How to make a promo video: 7 steps to a short video that hits the beat

What is a promo video?

Promo video

A short video that introduces a business, product, app or event and moves the viewer towards one action (follow, visit, buy, sign up). On social media it is usually vertical 9:16 and 15–60 seconds long.

What separates a short promo from a long commercial is that the viewer arrives scrolling: if they don't stop in the first second, the rest of the video never gets watched. The structure is closer to a poster than a film: one big line, one clear picture, one call to action.

A promo video in 7 steps

1. 1

   Choose the goal and the platform

   What should the video make people do: follow, visit, install, book? Where will it run: Reels, TikTok, Shorts, Stories? The goal decides the call to action; the platform decides the size and length.

2. 2

   Write one message

   You should be able to sum up the whole video in one sentence. A concrete line like "We roast our beans here every morning" always beats a generic one like "quality coffee".

3. 3

   Put a hook in the first second

   The opening line must read in half a second: a question, a contrast, a number or an announcement. Don't open with a logo or "Hi, we are…".

4. 4

   Split the script into scenes

   Pick a proven skeleton — product hero, problem → solution, listicle or announcement. Each scene carries one idea.

5. 5

   Choose the music and tempo

   Calculate scene lengths in bars of the music so cuts land on bar lines and accents land on beats. Use cleanly licensed or original music instead of copyrighted tracks.

6. 6

   Fit the text to reading time

   Every line should stay on screen for at least 0.35 s × words + 0.5 s. Keep headlines to six words per line and keep text inside the platform's safe zone.

7. 7

   Check and publish

   Watch it on mute, on a phone and with the safe-zone guide. Export a 1080p MP4, pick a cover frame and start the caption with your hook.

How long should a promo video be?

What a platform allows and what is recommended are two different things. The table below comes from the MaestroCut platform data set; the recommended range is where viewers are still likely to watch to the end.

Script skeletons that work

• Product hero: hook → product → 2–3 benefits → proof → call to action → sign-off.
• Problem → solution: name the pain → make it felt → show the fix → explain how it works → call to action.
• Listicle: a "3 reasons" hook → items → closing line → "save this".
• Announcement: curiosity → reveal → 2 details (date, place, offer) → call to action.
• Before / after: promise the result in the first second → old state → turning point → new state → proof.

The industry guides show which skeleton works for your sector — cafés do well with recipe/process and space tours, apps with app promos and feature launches.

The 6 most common mistakes

1. 1Opening with a logo animation: viewers don't know yet why they should watch.
2. 2Too much text in one scene: text nobody can read might as well not exist. Check it with the reading-time rule.
3. 3Putting text under the platform buttons: the right column on Reels and the caption block on TikTok cover it. See safe zones.
4. 4Assuming the sound is on: the video must make sense on mute.
5. 5Several calls to action: pick one action instead of "follow, visit, comment".
6. 6Copyrighted music: the video can be muted or taken down. See the royalty-free music guide.

Pre-publish checklist

• Does the hook read in the first frame, in half a second?
• Does every line stay on screen long enough?
• Are text and logo inside the safe zone?
• Is the message clear with the sound off?
• Is there one clear call to action?
• Are numbers and claims accurate and sourced?
• Is the music cleanly licensed?

Frequently asked questions