Which video should my business make first?
If you mainly need new customers, start with a promo film: 60 to 90 seconds, filmed once and cut for both your website and social media. If you mainly need to post more often, start with reels instead, since a pack from one shoot costs less and gets you moving faster. Most businesses need both within a year, so it's worth planning the first shoot with that in mind.
The main types of business video, and what each one is for
Six formats cover almost everything a small business needs on video, and each does a different job. Once you know which job you're trying to do, the choice gets a lot easier.
- Promo film (60 to 90 seconds): the all-purpose piece for your homepage and social media, showing what you do, why you're different and how to book.
- Reels (up to 60 seconds): fast, native to Instagram and TikTok, made for posting often and reacting to what's happening now.
- Testimonial video: a real customer describing working with you, which builds trust faster than anything you can say about yourself.
- Product video: one product or service shown close up and in use, so a buyer can picture owning it.
- Brand story or documentary (2 to 10 minutes): the deeper piece about your history and your team, better suited to an about page than to a first impression.
- Event film: highlights from a launch, open day or conference, useful again next year and for anyone who missed it.
Choose by goal, not by what looks impressive
Four goals cover most reasons a business films anything, and each points to a different starting video.
- New customers: a promo film paired with a small ad budget, giving people who've never heard of you a clear, quick reason to get in touch.
- Trust on the website: a testimonial or short brand story, placed where someone is already deciding whether to book or buy.
- Social reach: reels, because platforms push short native video harder than anything else you can post.
- Hiring: a short piece showing the team and the day to day, which does more for recruitment than a job advert alone. It's usually a smaller project that comes later, once the customer-facing videos are done.
Why one promo film often covers the website and social media at once
A promo film doesn't have to mean one widescreen video and nothing else. My promo film package, from €790, includes planning, up to four hours of filming, the edit, colour and music, and delivers both a widescreen master for your website and a vertical cut for reels and stories. You get one story told twice, in the shape each platform actually wants.
That's usually a better first move than filming for the website and social media separately: you pay for the planning and the shoot once, and the story stays consistent across both.
When starting with reels makes more sense
Reels are the better first step in three situations: your budget is tight, you need to post regularly from week one, or you're promoting something that changes often, like a seasonal offer or a new arrival. A pack of four reels from one shoot costs €380, roughly a third of the promo film, and gets content onto your feed within days rather than weeks.
- You're building an audience from close to zero and need frequency more than polish
- You have a seasonal or fast-moving offer that a longer film would outlast before it's even finished
- You want to test what your audience responds to before committing to a bigger project
Two examples in practice
Take two different businesses asking this exact question. A local electrician with no video at all gets more from a promo film: people calling an electrician want reassurance before anyone even picks up the phone, and a short film showing the van, the tools and a plain explanation of how a call-out and quote work does that job well. A new home décor shop with a growing product range gets more from reels instead: the stock changes every few weeks, the budget is tighter in year one, and what the shop needs most is frequent, visible content rather than one polished piece that dates as soon as the range changes.
Neither choice is permanent. Most businesses that start with reels add a promo film within a year, once they have a following worth sending to a proper website. Most that start with a promo film add reels once they need to post more often to stay visible in between.
Plan the first shoot to get more than one video out of it
Whichever you choose first, tell the person filming that you want extras. A few product close-ups, some behind-the-scenes footage and ten minutes of stills take almost no extra time on the day, but they turn one shoot into a small library. I plan every shoot this way, so a promo film also leaves you with clips for reels and photos for your Google profile, and a reel day leaves you with stills for emails and the website.
If you're weighing this up against a bigger brand piece, brand film or promo video covers the difference in more detail, and turning one shoot into a month of content is worth reading before you book anything.
Questions people also ask
Can one shoot give me both a promo film and reels?
Not usually from the exact same minutes of footage, but from the same day, yes. Book the promo film first, then add a handful of vertical clips while the crew is already there. It's cheaper than a separate reels shoot later and keeps the story consistent across both.
How often do I need a new video?
A promo film usually lasts a year or two before your offer or branding moves on. Reels need refreshing constantly, ideally weekly or fortnightly, which is why most businesses end up doing one bigger shoot a year plus regular short-form content in between.
What if I only have budget for one video this year?
Choose based on where you're losing the most opportunities: a promo film if people land on your website and leave without enquiring, reels if you're simply not visible enough for people to find you in the first place.
Need a promo film?
I plan, film and edit promo films for businesses myself, from €790, with a fixed quote within 24 hours.