos from when you first started your business? Or any other videos that take a page out of history? Share them with your followers for a “Throwback Thursday”! 

People enjoy seeing what your business was like when you were first getting started. Caption your video with a few fun facts about your startup days. Ask your followers if they remember what the times were like back when you opened your doors. 

Maybe they remember when you first opened, or they’ve lived in your town since before you got started. They can share about their own experiences from “back in the day.”

https://www.facebook.com/rallio/videos/1681365468683285/

Video Content Ideas Don’t Have to Be Complicated

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of coming up with video content ideas, pause and take a breath. Think about the videos you like to watch on social media. How can you mimic what others have done successfully?

As you get started, keep the following quick tips in mind to improve the quality of your videos:

1. Record videos in landscape orientation, not portrait.
2. Position yourself in a quiet space with no background noise, including TV, music, voices or even a noisy appliance.
3. Make sure that the light is shining in front of you, not behind. Filming while facing a window usually does the trick.
4. Speak slowly so you’re easy to understand.
5. Make sure your front-facing camera is clean!
6. Keep your video fairly short for social media. A minute or less is ideal for quick clips.

Each week at Rallio, we send many of our clients video content ideas and other social media ideas to help them keep their pages fresh. Get in touch with us via rallio.com if you could use some help filling up an idea bank of your own.

Learn more: 6 Ways to Create Memorable Content for Your Business