Your alarm goes off. You roll over to your phone and do your morning doom scroll. As you scrub all of social media, you stumble upon a video of a small business owner sharing their brand’s “why”.. You pause – something has caught your attention – and before you know it, you’re liking, following, scrolling their channel and watching all their “do's and dont’s” or “get ready with me” and even checking out their website. That’s the power of personal social videos. Social videos generate 1200% more shares than text and images combined! 1200%.... If you're not using personal videos to promote your brand on social media, you're leaving massive engagement potential on the table.

SO WHAT IS THIS BLOG ABOUT?! 

It’s about the power of connection through video and to make it simple (and contain my ADHD) I’m going to break it down into a  step-by-step guide to help you plan and produce killer social videos.

1. Start With A Mission

Ask yourself: What’s the one thing I want this video to do? Is it going to hype up a product? Get people to DM you? Make them laugh? Don’t make the mistake of posting into the ether without a goal. Be specific, because clear goals = killer content.

2. Know Your People

Picture your audience: Are they binge-watching TikToks at 2 AM? Scrolling LinkedIn during coffee breaks? Make videos for them, not for everyone. Everyone wants to get 2 million views and 1 million followers and slowly take over social media and then the world, but hey – let’s just figure out our lane first. Who’s your audience? Speak their language, hit their vibe.

3. Pick the Right Playground

Once we know our people we need to know the platform. Where does this audience live socially? Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok are all different worlds, with users looking for different ways of absorbing information.. People looking for quick tips are all over TikTok, while YouTube is better for longer videos (10+ minutes) or mini docs. Do you like making polished and aspirational content? You’ll find your audience on Instagram Reels. A great pro move would be to adapt your video for multiple platforms (same story, different edits).

4. Plan out the video

Keep your message clear and concise, especially on platforms where people favor shorter videos. Remember, people are scrolling! Create a Hook to grab attention for 3-5 seconds, then convey what your key point or story is. You should always close with a CTA (call to action). A call to action can be you telling them to follow you for more, or something as simple as putting your logo up at the end of a video for brand recognition, and to remind them whose content they’re watching.

5. Record & Edit like a pro

Use the best equipment you can afford. For a camera, you can simply use your phone if that’s all you have. Most viral videos come from phones! But no matter the camera, I can’t overemphasize the importance of stability. If you’re still using a stack of books, it’s time to get a cheap tripod. Now let’s talk audio. If they can’t hear you, they’re out. Get a clip mic or find a quiet spot to record. It’s the little things.

Now that we shot our content, what do we do with all of it?! If you are a beginner, use something less complicated than Adobe Premiere or Final Cut. Apps like CapCut, Canva, and InShot are perfect for quick, on-trend edits. Keep it snappy, cut the fluff, and get straight to the good stuff. Add captions, bold text overlays, and maybe a cheeky meme or two. Don’t forget to incorporate your brand logo, colors, or fonts to ensure consistency. 

8. Make it Pop

First impressions matter, so take some time and design a killer thumbnail. Write a caption that hooks “Wait until you see this…” Toss in hashtags (but not too many— keep it cool) and you’re good to go.

9. Test, Tweak, Repeat

After you’ve got 4-5 videos under your belt, take a look at your numbers: Views, shares, comments. What’s working? What’s not? Don’t be afraid to fail. EVERYONE DOES. You can switch tactics, but stay authentic and keep posting.

10. Share Everywhere (and Then Some)

Once you’ve posted your incredible, witty, potentially viral video on the platform of your choice, you can give it some room to breathe.. Give a second for your audience to engage with the content (this depends usually on how big your audience is). Once you’ve got a like or two then share a teaser in your stories. Start to create edits of that video for other platforms. If it was meant for TikTok, throw it on Instagram reels and add a song from Instagram to boost your algorithm. Always chop up and repurpose your vids. It’s never too much. This will give you the breakdown you need to see which edit essentially of the same content resonates more with your audience (and gets more focus from the algorithm gods). Your videos don’t have to be perfect—they just have to be you. Show your passion, tell your story, and don’t forget to have fun with it. That’s what people connect with.

At the end of the day, it’s all about connection. Your audience doesn’t care about perfectly polished content—they care about your story, your hustle, and your passion. That’s what sticks. So, stop overthinking and start filming! The first video might not be perfect, but it’ll be real. And trust me, real is what gets people to hit follow, share, and book.

Now go create something awesome—and don’t forget to send me the link when it blows up.