Google Vids: The Game-Changer for SMBs to Create How-To Videos Instantly

Where video was once a ‘nice-to-have’ capability for businesses, these days it’s more of a ‘must-have,’ especially as Gen Z and Millennials turn away from more traditional types of media in favor of short videos.

To help businesses of all sizes—but most especially small businesses (SMBs) with small budgets and limited time—compete on the video front, Google made Google Vids in Workspace generally available on Thursday. Google Vids was initially announced in April 2024, and with the Google Vids app, SMBs can use Google Gemini to quickly outline and create a video to help with learning and development, marketing, education, and more.

I jumped into Google Vids to see how it works, and in under two minutes, I was able to ask Gemini to create a video about “How to Turn on the iPhone 16” and get a result back. The video it created uses stock photos and contains only the basic text instructions, but it was a fast, simple way to start creating something that might have taken hours to do in the past.

I only replaced a couple of the images it chose (most of which were completely useless, but we can hope that gets better over time), but even that is point-and-click easy. Gemini even added music to the video, but it’s super simple to do a voice-over using Google’s tools or even record your screen to capture what’s going on there.

Google Vids competes with well-known programs like Canva, Runway, and Filmora. It is available now but requires a Google Workspace Business Standard or higher subscription. So the minimum you’ll pay to use it (and all of Google’s other Workspace apps) is $12 per month (and you’ll need to make a one-year commitment to the Workspace subscription).