Learning Resources.

Every contractor should post short-form video content on Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, and LinkedIn. Why? This is how people of all generations are consuming content on social media. Young, old, and everything in between. Some of you may be thinking, “But Jonathan, I have no idea what to record…” And to this, I say…there’s soooo much you can post about in construction! To help you start your short-form video content journey, I’m breaking down the top 6 short-form video formats you can use in your construction company and some tips to help get you started.

Talking head videos are videos where the main focus is on one person speaking directly to the camera. The video above is an example of a talking head video. Talking head videos help humanize your brand, position you as an expert, and build rapport with your audience.

Here are some talking head video ideas you can try out for your construction company:

1. A talking head video explaining the types of people that succeed at your company.
2. A talking head video sharing your project process.
3. A talking head video sharing why others should choose to work for you.

Short-form voice-over videos use voice narration to tell a story within a short timeframe. These videos involve creating a script outline of a story of what happened on any given day or event—and then adding videos showing what took place. Voice-over videos help make a long story easy to digest because you have less than 60 seconds to explain it.

Here are some voice-over video ideas you can try out for your construction company:

1. A voice-over video of a recent job site visit.
2. A voice-over video of a company event.
3. A voice-over video of a safety training day.

A reaction video is exactly what it sounds like. A video recording of someone or a group of people reacting to something. If you spend any time on social media, you see these videos everywhere! And I believe that there’s room for more of this type of content in the construction industry.

Here are some reaction video ideas you can try out for YOUR construction company:

1. A reaction video to a construction video meme.
2. A reaction video to construction fails.
3. A reaction video to a Mike Rowe video clip.

Short-form podcast video content comes from an internal, external, or guest podcast appearance. They’re the “clips” from the best moments in a long-form podcast episode. I can’t give you any ideas on what clips to make because it depends on the episode’s content. But what I can give you are tips on how to make them the best clips:

1. Use AI software like OpusClip to help auto-generate the captions for your clips.
2. Add music to your clips for a more cinematic effect.
3. Cut the fat as much as you can! Make the video fast, punchy, and to the point.

I’m sure we’ve all seen these videos. Here’s what they usually look like: The background image is of a construction job site, text explaining something funny about the industry, and a green-screened reaction video of something like Vince McMahon from WWE crying.

Since I can’t tell you exactly what to post, here are some tips to help make your memes go viral:

1. Make your meme videos about a problem in the industry. Think of something like the labor shortage.
2. Make your meme videos about something most people can relate to in the industry. Think of something like dirty porta potties.
3. Make your meme videos about the humorous aspects of construction. Think of something like dealing with fax machines.

Interview videos involve the interviewer walking up to people in the office or job site to ask a question with one of those small lapel mics for dramatic effect. These videos are everywhere on social media. They usually consist of a Gen Zer asking people random questions on a public street. But it doesn’t have to be limited to them or that environment.

To help get you started, here are 3 interview questions you can ask any employee in your construction company:

1. What advice would you give someone just starting in the industry?
2. Why have you stayed in the industry as long as you have?
3. What’s the most fulfilling part of your role?

Every contractor can create better, more interesting short-form video content for their construction company!

Want to improve your construction company’s social media marketing? Work with my social media agency, Customer Growth!

Want more great social media content? Follow me on LinkedIn!

Want to improve your construction content on the road? Subscribe to our podcast, Construction Marketers!

Want to improve your construction content on YouTube? Subscribe to our YouTube channel!