What works in 15–30 seconds
A short video needs an opening that catches attention, one clear point, and a next step. Study relevant examples before planning yours.
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Full lesson & technical details
Hook, one point, call to action. Study ten real examples in the client’s niche before writing anything.
The shape of a short video
- Hook (0–2 seconds). Text on screen and the first spoken or written line. If the first two seconds do not earn the third, nothing else matters.
- One point (2–20 seconds). One idea, shown not told. A tip, a before/after, a process, a “this is what we do at 6am.”
- Call to action (last 3–5 seconds). One thing: order by 4, book the Tuesday class, save this for later.
Fifteen to thirty seconds. Vertical (9:16). Captions always on; most people watch muted.
Hook in two seconds, one point, one action.
Formats a one-person shop can produce without filming people
| Format | Example | B-roll source |
|---|---|---|
| Text-led tip | “3 things to order for a 9am meeting” with text over product shots | Client photos, Veo product clips |
| Process | Dough being shaped, timelapse feel | Client phone footage or Veo texture clips |
| Before / after | Empty counter → full display | Client footage |
| Place | The shop at 6:30am, the light, the racks | Veo “establishing” clips, client footage |
| Myth / fact | “Sourdough is hard to digest? Here is what is true” | Text on stills |
The swipe file
Before writing, collect ten videos in the client’s niche that got real engagement (comments, not just views). For each, write one line: the hook, the format, why it worked. This file is the research step of the pack and takes 30 minutes. Keep it in the client workspace; reuse it next month.
What not to promise
Views. You deliver five videos that follow the format, posted consistently. Some will do better than others; the pack is about showing up every week with something good, not about a viral hit.
Worked example
- Café, Reels: hook “We open at 6. Here is 5:40.” Format: place / process. Why: a time nobody sees, 12 seconds, no faces.
- Bakery, TikTok: “Things people say at the counter” text cards over croissant shots. Format: text-led. Why: recognizable, cheap, 6 cards.
- Boutique: before/after of a window display, 9 seconds. Why: satisfying reveal, no voice.
- Bakery: “POV: you ordered the office box” — worked in this niche, 40 comments. Why: the box opening is the whole video.
- Coffee shop: myth/fact “Dark roast has more caffeine?” Why: one fact, one card, people argue in comments.
Formats to copy first: place/process and text-led tip.
Instructions you can copy (prompts)
Copy the instructions, replace the words inside {braces} with your details, and paste them into your AI tool. Check and edit the answer.
I am collecting short videos that worked for small {type of business} accounts. For each of these I will describe the video in one line; you reply with: the hook type (question / bold claim / curiosity gap / number / confession), the format (text-led / process / before-after / place / myth-fact), and one line on why it likely held attention. Keep answers to one line each. {paste your one-line descriptions}
Build a swipe file of 10 short videos from bakery or café accounts (Instagram Reels or TikTok). For each: hook, format, why it worked. Paste five of your lines below.
Done when: Ten videos logged with hook, format and a one-line reason; you can name the two formats you would copy first.. Sign up to save your work to your account.
Quick knowledge check
3 questions, 60% passes. Checkpoints, the certification exam (three versions) and the reviewed final project are unlocked with a free account.
- The three parts of a short video are:
- Why captions always?
- What do you NOT promise a client?