In short: Choose the content type by the job it must do. An explainer answers a question a buyer already has. A testimonial shows a real customer saying why they chose you. A social clip stops someone scrolling and points them somewhere. A podcast builds trust over several episodes. Pick one main format for the first project, and add the others once that one has a clear next step.
A video needs a job before it needs a format. The chooser sorts four common business formats by the job each one does, then points to the one that fits your main goal.
What each format is for
- Explainer. Shows how a product, service or process works, in the words you would use with a customer. Best when the question is "how does it work?"
- Testimonial. A customer talks about their experience. Best when the question is "will it work for someone like me?"
- Social clip. A short cut, often vertical, made to stop a scroll and point to a page, a post or a phone call. Best when the viewer already knows you a little.
- Podcast. A run of episodes with a host and guests. Best when you want people to spend time with your ideas over several weeks.
How to use the chooser
- Write your main goal in one sentence: sell a service, reassure a buyer, recruit, or grow an audience.
- Say who the viewer is and what they already know about you.
- Say what the viewer should do next: visit, call, book or subscribe.
- Take the format the chooser gives you, then check the time it takes to make, not only the money.
- Pick one format for the first project. Write the second and third down for later.
A worked example
A two-person accountancy firm wants more enquiries from small builders. The main goal is to reassure a buyer who has heard of the firm but has not called. The viewer knows the name and has no picture of how the firm works. The chooser points to a testimonial from a builder who switched, with a short explainer on the first call as the second film. Social clips come later, cut from the testimonial once it has a place to send people.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the platform first, then the format. A short vertical clip does not replace an explainer.
- Asking a testimonial to explain the product. Customers talk about results, not features.
- Starting a podcast because another firm has one.
- Making four formats at once with one message, so none of them lands.
- Skipping the next step. Every format needs a clear thing for the viewer to do.
If you would rather talk the mix through with a studio, the Content Studio page sets out the content days Granary offers. For the first set of content to make, read what content should a small business make first. The testimonial videos guide covers how to ask a customer to speak to camera, and the studio terminology glossary explains the words used on set.
Related guides
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between an explainer video and a testimonial?
An explainer answers a question a buyer has, in your words. A testimonial answers the same question in a customer's words. Use the explainer to show what you do, and the testimonial to show it worked for someone.
Which type of video should a small business make first?
Start with the question customers ask most often. If the answer is how the service works, make an explainer. If the doubt is whether it works, make a testimonial. Social clips and podcasts come after you have a clear next step.
Is a podcast the right first video project?
Usually not. A podcast needs a run of episodes, a steady flow of guests and a plan for promotion. Start with one format you can finish and use.
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