Launch videos for local businesses
Published 28 September 2026.
A local business video answers four questions: what you do, where you are, when you open and how people get in touch. Whether it's a new café, a new treatment at a salon or a plumber starting out on their own, the answer is the same, a 15-second vertical reel for Instagram and Facebook that a neighbour can take in at a glance; and you do not need a website to make one.
What to show, beat by beat
For a 15-second vertical cut:
- 0 to 3 seconds: the thing people come for. The sourdough, the fade, the finished bathroom. One photo, full frame.
- 3 to 7 seconds: the name and the place. "Rise Bakery, now open on Market Street." The street or area matters more than the logo, because it tells people the place is near them (and near is the whole point).
- 7 to 11 seconds: one reason to come. Opening offer, a signature item, same-week appointments, free quotes. Pick the one that is true, specific and easy to say out loud.
- 11 to 15 seconds: when and how. Opening hours, "book online" or a phone number, held long enough to note down.
For trades, a before and after works well in the middle beats: two photos of the same job, side by side or one after the other.
Which shape and length for which channel
- Instagram Reels and Facebook: 9:16, 15 seconds, and easy for customers to share with friends nearby. See our Instagram Reels specs.
- TikTok: 9:16, 15 seconds, if your customers are younger. See our TikTok specs.
- WhatsApp and local groups: the same vertical file shares well as a message.
- A screen in the shop window: check whether the screen is landscape or portrait before you choose a format.
Facts first
Your customers will walk through the door, so the video has to match what they find; nothing loses a regular faster than an offer the till has never heard of. So show opening hours you will keep, prices you will honour and an offer you are ready for, and leave out anything you are still deciding. If you work in a trade, show only the qualifications and memberships you actually hold, and keep any "Gas Safe" or similar logo for when you are registered and allowed to use it. A few honest facts ("open from 7am", "walk-ins welcome", "free quotes within 10 miles") do more than any slogan.
Mistakes to avoid
- No location. A lovely video of cakes is no use if nobody can tell which town you're in.
- The phone number at the bottom of the frame. The platform's caption covers it. Put it in the middle.
- Tiny text. Hold your own phone at arm's length: can you read it? If not, it is too small.
- Waiting for a website. A social video can go out the week you open, long before a site is finished, and it will do more for opening week than a page nobody has found yet.
How Launch Video Maker would make it
You don't need a website. Sign in and choose "Build it from scratch". Tell us your business name, what you do and who it's for, then write up to 12 facts you'd like on screen, such as your address, opening hours and the opening offer. Upload your logo and up to eight images: photos of your shop, your food or your work go in the screenshot slots, as PNG, JPEG or WebP. Add a call to action, like "Find us on Market Street" or a booking link. Only the facts you write can appear, and if you don't give us a web address, the video won't show one.
Then pick a look and music, or let us choose. A 15-second vertical reel is the Short, £9, with 3 free edits if you want a change afterwards. If you already have a website, start with its address instead and we'll read the facts from it. Start from your logo and a few facts.
Our guide to making a launch video covers the basics in more depth.