- You do not need many videos. One or two short ones with a single next step can do the job.
- Six types cover most needs: launch, customer story, offer explainer, how it works, answer a question, and brand sting.
- Plan for people watching with the sound off. Add captions.
- Show the real website, shop, or work, and label AI-generated video where platforms ask.
Most small businesses do not need a big video library. They need one or two short videos that show the real business, carry captions, and point to one next step. There are six types worth knowing, and each does a different job. Every example below is Project5pi's own work.
What are the six types of marketing video?
Pick the type by the job you need done, not by what looks fancy.
| Type | Its job | Our example |
|---|---|---|
| Launch or announcement | Tell people something new exists | 37-second launch video for a Rhode Island cleaning company |
| Customer story | Show how you solve a problem | Two one-minute case-study Shorts |
| Offer explainer | Explain one offer and its price | 42-second explainer for our $15 check |
| How it works | Walk through the steps | Phone-screen mockups of a real booking form |
| Answer a question | Answer one common question | A frequently asked question, spoken |
| Brand sting | Introduce your brand in seconds | A 5-second animated logo loop |
What is a launch video?
A launch video announces something new. We made a 37-second one for Aquidneck Island Housekeeping (newportcleaninglady.com), a cleaning company in Newport County, Rhode Island.
- It is vertical 9:16 for Reels, Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
- A 4:5 cut fits the Facebook and Instagram feed.
- Captions are burned into the picture, so they show on every platform.
- Phone-screen mockups show the real website, including the instant price and the booking form.
- An illustrated cartoon of the owner, Sam, was animated with AI tools.
We posted it with the platforms' AI labels turned on: "AI info" on Instagram and Facebook, and "AI-generated content" on TikTok.
Keep a launch video to one announcement, and let the real screens do the explaining. A new service, a new town, or a new booking tool each make a good reason to make one.
What is a customer story video?
A customer story shows a problem and how a business solved it. We made two one-minute case-study Shorts for the Project5pi Marketing YouTube channel. One is about a chiropractor's office. The other is about a family-run pizza place. Both tell the story without client names, which keeps customers' details private.
A simple shape works: the problem, what changed in the work, and the next step. Leave out names and private details unless the customer says yes.
What is an offer explainer?
An offer explainer covers one product and one price. Name the offer, say what it costs, and give one next step. Ours is a 42-second explainer for our $15 SEO/AEO Visibility Check. SEO means search engine optimization. AEO means answer engine optimization, which is about being named in AI-generated answers. Captions are on.
What are how-it-works and answer-a-question videos?
A how-it-works video walks through steps. The phone-screen mockups in our launch video do this by showing the price tool and the booking form on the real site. If your service has a booking process, this booking checklist shows what to put on screen.
An answer-a-question video takes the question customers ask most and answers it in the first sentence. Think of it as your FAQ page, spoken. Every service business has a few questions it hears again and again.
What is a brand sting?
A brand sting is a very short animation of your logo. Ours is a five-second loop. Twelve letters cycle through 64 font styles, then land on the logo. You can put one at the start or end of every video, so viewers learn to recognize you. It is also one of the files in a full logo kit, which we explain in how much a logo costs.
What habits make video easier to use?
Start with the type that fits your biggest gap. A new business may want a launch video. A shop with happy customers may want a customer story. A business with one popular offer may want an explainer. After that, six habits carry across all six types. We build them into every video project.
- Plan for sound off. Some viewers watch on mute, so add captions.
- Go vertical first. Edit 9:16, then make a 4:5 cut for feeds.
- Show the real thing. Use your real site, shop, or work.
- Give one next step. Book, call, or visit. Pick one.
- Disclose AI. Turn on the platform's AI label where it asks.
- Reuse it. Post one video on several channels and on your website.
A Rhode Island shop or any New England service business can follow these habits with a phone and a plan. When you want help, start a project with us.
Questions people ask
How long should a small business video be?
Short enough to say one thing. Our examples run from 5 seconds to about one minute.
Do I need to film a crew on location?
Not always. Our launch video was built from phone-screen mockups of the real website and an illustrated character of the owner.
Do I have to label AI-generated video?
Platforms ask you to. We turned on Instagram and Facebook "AI info" and TikTok "AI-generated content". Check each platform's current rules before you post.
Which video format should I make first?
Make vertical 9:16 first, because it fits Reels, Stories, TikTok, and Shorts. Then cut a 4:5 version for the Facebook and Instagram feed.
What does a video from Project5pi cost?
We do not publish prices. We quote after a short call, based on length, format, and how many cuts you need.
Want a short video for your business?
Tell us what you want people to do next. We quote after a short call, from Providence, Rhode Island, or remotely.
See the Design Studio →Project5pi Design Studio · Providence, Rhode Island · hello@project5pi.com
Launch video made for Aquidneck Island Housekeeping, newportcleaninglady.com (checked October 24, 2026).