A local business can use an AI video editor to turn phone clips into short vertical videos for Google Business Profile, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Facebook. Upload 10 to 20 clips and your logo, name the offer and the call to action, and ask for a 15 to 30 second 9:16 cut with captions and your address on screen.
Real outputs from the Videotto template gallery.
Local business video specs by platform
Start with where the video will live, because that sets the length and shape. One vertical edit covers almost everything, but Google Business Profile has the tightest rules, so it is worth cutting a version for it on purpose.
Where local customers will see your video
| Platform | Shape | Length that works | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Vertical or horizontal | Up to 30 seconds | Google lists 30 s max, 75 MB, 720p or higher. Shows on your Maps and Search listing. |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16, 1080 x 1920 | 15 to 30 seconds | Reels can run up to 3 minutes, but short reels are easier to finish. |
| TikTok | 9:16, 1080 x 1920 | 15 to 45 seconds | Keep text away from the bottom fifth and the right edge, where the app buttons sit. |
| 9:16 or 4:5 | 15 to 30 seconds | Often watched muted by an older local audience, so captions matter. | |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16, 1080 x 1920 | 20 to 45 seconds | Shorts allow up to 3 minutes. Useful for how-to clips from trades. |
Google Business Profile video is the one most owners skip. A 20 second clip of the room, the counter and the work shows up where people are already deciding where to go. Keep it real: Google asks for videos taken at or about the business, not ads with text slides.
Planning a local business video: length, words and shots
A few numbers make planning easy. People speak roughly 2.5 words per second, so a 30 second reel holds about 60 to 75 words of voiceover, and on screen text should be shorter still: 5 to 8 words per caption card, never a paragraph.
Shots in a local reel usually last 1.5 to 3 seconds. That means a 30 second reel needs 10 to 15 usable shots, so film 20 to 30 clips of 3 to 5 seconds each and let the edit pick. Hold the phone still, film in good light, and shoot vertically.
- First 2 seconds: the most appealing thing you have, such as food being plated, a before shot, the full room.
- Middle 20 seconds: 6 to 10 shots of the work, the place and the people.
- Last 5 seconds: the offer, the address or area, and one action: book, call, order or visit.
What a local business video costs: videographer, DIY or AI
Prices vary a lot by city, so treat these as rough ranges rather than quotes. The bigger difference is usually time: who films, who edits, and how often you can afford to do it.
| Option | Typical spend | Your time per reel | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local videographer | Often a few hundred to a few thousand per shoot | Half a day on site, plus feedback rounds | A hero video for the website or a launch |
| DIY in CapCut, Canva or InShot | Free to a small monthly fee | Roughly 1 to 3 hours per reel to cut, caption and export | Owners who enjoy editing |
| Freelance editor on your clips | Per video or monthly retainer | Filming plus briefing and review | Steady posting with a budget |
| AI video editor (Otto) | Subscription | Filming plus roughly 15 to 30 minutes to describe and review | Weekly reels from phone footage |
Freelancer and agency rates by country.
Local business video prompts for four common jobs
Most local videos fall into four jobs: a reel from everyday clips, an event or seasonal campaign, a service ad and a hiring reel. The reel prompt below is the one to start with. Listing priorities in order helps: hook first, then retention, then story, then captions.
- Event or seasonal campaign. "Make a 40 second 9:16 campaign video for [event] at [business]. Theme: [for example, candlelit Halloween dinner, deep red]. On screen: event name, date and time, how to book."
- Service ad for trades. "Make an 8 second 9:16 ad for my [service] business. Show the job from messy to clean in one smooth move. Text: [service] in [area]. End on my logo and phone number."
- Hiring reel. "Edit this into a recruitment reel for [business] in [city]. Goal: attract skilled [role]. Hook: [a question]. Bold captions on the key lines. End with how to apply."
Short follow ups work too, such as "combine all uploaded clips into one reel", "replace the music with something calmer" or "use this logo and change the colour palette".
[upload your clips and logo] Edit this into a premium but authentic 30 second 9:16 Instagram Reel for [business name], a [type of business] in [city]. Priorities: 1. Strong first 2 seconds. 2. High retention. 3. Natural storytelling. 4. Clean captions with only the important words highlighted. Remove shaky and weak moments. Subtle zooms only where they help. End with [visit, book or order] and [address or area] on screen.
A worked local business video example: one bakery, one week
Example. A neighbourhood bakery films 22 phone clips across a normal week: dough being folded at 6 a.m., trays coming out of the oven, the window display, a regular buying a loaf, the owner saying one line about the new sourdough. About 3 minutes of footage in total.
On Friday the owner uploads all 22 clips with the logo and sends: "Make three 9:16 reels. Reel 1, 25 seconds, the morning bake. Reel 2, 20 seconds, the shop and the window. Reel 3, 15 seconds, the new sourdough, my line to camera, price and pickup hours on screen. Warm colours, calm acoustic music, captions in English."
| Reel | Length | Shots | Ends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning bake | 25 s | 11 shots of about 2 s each | "Fresh from 7 a.m., [street name]" |
| The shop | 20 s | 8 shots | Address and opening hours |
| New sourdough | 15 s | 5 shots plus the line to camera | Price and "order for pickup" |
The 20 second shop reel doubles as the Google Business Profile video, because it is under 30 seconds and filmed in the shop. Editing three reels like this by hand typically takes an evening; here the owner spends roughly 20 minutes writing the request and checking the cuts.
Local business video checklist before you post
- The practical details are on screen. Address or area, opening hours or dates, and how to book. Views that cannot turn into visits are wasted.
- It still looks like your place. Too many transitions make a real shop look fake. Ask for subtle motion and natural colour.
- Everyone on camera agreed. Ask staff and customers before their faces appear, and keep children out of shots unless a parent says yes.
- The music is cleared for business use. Business accounts often cannot use popular chart songs. Use licensed tracks, the platform library for businesses, or ask Otto to make a track.
- Captions read on a small screen. Large, high contrast, above the bottom fifth of the frame. Many people watch muted.
FAQ
How long can a Google Business Profile video be?
A Google Business Profile video can be up to 30 seconds long, with a file size up to 75 MB and a resolution of 720p or higher, according to Google. Vertical or horizontal both work. Videos should be filmed at or about your business, and Google reviews them before they appear on your listing.
How much does a promotional video cost for a small business?
A promotional video for a small business can cost anything from nothing but your time, if you edit phone clips yourself, to a few thousand for a filmed shoot with a local videographer. Freelance editors usually charge per video or a monthly retainer. Rates depend heavily on the city, so get two or three quotes before deciding.
How often should a local business post Reels?
Most local businesses can keep a steady rhythm with two or three Reels a week. Consistency matters more than volume, because a page that posts every week builds a habit with nearby followers. Filming 20 or so short clips during normal work and editing them once a week makes that pace realistic without a marketing team.
Can a business account use popular songs on Instagram Reels?
Business accounts on Instagram usually cannot use most popular commercial songs in Reels, and are limited to tracks cleared for business use, such as the Meta Sound Collection. Using an uncleared song can get the audio muted. Licensed stock music or an original track made for the video avoids the problem, especially for anything you might run as an ad.
Do I need permission to film customers in my shop?
Filming customers in your shop for marketing usually needs their permission, and rules vary by country. The simple habit is to ask before anyone recognisable appears in a video you post, and get written consent for ads. Filming hands, food, products and the room without faces avoids the question for most everyday reels.
Make your next video with Otto
Tell Otto what you want in plain words. It cuts, captions and animates the video for you.
