Every business owner has watched a competitor’s video explode and wondered how to do the same. The honest answer is that nobody can reliably manufacture a viral hit, and a million views from the wrong audience is worth very little to a local business anyway.
What you can do is make content people want to pass on to someone specific: a partner, a friend who is renovating, a colleague with the same problem. That kind of sharing brings the right viewers, and unlike virality, it is repeatable.
Why people share things
Watch your own behaviour for a week and the reasons become obvious. We share things that are useful to someone we know. Things that make us look knowledgeable or thoughtful. Things that made us laugh, gasp or feel relieved. Things that say something about who we are or where we live. And good stories, almost always.
A post that hits one of these reasons clearly will be shared more than a post that hits none, however well it is produced.
Make it useful enough to save and send
Checklists, cost breakdowns, “before you hire anyone” questions, seasonal reminders. Content like this gets saved for later and sent to the person who needs it right now. Carousels work especially well, because each slide can carry one clear point and the whole thing reads like a small guide.
A roofing company’s “five things to check on your roof after a winter storm” will be forwarded between neighbours in a way that a promotional post never is.
Lean into local
Local pride is one of the most reliable reasons people share. A project in a recognisable neighbourhood, a nod to the first real snowfall, a moment only Torontonians or Calgarians will understand. It is also the kind of content that reaches exactly the people a local business wants.
A post that makes someone say “that’s my street” travels further than a post that makes them say “nice”.
Tell small stories
Every business collects stories without noticing. The strange thing the crew found behind a wall. The customer who had waited ten years to do the kitchen. The job that went wrong and how it was fixed. A short, honest story with a beginning, a turn and an ending is far more shareable than a list of features.
Formats that travel
- Short vertical video with captions, because many people watch without sound.
- A first frame or first line that makes the subject obvious instantly.
- One idea per post, not three.
- Plain language, no industry jargon.
- Carousels for anything people might want to keep.
Build a repeatable series
Instead of hoping for one hit, create a series with a recognisable format: a weekly quick tip, a monthly “guess the problem” post, a before and after every Friday. Series build habits in your audience and make production easier for you.
