Social media and short-form video

Choose the right platforms, plan what to post, and script, film and edit short videos on your phone that people watch.

Most small businesses post on social media the way they would put up a poster: make it look nice, put it up, hope someone notices. Then the views stay low, they post less, and the account goes quiet. The problem is rarely effort. It is not knowing what the feed rewards, which platform their buyers use, or what makes a stranger stop and watch. This course teaches organic social from the viewer's side: how to choose platforms, plan content pillars, write hooks, script and film short video on a phone, run a community, work with creators and read your analytics. You finish with a 30-day content plan and a set of videos you have posted and reviewed.

What you'll be able to do

• Choose one or two platforms for your business with written evidence from real customers
• Write three to five content pillars and a backlog of specific post ideas
• Write hooks that work in the first three seconds, with and without sound
• Script, film and edit a short vertical video on your phone with accurate captions
• Run comments and messages with a written community playbook
• Brief a creator or partner with clear terms and proper disclosure
• Read platform analytics and turn them into a monthly content decision

Syllabus

Module 1: Understand what the feed rewards and pick your platforms

How social feeds decide what to show, why reach is earned post by post, and how to choose the one or two platforms where your buyers already spend their time.

• 1.1 The feed watches what viewers do, not what you meant
• 1.2 Where your buyers actually scroll
• 1.3 One platform done well beats four done badly
• 1.4 Choose your platforms and write down why

Module 2: Decide what you will post about with content pillars

Build three to five content pillars that connect what your buyer cares about with what you can credibly say, so you never start a week wondering what to post.

• 2.1 Content pillars are the few topics you are known for
• 2.2 Find pillars in the questions customers already ask
• 2.3 Mix posts that teach, prove and show the people
• 2.4 Write your pillars and twenty post ideas

Module 3: Win the first three seconds

Write and test hooks that make the right viewer stop, using words on screen, the opening line and the first frame together.

• 3.1 Why the opening moments decide everything
• 3.2 Hook patterns you can reuse for any idea
• 3.3 Make the picture, text and first line say one thing
• 3.4 Write and test hooks for three ideas

Module 4: Script short videos people watch to the end

Write short scripts that hold attention after the hook, using a clear structure, tight wording and a reason to stay until the last second.

• 4.1 A short video has four parts: hook, setup, payoff, next step
• 4.2 Write for the ear and cut every spare word
• 4.3 Formats that work without being on camera
• 4.4 Write three scripts ready to film

Module 5: Film and edit on your phone

Shoot clean, well-lit, clearly audible video on the phone you already own, and edit it into a tight cut with captions in a free or low-cost app.

• 5.1 Light, sound and framing matter more than the camera
• 5.2 Shoot more than you need, in short takes
• 5.3 Edit for pace: cut the start, the pauses and the end
• 5.4 Captions and on-screen text that people can read
• 5.5 Shoot and edit one finished video

Module 6: Publish with captions, hashtags and a rhythm you can keep

Write post captions that add to the video, use hashtags and keywords sensibly, and set a posting rhythm you can sustain for months.

• 6.1 Post captions that add something the video does not
• 6.2 Hashtags describe the post, they do not buy reach
• 6.3 Pick a posting rhythm you can keep for six months
• 6.4 Build your 30-day posting calendar

Module 7: Turn viewers into a community you can talk to

Run the comments, messages and replies that turn passing viewers into regulars, handle negative comments well, and keep conversations moving towards a sale without being pushy.

• 7.1 Comments are a second piece of content
• 7.2 Handle complaints, trolls and wrong information
• 7.3 From comment to conversation to customer
• 7.4 Write your community playbook

Module 8: Work with creators and partners

Find creators and partner businesses whose audience matches yours, agree clear terms, and run a collaboration that is properly disclosed and measured.

• 8.1 Pick creators by audience fit, not follower count
• 8.2 Brief, terms and what you can reuse
• 8.3 Disclose it properly and measure it
• 8.4 Shortlist creators and write your outreach

Module 9: Read your analytics and decide what to make next

Use the analytics built into each platform to see which posts held attention and drove action, then turn that into decisions about what to make more of and what to stop.

• 9.1 Which numbers matter and what each one tells you
• 9.2 Compare posts fairly and look for patterns
• 9.3 Run a monthly content review
• 9.4 Your 30-day content sprint

Frequently asked questions

How long does the course take?

About ten and a half hours of lessons and exercises across nine modules, plus the 30-day sprint. Most people spend two to three hours a week.

Do I need a good camera or editing software?

No. Everything is taught on the phone you already have, with free or low-cost editing apps. A small microphone and a phone stand help, but they are optional.

Does this cover paid ads or boosting posts?

No. This course is organic social. Boosting, paid social and ad tracking are taught in Paid ads: Meta, Google and TikTok.

I don't want to be on camera. Can I still do this?

Yes. Module four covers formats that do not need your face, such as voice-over, hands-and-process shots, screen recordings and text-on-screen videos.

Will this tell me the best time to post or how to go viral?

No, because nobody outside the platforms can say that reliably. You learn to read your own analytics and test, which tells you more about your audience than any general rule.

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