How to Make Marketing Videos That Generate Leads for Your Business
By Nic Natarella, Founder of AdWise Creative LLC
Introduction
If you’ve ever thought about making marketing videos for your business, you’re not alone.
Everyone wants to use video.
Everyone wants more leads.
But almost nobody knows how to start in a way that actually works — especially small service businesses who don’t have marketing teams, giant budgets, or hours of spare time.
For decades, marketing meant buying attention.
Commercials.
Radio spots.
Billboards.
Mailers.
Big flashy campaigns that talked at the audience.
The bigger the company, the louder the message.
The goal was reach, frequency, memorability. But here’s the twist nobody expected: the internet flipped all of it.
Today, the companies that win are the ones that answer questions, solve problems, and show up exactly where people search for clarity.
Google. YouTube. Podcasts. Blogs.
And video now sits at the center of that revolution.
I spent 35 years in radio.
Not as a hobby. Not as a side hustle. As my career.
When you’re on the mic that long, you learn something fast: people don’t care about perfect — they care about real.
They want to feel like you’re talking to them, not a stadium. That same truth applies to video marketing.
If your videos sound like ads, they’ll be ignored like ads. But if your videos sound like answers, they work like magnets.
This guide will show you how to make marketing videos that connect, get found, and actually generate leads — without feeling like you’re selling your soul or memorizing a script like an actor reading cue cards.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways (For the Skimmers Who Still Want the Gold)
Most small business marketing videos fail because they try to imitate traditional advertising — long, vague, self-focused commercials that don’t solve anything for the viewer. The videos that work today are personal, focused, and structured around real questions your prospects already ask everyday. You don’t need fancy gear. You need clarity, intention, and a platform that rewards search-first content. YouTube is that platform. And your CTA should always lead them to something free that helps them take the next step with confidence — like your free guide, Cracking the Code: 3 Ways to Figure Out What Your Clients are Googling (And Turn It Into Awesome Videos!).
And if you want help skipping the overwhelm, editing, and tech setup? Book a Discovery Call with us at AdWise Creative — we make it easy.
What Is a Marketing Video That Actually Works?
A marketing video that works isn’t clever because of cinematic shots, expensive cameras, or viral dance hooks. It works because it meets someone at the moment they want clarity and delivers it in a way that makes them say, “Finally. Someone explained this like a human.”
The best videos answer questions your potential or new customers are already asking or researching. Questions like:
“How much does this cost?”
“How long does installation take?”
“Do you service my area?”
“What’s the difference between option A and B?”
“What do I need to know before hiring someone?”
These questions are not complicated. They’re not abstract. They’re practical, emotional, decision-based questions that happen at the start of almost every buyer relationship.
Marketing videos today work when they do two things:
Answer the question clearly and completely
Speak to one person like you would on a real phone call
You’re not reading to millions. You’re explaining to one.
That’s marketing video in 2026.
The #1 Mistake Killing Small Business Videos
The biggest mistake small businesses make is using video like traditional advertising — long-form commercials about their services, their legacy, their process, their awards, their everything.
They start with:
“Let me tell you how great we are…”
Instead of:
“Let me answer what you’re actually asking.”
It’s like walking into a coffee shop and shouting your menu before anyone even asks if they’re thirsty.
It doesn’t land. It’s not memorable. And it’s not personal.
Small businesses think more video time = more sales. But more time without focus = less engagement. Less retention. Less trust. Less leads.
Clarity beats length. Focus beats flair. Human beats hype.
Cracking the Code: The Question-First Research Framework
When I say “research your topic,” I don’t mean keyword spreadsheets or hiring analysts for months. I mean starting with the same questions your prospects already ask you everyday.
That’s exactly why I created this free guide:
Cracking the Code: 3 Ways to Figure Out What Your Clients are Googling (And Turn It Into Awesome Videos!)
It helps you do one thing:
Figure out what your clients are searching for so you can answer it on video.
Not 50 things. Not 100 ideas. Just the right ideas.
Because here’s the truth:
You already know the answers.
You just don’t know what questions to match them to.
This guide gives you 3 proven ways to uncover those questions so your videos hit harder, connect faster, and make sense to the algorithm.
And unlike old-school lead magnets that collect dust, this guide is meant to get used, implemented, and turned into content that keeps working for you long after you publish.
The AdWise Creative Process: Idea → Script → Film → Publish
Here’s our internal formula for how we actually build videos for clients, simplified into a real-world process you can repeat yourself.
Step 1: Find the 80% Questions
Most prospects ask the same questions — 80% of them are evergreen. The same questions you’ve answered 10,000 times on the phone.
Examples from contractors we work with:
“Do I need a permit for this?”
“What’s the lifespan of this product?”
“What warranty do you offer?”
“How much should I budget for labor?”
These are your first 10 videos. Minimum.
Step 2: Answer One Question Per Video
Not two. Not five. One.
The internet is a precision game now. If the question is “How much does a pool cage cost?” the answer is not “Here’s all the benefits of outdoor living in Florida.”
Save that. It’s another video.
Stay focused. Answer the question. Deliver the value. End with clarity.
Step 3: Follow a Script Framework That Feels Like Talking, Not Acting
We script videos to match how you naturally speak. Short. Logical. Conversational. Clear pacing. No pressure. No fake announcer voice.
I’ll break down scripting more in the next section.
Step 4: Film Without Fear
You’re allowed to start and stop. Redo lines. Fix sentences. Pause. Collect your thoughts. Look away and come back.
This is the biggest mindset shift for first-time video creators. Most people think they have to do it in one perfect take. But once they realize editing fixes 99% of mistakes, their shoulders drop, their voice gets calmer, and they suddenly can do video.
Step 5: Publish Where People Search
YouTube.
Not TikTok first. Not IG first. Not Facebook first.
YouTube.
Because Google owns it. And Google rewards search-based answers more than attention-grab ads.
Step 6: End With a CTA That Helps, Not Pushes
Every video should invite them to take the next step with something free and useful:
A guide
A checklist
A resource
A download
A tool
That’s your CTA.
For us? It’s Cracking the Code or booking a Discovery Call.
Scripting That Converts (The Human Way)
Your scripting framework should feel like talking to someone, not presenting at them.
Here’s the structure we use internally for service videos (and you can too):
Meet expectations fast
Restate the title or question so they know they’re in the right place.State the benefit
“By the end of this video you will know exactly…”Add credibility without bragging
Your name, your years, your client results.Tease the free offer
“Stick around because I have something for you that will help you go further than this video…”Answer the question clearly
Invite engagement (Subscribe, Like, Comment) with a reason
Deliver a clean CTA with no pressure
That’s a script that converts. Because it sounds like you.
Not a commercial.
Equipment: The Myth vs. The Reality
Myth: You need a studio.
Reality: You need sunlight and clarity.
Myth: You need a camera.
Reality: You have one in your pocket.
Myth: You need a microphone.
Reality: Your phone mic is fine if you speak clearly.
Myth: You need a script memorized.
Reality: An outline is enough. Start/stop is allowed. Editing is your best friend.
You don’t need gear. You need intention.
YouTube SEO Setup Most Businesses Miss
Most businesses upload a video and walk away. No title optimization. No description. No chapters. No tags. No transcript. No indexing help for Google.
YouTube is a search engine. If you treat it like one, you win like one.
Here’s how we approach it:
Use the exact question in your title
Expand the answer in your description
Add chapters for each sub-topic
Upload the transcript
Add search-friendly tags
Link to your free guide or Discovery Call
Make sure your thumbnail is clean and readable
Use strong H1 support if embedding the video on your site
Do this and your videos don’t just exist. They get found.
One Hour = One Month of Content (CCC Explained Without Bullets)
Our Content Creation Call (CCC) exists because small businesses don’t need more complexity. They need leverage.
Here’s how it works:
You talk for 1 hour on Zoom
You answer 4 of the top customer questions you already know
I edit and produce the videos
I publish them on YouTube with SEO
You get 1 month of long-form content from 1 hour of talking
No confusion. No tech stress. No wasted time.
FAQ Section
How do I figure out what topics to make videos about?
That’s exactly what Cracking the Code: 3 Ways to Figure Out What Your Clients Are Googling solves. It gives you a simple, practical way to discover what your market is already searching for and helps you match your everyday answers to the right topics. Once you know the question, the video becomes easy — because you already know the answer.
Do I need to memorize the script?
No. Use an outline. Start and stop as needed. Editing will handle the rest. This mindset shift alone makes video feel possible for most first timers.
How long should my video be?
Long enough to answer one question clearly. Usually 3–8 minutes for a service video. Not long enough to wander. Not short enough to leave confusion.
What if I hate how I look or sound on video?
Almost everyone does at first. But marketing videos don’t work because of how you look — they work because of how you help. Focus on clarity, empathy, pacing, and connection, and the video becomes about your customer, not your self-doubt.
Should I post on social media or YouTube first?
Always YouTube first. It rewards answers. It gets indexed. It works long-term. Social platforms reward attention, but YouTube rewards clarity and search behavior.
How long until I start getting leads?
Usually 60–90 days if you post consistently and answer real questions. And the content works for years once it ranks.
Can one video cover multiple topics?
No. One question = one video. Each topic deserves its own spotlight.Like I used to say when writing radio commercials: “If it is worth a mention, it is worth the attention.”
What CTA works best?
One that helps them take the next step without pressure. A free guide. A checklist. Or a Discovery Call.
Final Close + CTA
You already have the answers your customers want. The world just shifted to a place where the loudest company doesn’t win — the most helpful one does.
You don’t need to sound like a commercial.
You need to sound like you.
And when you do:
Your videos get watched
They get remembered
They get shared
And they generate leads
If you want help discovering the right questions?
Download our free guide: Cracking the the Code: 3 Ways to Figure Out What Your Clients are Googling (And Turn It Into Awesome Videos!)
If you want help turning those answers into content that works while you sleep?
Book a Discovery Call With AdWise Creative.
We make it easy.
— Nic
