Look, if you’re still filming everything horizontally like it’s a 1990s home movie, you’re flushing money down the toilet.
I’m not saying this to be a jerk. I’m saying it because your customers are holding their phones upright. They’re sitting on the bus, waiting for a coffee, or hiding in the bathroom at work, scrolling through Reels, TikTok, and Shorts. If your business video doesn’t fit that screen, they’re skipping it before you’ve even said hello.
But here’s the problem. Most small business owners in Brisbane get stuck in two camps. One camp spends ten grand on a "cinematic" production that looks like a car commercial but gets zero leads. The other camp posts shaky, blurry rubbish that makes their professional business look like a backyard operation.
There’s a middle ground that actually makes you money.
The Two Ways to Do Vertical Video (And Which One Wins)
You basically have two choices when it comes to vertical video. You can go the "High-End Pro" route or the "Raw and Real" route.
1. The High-End Pro Approach
This is where you hire a crew. They bring big lights, fancy microphones, and cameras that cost more than my first car. They edit it with snappy captions, color grading, and maybe some upbeat music.The Good: It makes you look like the biggest player in town. It builds massive trust quickly because it shows you’ve got the budget to do things right.
The Bad: It’s expensive. If you’re paying $2,000 for one 60-second video, that video has to work bloody hard to pay for itself.
2. The Raw and Real Approach
This is you, your iPhone, and a bit of decent sunlight. No scripts, no fancy editing. Just you talking to the camera about a job you just finished in Coorparoo or a problem a customer had this morning.The Good: It’s free. It’s fast. And honestly? People trust it more. It feels like a recommendation from a mate rather than a sales pitch. We’ve found that showing the messy middle often gets more enquiries than a polished ad because it proves you actually do the work.
The Bad: It’s easy to look sloppy. If the audio is crackly or the lighting is dark, people will think your work is crackly and dark too.
Why Most Business Videos Get Ignored
I see it every day. A business owner spends hours filming something, posts it, and... crickets. Three likes, and one of them is from their mum.
Usually, it's because the video is boring. You start with "Hi, I'm John from John’s Plumbing and we’ve been in business since 1984."
Gone. They’ve scrolled past.
Nobody cares about your history yet. They care about their leaking tap or their broken air con. You have about 1.5 seconds to stop their thumb from moving. If you don't fix why your videos get ignored by starting with the customer's problem, you’re wasting your time.
How to Film Like a Pro (Without the Pro Price Tag)
If you’re going to do this yourself, you don't need a degree. You just need to follow a few basic rules so you don't look like an amateur.
Lighting is Everything
Don't film with a window behind you. You’ll look like you’re in the witness protection program—just a dark silhouette. Face the window. Let the natural light hit your face. It hides wrinkles and makes your eyes pop. If you're outside, find some shade. Direct Brisbane sun at midday makes everyone look like a squinting raisin.Sound Matters More Than Picture
People will watch a slightly blurry video if the sound is clear. They will NOT watch a 4K masterpiece if it sounds like you’re underwater or standing in a wind tunnel. Buy a $50 lapel mic that plugs into your phone. It’s the best money you’ll ever spend on marketing.The "Hook" is Your Lifeblood
In the first two seconds, you need to say something that makes them stay. - "Stop paying too much for your electricity bill." - "Here is the biggest mistake I see Brisbane homeowners make with their decks." - "Watch how we turned this disaster of a kitchen into this.""If you don't grab their attention in the first three seconds, the rest of your video literally doesn't exist to the customer. Stop introduced yourself and start solving a problem immediately."
— Michael Torres, PPC Specialist
The Comparison: DIY vs. Agency
Let’s talk turkey. Should you do this yourself or pay someone like us to do it?
Doing it DIY: - Cost: $0 (plus your time). - Speed: You can have a video up in ten minutes. - Vibe: Authentic, approachable, "local legend." - Best for: Daily updates, behind-the-scenes, quick tips.
Hiring an Agency: - Cost: Anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per month depending on volume. - Speed: Slower. There’s planning, filming days, and editing time. - Vibe: Professional, established, high-authority. - Best for: Core brand stories, high-performing ads, explaining complex services.
My honest take? Do both. Use your phone for the day-to-day stuff to stay top of mind. Then, once a quarter, get a professional crew in to film 4-5 high-quality "anchor" videos that you can use for your Google and Facebook ads.
Where to Put These Videos to Actually Make Money
Don't just stick them on your Facebook page and hope for the best. Facebook organic reach is basically dead for businesses unless you're lucky.
You want to put these where people are actually looking for help.
1. Your Google Business Profile
Most people forget this. When someone searches for a "mechanic in Milton," your Google profile pops up. If they see a vertical video of you explaining your process or showing a happy customer, you’ve basically won the job before they even call.2. YouTube Shorts
YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. People go there to learn how to fix things. If you provide the answer in a 60-second vertical video, you aren't just getting views; you're getting customers. You need to understand how YouTube actually gets you customers rather than just chasing vanity metrics like likes and shares.3. Paid Ads (The Fast Track)
If you want more phone calls by Monday, put $20 a day behind a good vertical video on Instagram or TikTok. Target people within 10km of your business. It is the cheapest way to get your face in front of thousands of local leads.The Mistakes That Kill Your Results
I’ve seen businesses spend thousands on video and get nothing back. Here is why:
1. No Call to Action They finish the video and just... end. You have to tell people what to do. "Click the link to book a quote," or "Call us today." Don't make them guess.
2. Too Long Unless you’re explaining how to perform open-heart surgery, keep it under 60 seconds. People have the attention span of a goldfish on a caffeine bender. Get in, give the value, tell them to call you, and get out.
3. Over-Editing Too many flying graphics and crazy transitions make you look like a 14-year-old YouTuber. Keep it clean. If the editing is distracting from the message, it’s bad editing.
How Much Should You Spend?
If you’re a solo tradie, spend $200 on a basic kit: a tripod, a ring light, and a microphone. That’s it.
If you’re doing over $500k a year, you should probably be looking at a professional setup or a monthly content package. It’ll cost you a few grand, but it saves you dozens of hours of frustration and ensures your brand doesn't look cheap.
Think of it like your tools. You can buy the cheap stuff from the bargain bin, but it’ll break when you need it most. Investing in quality video is just like buying the good power tools—it makes the job easier and the finish better.
What Should You Do First?
Don't go out and buy a camera today.
Tomorrow morning, grab your phone. Go to a job site or your office. Find a spot with decent light. Spend 30 seconds explaining one thing that saves your customers money or stress.
Post it. See what happens.
If you find that you’re too busy running the business to keep up with it, or you want your videos to look a lot more professional so you can charge higher prices, that’s when you talk to an agency.
Vertical video isn't a fad. It’s how people consume information now. You can either get on board and start getting those enquiries, or you can keep doing what you’ve always done and wonder why the phone has stopped ringing.
If you want to chat about how to get more bookings through video without the headache, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We’ll tell you straight what’ll work for your specific business and what’s just a waste of cash.