A short video can make a business look busy and confident. People watch it, like it and start to think about buying. But the video only gets them to the door. What happens next is the real test. Can they get a clear price, a straight answer, or a person who calls them back?
In the last two months a new restaurant has been building hype online. Short TikTok videos, “coming soon”, “the best in town”, “we are opening”. Then it opened, and its delivery listing was out of date. The menu information was thin, and the photos did not match what arrives on the plate. When you try to reach them directly, it is hard to get an answer.
Another business, a new electronics shop, posted good videos about the best brands and gadgets it planned to stock. It also introduced its team online. When I searched for those team members, I could barely find them. Eventually I found their website, but it was not linked from their social media. I emailed them and the email bounced. So I messaged them on TikTok. Two months later, still no reply.
What is the point of making videos if you are not ready to answer the people who watch them?
The service has to match the promotion
A good video brings people in. Service is what keeps them. If the price in the video is not the price they are quoted, or the item is out of stock when they arrive, the trust is gone. Nobody cares how well the video was shot after that.
Before you spend more time on video, check the basics. Can someone find your address, phone number and opening hours in under a minute? Do you reply to messages on the same day? Does what you show online match what you actually deliver?
A simple checklist
- Keep your opening hours, address and phone number the same on every platform.
- Update the menu when prices or items change. Old prices lose trust quickly.
- Use real photos of real food, not stock images.
- Link your website, email and social media to each other.
- Reply to messages and emails, even if the answer is that you cannot help.
Whether you hire young staff or run the accounts yourself does not matter much. What matters is whether someone understands why you are online. A post is only useful if the information behind it is right and someone is there to answer. If you cannot keep up, post less and do it properly.
