The #1 video format local businesses should use to get customers in the door in 2026
This isn't even close.
Here's the magical format you want.
Introducing: Explain-to-Sell.
In short: someone from the company walks around answering interesting questions about your product or service.
Check out these examples from one of our clients in Grand Rapids:
Here's how to make them:
Interesting Questions
Think of simple, interesting questions about whatever it is you sell.
Superlatives seem to work great. ("biggest X", "worst X", etc.)
Examples for Car Dealerships:
What's the most expensive car on your lot?
Which car would you recommend NOT to buy?
Where should you never drive this Lexus?
Examples for Real Estate Agents:
What's a secret hidden in this house?
What's the worst part of this house?
What upgrades would double the price of this house?
Subject
This is a very face-forward format.
Two considerations:
i. Who do you want to be the face of your brand?
ii. Who on your team has the biggest personality?
(not the hottest or most fashionable. The biggest personality.)
#1 protects brand value (what if our star quits?), #2 gets more sales/views (personality hugely drives these).
If the owner has a big personality, you're set!
Film
Film in context: on a worksite, at the shop, in the factory. You get it.
Mic them up (please), point the camera, and shoot away.
There should be some movement in the shot -- the subject can move around (camera follows), and/or the camera gets closer to products / details that are mentioned.
Keep the thing under 60s (or edit down to under 60s). 30s is even better.
Edit
Put the question up top in the video. Use your brand's colors / fonts.
Add subtitles -- either at the bottom of the video or near to the subject.
For local traffic: put your city name in small text right below the question: "📍grand rapids, mi"
For better watch-time: add b-roll during some of the more boring parts of the explanation (but keep their face shot for the first 5-7s).
Batch
Do you see how easy this is? You can bang out 10 of these with 30 minutes of shooting. Editing...maybe an hour or two.
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