Looking for video ideas, but not sure what to create? In this post I share 99 quick and easy video ideas that you can use to create engaging, shareable videos on any social platform. And tools to help!
BY DONNA MORITZ | SUNDAY 5 MAY, 2019
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Grab my PDF of all 99 video ideas so you can refer to it later:
It should be no surprise by now that video marketing is essential for any business or brand with an online presence. You see stats like this and it's hard to argue aginst the idea that we should be creating and sharing video on at least one platform:
- Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year.
- the average viewer spends 88% more time on a website with video.
- viewers are 95% more likely to remember a call to action when watching a video (vs 10% from reading text).
- Video is consumer's favorite type of content to see from a brand on soical media.
… and so on. The facts about video are clear. The question is, what can we create? In this post, I have shared 99 video ideas that you can start using now to inspire your video marketing.
Use these ideas on any platform. For example, you can use them on YouTube, Instagram, Instagram Stories, IGTV, Facebook Pages and Groups, Facebook Live, Twitter, Pinterest and on your website.
And depending on the platform, you can create any size videos that you need (ie landscape videos, square videos, vertical story-style video), GIF-style videos, short snippet videos, long-form video… the list goes on.
Think of this list like a Pick-n-Mix. Find an idea you like and then use your choice of tool to create a video that is a good fit for the platform you will post it to. Then repurpose for other platforms too.
And I've included some tools at the end of this post to help you out. Let's jump in:
99 Video Ideas that Will Step Up Your Video Marketing
You'll notice that we've split the sections up for you to help you find similar content that might be useful over a series of videos. Here's the main categories:
- About You
- News, Commentary and Ideas
- About Your Audience
- Just for Fun
- Products, Services and Reviews
- Tools and Apps
- Share, Show and Teach Us
- Take Us With You
- Promote Something
- Connect with us
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About You – Video Ideas
This first section of video ideas is all about you and your team. It's become more and more important to make a human connection with your audience vs just posting as a brand. So helping us to get to know the people behind the brand is more important than ever.
1. Intro Yourself on Video
Create a video and share something about yourself – not just your business but information about who you are and some fun facts about you that people might know. We want to know the people behind the business so share that with us.
2. Introduce Your Team
Film a video about your team – either film an individual team member or create a fun video about your team as a whole. Again, your audience wants to know the people behind your company.
3. Channel Intro Video
This is a great idea for YouTube where an intro video for your channel can be a great way to orient new visitors to your channel and help them to know what to expect. And they get to meet you and see who they are here for! Make it fun and engaging.
4. Share Your Productivity Hacks
Everyone gets through the day in different ways and we all have time management and productivity hacks that work for us. Share them with your audience.
5. Company Values Video
This can be a fun way to share more about your company and what it stands for and also help to connect to your audience. What is your manifesto? Do you have some company values you can share? What makes you different? Can you get creative with how you share this difference via video?
6. Create an Explainer Video
This can be an investment of time but also can be very powerful when sharing more about what your company/software/team actually does. Here is a handy post about creating explainer videos and software you can use:
7. Day in the Life Video
Does your audience know about your industry or particular situation? From midwives to Videographers… sometimes creating a day-in-the-life style video can be very revealing and quite watchable!
8. Fun Facts Video
Another engaging way to connect with your audience is to share some fun facts about you or the people in your company. You can share fun company facts but this is really about sharing people facts. The more you can be “human” the better the connection.
9. Share Your Backstory
Got a fun, fascinating or interesting Backstory? Share it on video. Don't think you have a fun, fascinating or interesting Backstory? Think again. Everyone has an interesting past that lead them to where they are today. Don't discount how it will impact your audience and consider sharing it.
10. Share a Lesson via a Story
Got a great story that has a message? If you have had a personal story with an outcome that can help your audience, share it on video. Stories engage us and help us to remember content. The more inspiring or motivational, the better. And it's even better if it is a catalyst for change for the person watching it.
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News, Commentary, Ideas
This next section of video ideas is all about sharing innovation, news and ideas.
11. Breaking News Video
We love to be the first to know about something on social media – so share some breaking news about the world or your industry. It helps your video get discovered and shared if you can be the first to jump on to some new information. Be ready to create this video content quickly. Your smartphone may be your best ally in this case!
12. Bust a Myth
Is there a myth out there that needs busting? Bust it on video? Talk through your reasons for busting the myth and show any proof that you have that it's not real. These types of videos can be fun!
13. Give Your Two Cents
Didn't get the jump on breaking news? Maybe give your two cents worth to what is happening or respond to what someone else has posted. It's an opinion piece coupled with breaking news.
14. Thought Leadership Video
Share a new concept or idea that you've been working on that helps you stand out as an expert. Explain how it works and why you've come up with it – you can do this for an idea, a framework or a process – anything that is uniquely yours. Maybe it's a concept you use with clients in your business but haven't shared before on video!
15. Help us make sense of the Stats
Got some new statistics or data that can help your audience. Present it in a way that helps us make sense of it. This example from Social Bakers is brilliant for helping us make sense of what happens to our analytics if we boost poorly performing content vs waiting a couple of hours to make sure it's getting some organic results first. Pacman for the win!
16. Announce Something
This might not be international breaking news but if you have something worth announcing on social media for your business, do it with a video!
17. Editorial Video
This is where you use video to report on a news story or share a piece of literature or to share an update, or educate us about something newsworthy. This focuses around factual information.
18. Explain a Concept or Idea
Share your ideas and insight about a particular concept or idea. If it's something that needs breaking down into layman terms then do it via video, with visuals to help. These types of videos can be very popular and get shared well, especially if you pick something that your ideal audience struggles to make sense of (but really want to!).
19. Recap an Event
Been to an event? Create a video to recap the main ideas and share it with your audience!
20. Infographic Video
An Infographic video is a great way to break down statistics and current facts and figures about a topic. Think of it like the sections of an infographic broken down into slides of a video. It can be very engaging to watch as there are a lot of changing animations on the screen.
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About Your Audience – Video Ideas
This next section of video ideas is all about your audience. You'll often hear that you should answer this question for your community: “What's in it for me?”. Think about how you can create content that is specifically for your fans and customers in your videos. Help them, answer their questions and lift them up!
21. Ask Your Audience
Not sure what you should create next? Ask your audience. Whether you are new to video or you've created thousands of videos, asking your audience what they would love to see from you can be a great strategy for connection. It's also great for finding ideas for content that will resonate with them.. because they asked for it. Jumping on live video is a good way to do this.
22. Biggest Challenge
Ask your audience, on video, what their biggest challenge is when it comes to X. Once you know what their single biggest challenge is for your industry you can more easily create content to help them with it. This is a super important question to ask!
23. Showcase a Customer
Create a video about one of your customers and make it all about them. Yes you may mention that they are a customer but don't just make this video about that. How they use your products or services can be part of it but make sure the story focuses on something that will help the viewer – ie the process or results or journey they have had to achieve success.
24. Ideal Audience
Create a video about your ideal customer – ie who are they, what makes them tick, what inspires them, what are their problems and what are they challenged by. Share the video highlighting their challenges in particular and also how you can help. Letting your audience know that you ‘get' them will make them more likely to buy your services to help them.
25. User Generated Content
Encourage your audience to share content using a unique hashtag for your business and then get permission to share that content. This could be any video content that you think will be a great fit for your channels. Always get permission and use a tool like Tack to help collect permission and share media.
26. FAQ's Video
A great way to educate your viewers with information about your industry is to do an FAQ video. This is where you collect up all the questions you are asked on a regular basis (or a “frequent” basis… aka Frequently Asked Questions or FAQs). Then answer some of them. If you have dozens of FAQ questions then spread this out over multiple videos. Or start a weekly series! You can even add these videos back to the FAQ section of your website.
27. SAQs Video
Have you heard of SAQs? These are like FAQs but different. Instead of being “Frequently Asked Questions” they are “Should Ask Questions”. These are all about the questions that your audience should be asking but maybe don't. These will be the concepts or solutions that you and your team are always talking about with fans and customers. They just might not instigate that discussion. It's information that they need to know.
28. Personal Greeting Video
Over the years, there has been one type of video that never fails to get me to watch and respond – a personal greeting video. This is a video where you record a greeting or message for one person. It's not sent to multiple people – it's personal and it's tailored for one person. Do some research and add personal information into your greeting. Then send it via Twitter, Facebook messenger, in groups, via email or wherever you know that person will watch. Some of the best personal greetings have been sent to me via Twitter in short, fun messages.
29. Case Study
Share a Case Study. Either share a Case study from one of your customers, or maybe someone who is not a customer but has a lesson that could help your customers. Either way, make sure the case study helps them with a problem that you know they face in your industry. Make it about them.
30. Pitfalls, Warnings and Redflags
Know some big tips for how to avoid problems/mistakes/errors/losses in your industry? Help out your audience by sharing your advice for how to avoid the pitfalls. This is especially powerful if you have a personal story to share.
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Just for Fun – Video Ideas
This section of video ideas is all about fun. Video doesn't have to be serious and in fact, the more fun you can make it the more entertaining it might just be! Add some humor into your videos and watch them fly.
31. Favourite Movies or Songs
Create a montage of your favorite movies or perhaps do a review of a movie – if it's relevant to your audience. You can also do a twist on a movie to make it about your industry ie 5 Things Accountants can actually learn from the movie “The Accountant”. Do the same with your favorite movies.
32. Have fun with your product
Share your product with a funny approach. Perhaps show the worst thing that can happen if someone doesn't use your product.
33. Create a Challenge Video
Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? Your challenge doesn't need to involve icy cold ice-water but it should involve fun. You don't have to do a challenge for the entire internet (although be prepared that it may take off). Just do it for your audience. Come up with a fun challenge for them, and put it out there!
34. Go Retro
We love to talk about the history of things, so talk about “back in the day” of technology, music, movies or your favorite company. We love to watch Throwback Thursdays and ‘Back in the Day' content.
35. Reaction Video
These are usually fun videos, where you watch another video and give your reactions. Generally used for something funny or quirky and the person doing the reactions is usually quite animated. Here's an ‘extreme' version of this from Alex Honnold the Free Solo climber:
36. Comedy Skit
Are you the type of person that likes to have some fun? A little bit dramatic? Then get creative and show your creative side and add a little comedy to your video. Make us laugh and we'll be sure to share.
37. Music Parody
A music parody or song can be a great way to engage your audience but also to share some great content. If this is in your creative capabilities, try it on for size! You can also do this for movies or TV shows too, not just music.
38. Prank Video
This might seem a little childish for a blog about business-focused video ides, but hear me out. A prank video can still be fun and yes, it might be completely unrelated to business. But it can also be a prank on your team mate, partner or client. As long as they give permission to show it, this can add a fun element to the idea of sharing behind-the-scenes content.
39. Secret Superpower
Got a secret skill or superpower that you haven't ever shared? Share it on a fun behind-the-scenes video that helps your audience get to know you better. It will make you more human!
40. Blooper Reel
Don't forget to keep all the bloopers when you are recording video. A Blooper Reel can be a fun way to share some of the “human” side of your brand. Or you can include these at the end of your videos for fun, especially on YouTube.
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Products, Services, Reviews
This section of video ideas is all about Products, Services and Reviews. Review a product, give a sneak peek of your new product line or share something to highlight your services. Get creative with it!
41. Review a product, tool or service
Review a new product or any number of things – a YouTube channel, a podcast, a new video a new book or movie. Anything that is relevant to your audience is worth reviewing. We love to hear reviews and recommendations from others, so give your two cents on something!
Hot Tip: Maybe do a regular review video on a weekly or monthly basis.
42. Customer Testimonial
Ask one of your customers (preferably a raving fan) to do a testimonial review about your product or service. It's much better coming from a customer than from your team! Just like in this video, where Ian Cleary shares why he loves Agorapulse:
43. Share Your Swag
Got some swag? Share it in a video – for some reason we all love to see what others get in the mail, including swag from other brands.
44. Unbox something
Unboxing videos are hugely popular on the internet, especially on YouTube. If you buy a new product, show us the unboxing process. Yes, we are strange creatures but there's something about knowing what is coming out of the box.
45. Show us How it Works
Continue your unboxing video (or take any product) and walk us through how the tool or product works. Add your review about the product while you are at it!
46. New Product Launch
It goes without saying that if you are doing a new product launch you should show us the product! Share what's great about it. You might want to put some effort into this video and make it super creative so that it gets viewed and shared.
47. Book Review or Book Club
Books are still huge, even in these highly tech-driven times. Doing a book review can be a really popular way to connect with your audience – you're helping them potentially find their next great read. And if it's a business book or something about your industry, you can add your viewpoints on it.
48. Favorite Things
What are your favorite things at home or work? Share them with us!
49. Launch Your Book
A great book launch video can have you clicking through to Amazon to purchase before the video even ends. That's what Mark Schaefer's book launch video for Marketing Rebellion did for many readers. It's one of the most powerful examples I've seen. Check it out:
50. Response Video
Give your response to someone else's blog or video or podcast. Give some new ideas or perspectives.
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Tools and Apps – Video Ideas
This section of video ideas is all about Tools and Apps. We LOVE to share our favorite tools and apps and even moreso, we love to hear about tools and apps that other people are using. Share the tools and apps you are loving with your audience.
51. What's on My Phone?
A great place to find tools and apps is to look at your phone. I do this regularly to find a new app that I have been using and share it with my audience. Or you can share an entire screen of apps on your phone to show what your most used apps are. You'll find apps on your phone to share, trust me!
52. Do a Tool Review
Do a full video review of your favorite tool or piece of software. Then share it as a video on YouTube or maybe a snippet or shorter version on Facebook. Repurpose it for IGTV and add it to your Instagram channel so that the preview starts and then people can click through to IGTV to finish watching.
53. Review a Toolkit
Got a group of tools you use together for a particular job or purpose? From podcasting, video and blogging in the tech space to cooking or even a Tradie's tools… share what you use on the job!
54. Do a Top 5 or 10 List
Share your Top 10 Tools or Apps for a particular industry, theme or job in a fun video. We love Top 10 lists so had to include them in these video ideas.
55. Tool Comparison
If you've got tools or products that are competitors, share a comparison with them. Create a video about Product A vs Product B, like this one:
56. App or Tool of the Week
Got a favorite tool of the week? App of the week? Share it in a regular short video.
57. Interview Someone from an App or Tool company
Why not go to the source? Interview someone from the company that makes the Tool or App you want to showcase.
58. Tips and Tricks
Share a tool but go a little deeper and share a quick tip or trick that many people might now know about. There's always functionality that you can share that others might not yet be using.
59. Share a Tool Hack
Got a simple hack you are using for one of the tools? Share it! Even better, show it on video.
60. Must-Have Tool List
Different to a Top 5 or Top 10 List, this is the ‘Can't-Do-Without' list of tools that you literally can't live (or do business) without. What are you totally geeeking out on right now? Even moreso.. what can't you get through the day without using. Create a video about that tool or tools.
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Share, Show & Teach Us
This section of video ideas is all about content. Whether it's to inform, share, teach or otherwise, video is a huge part of content marketing. It works in sync with other content marketing formats like blogs, podcasts and more.
