Types of social media content: the short-form video formats, and the treatments that sit on top

Most lists of social media content types mix two different things: the format a piece is built in, and the treatment laid over it. A tier list is not a format. It is something you do inside a talking head, a carousel or a green screen. Separate the two and planning gets simpler: pick a small set of formats you can sustain, then rotate treatments on top.

The base formats

One-shot (text on video)

One or two clips with words on screen. Cheap to make, readable with the sound off, built for the widest audience. The text does the work, so the line has to be strong.

Green screen

You, cut out, talking over an image, a page or a chart. A good starting format because the background supplies the visual backup that talking alone rarely gives.

Talking head

You, talking to camera, nothing else. It works for two kinds of people: natural talkers, and people who build a clever scenario to carry the point. If you are neither, pick another format; there is no prize for forcing it.

Graphic talking head

A talking head with designed graphics layered over you. More work per piece, more help for the viewer.

Hyperedit

A dense, graphic-driven edit with a new visual every couple of seconds. The heaviest format to produce, and the one that holds attention on a dry topic best when it is done well.

Carousel

A swipeable set of images. Slower to consume, often saved for later. Full entry: carousel post.

Vlog

You, following a real pursuit over time. For most people with something interesting going on, the strongest format, because viewers get invested in how it turns out. Types and ideas: vlog ideas.

UGC (user-generated content)

Video made by customers or creators in a customer's voice rather than the brand's. Often run as ads from the creator's own account, which is what whitelisting ads means.

The treatments

Ranking or tier list

Sort a set of things from best to worst and say why. Built-in tension: viewers stay to see where their favourite lands.

Before and after

Any visible transformation. Service businesses with visible results usually have more of this material than they realise.

Behind the scenes

Narrate work you are already doing: a procedure, a build, a job. The content is a by-product, so there is no separate content day to schedule.

Scenario content

Replace the abstract tip with a specific situation: who, against whom, under what pressure. Then show what you would do. A well-built scenario carries someone who is not a natural performer.

Comparison content

For a physical product category, handle three or four options on camera and give your preference and the reason for each. People forward this to whoever they are buying with, which puts it in front of the person who decides.

How to choose

Choose by what you can keep making, not by what is fashionable; every format here works when it is executed well. Decide first what the content has to cause (reach, leads, sales), then the format. Pair each format with a topic and you have a content pillar.

Then expect fatigue. A format that works now will tire, so keep the next one in test before the current one fades. A weak test post costs very little; having nothing ready when your one format stops working costs a lot.

Before you post, ask one question of each idea: who would share this, with whom, and why? If you cannot answer, the format will not save it.

Related

• Hook examples: how each of these formats opens
• How to build a personal brand: which formats each level of brand needs
• Lead magnet: pairing one video with one matched offer

Frequently asked questions

What are the main types of social media content? For short video: one-shot, green screen, talking head, graphic talking head, hyperedit, carousel, vlog and UGC. Rankings, before-and-afters, behind the scenes, scenarios and comparisons are treatments you apply on top.

Which format should a beginner start with? Green screen is a forgiving start, because the background gives the viewer something to look at while you talk.

Is a tier list a format? No. It is a treatment that sits on top of a format.

Pick two formats you could make every week for a month, and one treatment to try on each.