# Make short videos

> 30-second clips of your product solving one problem. Post them everywhere.

- Time per week: 3 to 6 hours
- First results: 2 to 8 weeks
- Cost: Free (your phone or a screen recorder)
- Best for: Visual products, consumer apps, AI tools with a "wow" moment
- Human guide: https://agentmarket.lol/how-to-market/short-videos
- Last checked: 2026-10-04. Platforms change their rules and prices; confirm before relying on a number.

## How it works

Short vertical videos on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok can reach people who have never heard of you, because the feeds show videos from people you don't follow.

You don't need to show your face. Many software products grow with simple screen recordings: a problem, then the product solving it, with captions.

Limits change often. At the time of writing, YouTube Shorts can be up to 3 minutes, Instagram Reels up to 3 minutes, and TikTok allows longer uploads. The format for all three is vertical 9:16 (1080 × 1920). Short videos of 15 to 60 seconds are the usual starting point.

## Good fit if

- Products you can show working in seconds
- Reaching people who don't read long posts

## Skip it if

- Your product's value can't be shown on a screen at all

## Prepare before you start

- [ ] A screen recorder or your phone
- [ ] A free editor that adds captions
- [ ] A list of 10 "before → after" moments your product creates
- [ ] Accounts on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok with the same name and a link in the bio

## Step by step

1. **Hook in the first 2 seconds.** Start with the problem or the result: "Stop writing cover letters by hand." No logo intros.
2. **Show one thing.** One video, one problem, one solution. Show the product doing it, sped up if needed.
3. **Add captions.** Many people watch with sound off. Burn in large, readable captions.
4. **Post the same video on all three.** Upload natively to YouTube Shorts, Reels and TikTok. Same video, triple the chances.
5. **Post 3 times a week for 2 months.** Most videos get little reach. A few take off. You only find out by posting regularly and watching which ones work.

## Rules and mistakes to avoid

- Only use music from the platform's own library, or music you have rights to
- If someone is paid to post about your product, they must label it as a paid partnership, using the platform's tools
- Don't buy views or followers

## Tips

- Remake your best-performing video with a new hook
- Reply to comments with a new video answering them
- Turn your best video into an X and LinkedIn post too

## What to measure

- Average watch time and how many watch to the end
- Profile visits and link-in-bio clicks
- Sign-ups that say they found you through a video

## Template: 30-second script

```text
0–2s  HOOK: "[Painful problem in 6 words]"
2–8s  Show the problem (the old, slow way)
8–25s Show [product] solving it (screen recording, sped up)
25–30s Result + "Link in bio" / "Free to try: [product]"
```

## Important links

- [YouTube Shorts](https://www.youtube.com/shorts)
- [Instagram Reels](https://www.instagram.com/reels/)
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/)

## Sources

- [Social video specs 2026: Shorts, Reels and TikTok](https://blitzcutai.com/blog/social-video-specs-2026)
- [Social media video length: 2026 guide](https://quso.ai/blog/social-media-video-length-best-practices)