To make a tip card video, write three to five tips, each with a short title and one or two lines of explanation. Animate a numbered card per tip, build each answer in line by line, give every card 7 to 9 seconds, and reuse the same colours and type for the series.
Real outputs from the Videotto template gallery.
What a tip card video is made of
Coaches, clinics, software teams, shops and teachers all have the same pile of repeated questions. Card videos turn that pile into content. The question or tip title is the hook, the answer is the payoff, and the design is the brand.
| Part | What to use | What it does for the viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Tip title in the top third, answer lines below, plenty of space | The eye goes to the title first |
| Type | Heavy display face for titles, clean sans for answers | Clear hierarchy without reading twice |
| Colour | One background, one text colour, one accent for the key word | The accent marks what to remember |
| Numbers | A large number per tip (01, 02, 03) | Shows how far through they are |
| Motion | Card slides in, lines reveal one by one, the key word gets underlined | The reveal makes people wait for the answer |
| Sound | Soft music, a paper flip or click per card | Keeps a rhythm across cards |
Tip cards work best for separate points that each stand alone. If your content is a sequence people must follow in order, a step by step format with one numbered step per screen fits better than independent cards.
Example: a 30 second tip card video, card by card
Example input: a physiotherapy clinic wants a post titled "3 things to know before your first run". The three tips, written to fit the cards:
01 Start slower than you think: run at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences. 02 Walk breaks count: alternate 1 minute running with 2 minutes walking for the first weeks. 03 Rest days are training: leave a day between runs so your legs can adapt.
Each answer is 14 to 16 words. At a comfortable on screen reading speed of about 3 words per second, that needs roughly 5 seconds to read, plus a second or two for the card to arrive. So each card gets about 8 seconds:
Example timing for a three tip card video
| Time | Card | What moves |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 s | Title: 3 things to know before your first run | Words build in one by one |
| 3 to 11 s | 01 Start slower than you think | Number, then title, then two answer lines; "talk" underlined |
| 11 to 19 s | 02 Walk breaks count | Same motion; "1 minute" and "2 minutes" in the accent |
| 19 to 27 s | 03 Rest days are training | Same motion; "a day between runs" underlined |
| 27 to 30 s | Summary: all three titles stacked, "Save this for later" | Held still |
Because the tips are general and the clinic points people to book an assessment if they have pain, the advice stays safe to share. Next week the clinic changes only the title and the three tips; the design, timing and sound stay the same, so the series is recognisable from the first frame.
How to make a tip card video in 6 steps
- Collect real questions. Pull them from comments, DMs, support emails and sales calls. The questions people actually ask beat the ones you think they should.
- Write short answers. One to three lines per answer, about 10 to 20 words. If an answer needs a paragraph, it deserves its own video.
- Pick a series look. Your colours, one display font and one accent. This look will repeat in every video, so choose one you can live with for months.
- Decide one card or many. One tip per video (10 to 20 seconds) for a daily series, or three to five tips in one video (30 to 45 seconds) for a saveable list.
- Add a voice if you want. Record yourself reading each tip, or ask for an AI voice. The lines can build as they are spoken. Spoken at around 150 words per minute, a 45 word script fills about 18 seconds.
- End with one next step. "Save this", "Book a call", "More tips on the page". One line, held on the last card for 2 to 3 seconds.
Tip card video prompt and quick variations
Adapted from the way Videotto users brief Otto for explainer cards. Paste your own tips into the brackets.
Make a 30 second animated tip card video: "3 things to know before [topic]". FORMAT: 9:16 vertical, full motion graphics, no footage. TIPS: 01 [tip title]: [one or two line explanation] 02 [tip title]: [one or two line explanation] 03 [tip title]: [one or two line explanation] STYLE: warm off white grid paper, dark text, one burnt orange accent [#D9622B] for the key word in each tip. TYPE: heavy sans for titles, clean sans for explanations. ANIMATION SEQUENCE: 0 to 3 s: the title builds in word by word. 3 to 11 s: card 01 slides in, the big number first, then the title, then the lines one by one. The key word gets an orange underline. 11 to 19 s: card 02, same motion. 19 to 27 s: card 03, same motion. 27 to 30 s: all three titles stacked as a summary with "Save this for later", hold. SOUND: soft lofi beat, a paper flip on each card. RESTRICTIONS: keep my wording exactly, no bouncing, readable with the sound off.
Short tip card prompts
- "Turn these 5 customer questions into one video, one card per question."
- "Make a daily tip series: same design every day, only the tip changes. Here is tip 1."
- "The question appears first, a 2 second pause, then the answer reveals."
- "Myth card first, crossed out, then the fact card replaces it."
- "Here is my 20 minute webinar. Pull out the five main tips and make each one a card, keeping my wording."
Tip card video time: by hand vs with Otto
You can build tip cards by hand in Canva, CapCut, Keynote or After Effects, and many people do. The difference is mostly in the timing work: making every line arrive at the right moment and keeping the series consistent. These are typical estimates for a three tip, 30 second video.
| Task | By hand in Canva or CapCut | With a prompt to Otto |
|---|---|---|
| Set up the design | 30 to 60 minutes the first time | One style line in the prompt |
| Animate three cards | 20 to 40 minutes of timing lines | Described once in the animation sequence |
| Sync to a voiceover | 15 to 30 minutes nudging each line | Ask for lines to build as they are spoken |
| Next video in the series | 15 to 30 minutes duplicating and retyping | Swap the tips in the saved prompt |
| Checking | A few minutes | A few minutes; read every card yourself either way |
Tip card video mistakes that lose viewers
- Answers that are too long. More than three lines on a phone card is a wall of text. Cut, or split it into two cards.
- Questions nobody asks. Use real questions from your audience. They already show people want the answer.
- A new design every post. A series only works if it looks like a series. Save your style and reuse it.
- Cards that change before they can be read. If you cannot read a card twice before it leaves, slow it down. Viewers can pause, but most will not.
- Advice you cannot stand behind. Health, money and legal tips need care. Keep answers accurate and general, and point to a professional when it matters.
FAQ
How many tips should go in one short video?
How many tips go in one short video depends on length, but three to five is the practical range. At 7 to 9 seconds per card, three tips fill about 30 seconds and five fill about 45. Beyond five, viewers forget the first tip before the last one appears, so split a longer list into a two part series.
What is the best font for text on a short video?
The best font for text on a short video is a heavy, simple sans serif for titles and a regular weight of the same or a similar family for body lines. Thin, script and condensed light fonts break up on small phone screens. Keep body text large enough to fill about two thirds of the frame width per line.
Should FAQ videos have a voiceover or just text?
Whether FAQ videos should have a voiceover or just text depends on where they play. Many people watch with the sound off, so the text must carry the answer on its own. A voiceover adds warmth and helps people who listen rather than read. The safest option is both: on screen text that matches what the voice says.
How do I keep a consistent style across a video series?
To keep a consistent style across a video series, fix four things and never change them: the background, the typefaces, the accent colour and the motion of each card. Write them into one saved brief and change only the words each time. Keeping the same title position and end card also helps followers recognise your posts before reading.
Where do I find questions for a tip video series?
To find questions for a tip video series, start with what people already ask you: comments, DMs, support tickets, sales calls and reviews. Search your topic on Google and note the "People also ask" questions, and check forums where your audience asks for help. Thirty real questions is enough for a month of weekday posts.
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