Media & ContentBeginnerPreview
Short-Form Video Marketing
Learn to create and distribute short-form videos that build audiences and drive action on TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Covers hooks, scripting, production, and analytics — no prior video experience needed.
Entrepreneurs, creators, and marketers who want to grow reach and drive business results with short-form video but have little or no production experience.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook is your hands-on companion to the Short-Form Video Marketing course. Each section pairs directly with a course module and contains exercises, worksheets, and checklists designed to get you posting, iterating, and growing — not just learning. Complete each section in order, then use the Action Plan and templates to run your first 30-day posting sprint.
Platform Mechanics and the Attention Economy
Solidify your understanding of how algorithms work and commit to a primary platform and content niche before you film a single video.
Exercise: Algorithm Signal Audit
Pick three videos in your target niche from each of the three platforms (TikTok, Reels, Shorts). For each video, watch to completion and record the engagement signals you notice. Then answer the reflection prompts below.
- Which platform's algorithm appeared to surface the most content from creators you do not follow? What does that suggest about its distribution model?
- For each video you watched to the end, identify the exact moment — and the exact technique — that kept you watching past the 10-second mark.
- Find one video with a weak hook that you still watched. Why did you stay? What other element compensated for the weak opening?
- Based on your observations, write one hypothesis about which ranking signal (completion, shares, saves, or rewatches) the algorithm you chose as primary weights most heavily.
Worksheet: Platform Selection Decision Sheet
Fill in each field to document the reasoning behind your primary platform choice. This worksheet forces you to base the decision on audience data rather than personal preference.
- My target audience age range
- My target audience primary interest or problem
- Top 3 competitors or inspirational accounts I found on TikTok (handle + follower count + estimated engagement rate)
- Top 3 competitors or inspirational accounts I found on Reels (handle + follower count + estimated engagement rate)
- Top 3 competitors or inspirational accounts I found on Shorts (handle + follower count + estimated engagement rate)
- My primary monetisation goal (awareness / direct sales / channel growth / lead generation)
- My chosen primary platform and the single most important reason
- My chosen secondary platform (for repurposing after 90 days)
Checklist: Platform Setup Checklist
- Create or audit your account on your primary platform — complete bio, profile photo, and link in bio
- Switch your account to a Creator or Business account to unlock analytics
- Follow the top 20 accounts in your niche on your primary platform
- Spend 20 minutes watching your For You Page / Explore / Shorts feed and note the first 5 videos you watch past 10 seconds
- Screenshot the current state of your analytics dashboard as a baseline (even if all zeros)
- Identify your target posting days and times based on platform best-practice data for your niche
- Bookmark the TikTok Creative Center (even if your primary platform is Reels or Shorts — it is the best free trend tool)
Scripting and Hooks
Build your personal hook library and write your first five PAS scripts before you ever pick up a camera.
Exercise: Hook Category Swipe File Build
Open your primary platform app and set a timer for 15 minutes. Scroll your feed and for every video you watch past 5 seconds, copy the opening line verbatim into the table below. Then categorise it using the five hook categories from the course (counterintuitive claim, specific number, direct challenge, empathy statement, open loop). After completing the timer, answer the reflection prompts.
- Which hook category appeared most frequently in the content you watched? What does that suggest about what your specific target audience responds to?
- Write one original hook in each of the five categories for your content topic. Be specific — include a real number, a real audience descriptor, or a real problem.
- Of the five hooks you wrote, which one would make YOU stop scrolling? Why? Use that one for your first video.
- Identify one hook from your swipe file that felt clickbait-y rather than genuinely valuable. What would you change to make it honest while keeping the pattern interrupt?
Worksheet: PAS Script Template — 5 Videos
Write a complete PAS script for each of your first five planned videos. Fill every field. Read each script aloud and time it before moving to the film stage.
- Video 1 — Hook (first spoken sentence, max 15 words)
- Video 1 — Problem (1–2 sentences naming the specific pain point)
- Video 1 — Agitate (1–2 sentences on the consequence of not solving it)
- Video 1 — Solution (2–3 sentences introducing your answer with a specific framework or number)
- Video 1 — CTA (single action, last 5 seconds)
- Video 1 — Estimated spoken length in seconds
- Video 2 — Hook
- Video 2 — Problem
- Video 2 — Agitate
- Video 2 — Solution
- Video 2 — CTA
- Video 2 — Estimated spoken length in seconds
- Video 3 — Hook
- Video 3 — Problem
- Video 3 — Agitate
- Video 3 — Solution
- Video 3 — CTA
- Video 3 — Estimated spoken length in seconds
- Video 4 — Hook
- Video 4 — Problem
- Video 4 — Agitate
- Video 4 — Solution
- Video 4 — CTA
- Video 4 — Estimated spoken length in seconds
- Video 5 — Hook
- Video 5 — Problem
- Video 5 — Agitate
- Video 5 — Solution
- Video 5 — CTA
- Video 5 — Estimated spoken length in seconds
Checklist: Script Quality Review Checklist
- Every hook starts with a non-greeting word — no 'Hey guys', 'So today', or 'In this video'
- Every hook creates an open loop or pattern interrupt within the first 15 words
- The agitate stage describes a consequence, not just a repetition of the problem
- The solution stage includes a specific framework name, number, or named tool
- Each script has exactly one CTA
- You have read every script aloud and timed it — no script exceeds your target video length
- You have removed every filler phrase ('basically', 'you know', 'kind of', 'sort of') from each script
- A CTA automation (ManyChat or native DM) is set up for at least one of the five videos
Production and Editing on a Smartphone
Set up your filming environment, establish your CapCut template, and run your first batch filming session.
Exercise: Production Quality Baseline Test
Before your first real filming session, record a 30-second test clip in your planned filming location. Watch it back twice — once with headphones, once without. Then answer the prompts.
- Describe the lighting in your test clip. Is your face well-lit and clearly visible? If not, what is the source of the problem (wrong direction, wrong brightness, background competition) and what is your fix?
- Listen to the audio with headphones. Identify every unwanted sound (echo, room hum, breath noise, background ambient). What is your fix for each?
- Is your face filling 50–70% of the vertical frame? If not, adjust your camera position or distance and re-test.
- Watch your test clip back without sound. Does the first frame communicate clearly what the video is about? What could you change about the opening visual to make it more immediately legible?
Worksheet: Production Environment Setup Sheet
Document your filming setup so you can replicate it exactly in every batch session. Consistency in production environment produces consistency in output quality and reduces setup time to under 3 minutes.
- Filming location (room, corner, specific position)
- Key light source (window, ring light, or other) and its position relative to camera
- Microphone type and model used
- Camera used (specific phone model and whether front or rear camera)
- Camera settings (resolution, frame rate, exposure lock method)
- Distance from camera to face in centimetres or inches
- Background elements visible in frame (what is behind you)
- Any environmental adjustments needed before each session (turn off AC, close door, etc.)
- CapCut template name saved for your standard format
- Caption style chosen (font name, colour, position)
Checklist: Batch Filming Session Checklist
- All five scripts are written, timed, and printed or on a second screen for reference
- Filming environment is set up: key light on, background clear, phone mounted on tripod
- Audio test clip recorded and reviewed before starting real takes
- Exposure and focus locked on camera before every take
- Maximum three takes per script before moving to the next — do not perfect in the filming stage
- All five raw clips reviewed in playback before ending the session to catch any technical failures
- Raw clips backed up to cloud storage (Google Photos or iCloud) before editing begins
- CapCut project created at 9:16, 1080x1920 before importing first clip
- CapCut watermark disabled in app settings before exporting any video
- All five edited videos exported to camera roll before posting any of them
Exercise: First Video Post and Observation
Post your first completed video and observe its early performance in the first 24 hours. Record your observations for the analytics module.
- What time did you post and why did you choose that time? Record the exact date, time, and platform.
- Check your analytics at 3 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after posting. Record total views, completion rate (if available), and the number of new followers gained at each checkpoint.
- What is your initial hypothesis about what is working and what is not, based solely on these early signals?
- Did you receive any comments, DMs, or CTA responses? Copy any verbatim feedback here — it is unfiltered audience research.
Analytics, Growth, and Iteration
Build your analytics review habit, diagnose your first underperforming video, and complete your 90-day roadmap.
Worksheet: Weekly Analytics Review Sheet
Complete this sheet every Friday for your first 8 weeks. The pattern that emerges after 8 weeks of data is your personalised growth playbook.
- Review week (dates)
- Total videos posted this week
- Video 1 title + completion rate + engagement rate + new followers from video
- Video 2 title + completion rate + engagement rate + new followers from video
- Video 3 title + completion rate + engagement rate + new followers from video
- Best-performing video this week (title + what was different)
- Worst-performing video this week (title + diagnosed root cause using the decision tree)
- One change to implement next week based on this data
- Current total followers + change from last week
- Non-vanity metric this week (emails collected, DM conversations started, or sales)
Exercise: Pillar Video Analysis
After posting 10 or more videos, identify your single best-performing video (highest completion rate OR highest follower conversion rate). Conduct a deep analysis using the prompts below, then plan three variations.
- Write out the exact hook of your pillar video word-for-word. Which of the five hook categories does it belong to? What made it stronger than your other hooks?
- Describe the format: talking head, screen record, b-roll overlay, text-only, or hybrid. Is this format different from your lower-performing videos?
- What was the video length? Is this different from your average video length? What does that suggest?
- Plan three variations of this pillar video: change only one variable in each (hook only, topic angle only, or format only). Write the hook for each variation here.
Checklist: 90-Day Growth Roadmap Completion Checklist
- Written your primary content pillar in one sentence: 'I make [format] videos about [topic] for [specific audience]'
- Identified three adjacent topics you can cover without leaving your niche
- Set a non-vanity growth goal for each of the three 30-day phases
- Blocked production time (3 hours/week minimum) in your calendar for all 90 days
- Set up your analytics tracking spreadsheet with all six key metrics as column headers
- Completed your first 5-video batch and posted at least three of them
- Identified your first pillar video (after 10+ posts)
- Produced at least one trend-participation video using the TikTok Creative Center as your research source
- Set up at least one comment-triggered DM automation for a lead-capture CTA
- Reviewed your 90-day plan at day 30 and updated goals based on actual data
Your Action Plan
- Complete the Platform Selection Decision Sheet and commit to one primary platform before filming any content
- Build a swipe file of at least 30 hooks by spending 15 minutes per day for 5 days screen-recording your feed and copying opening lines
- Write PAS scripts for your first five videos using the script template in Section 2 — read each aloud and time it before moving on
- Run a production quality baseline test in your filming location and resolve all lighting and audio issues before your first real filming session
- Film your first batch of five videos in a single session using the Batch Filming Session Checklist
- Edit all five videos using your CapCut template before posting any of them
- Post your first video at peak audience time and complete the First Video Post and Observation exercise within 24 hours
- Set up a comment-triggered DM automation for your second or third video to capture leads from the start
- Complete the Weekly Analytics Review Sheet every Friday for 8 consecutive weeks without skipping
- After 10 posts, identify your pillar video and plan three variations — begin the iteration cycle that compounds growth
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