A training video is designed to educate or guide the audience. It is an ideal medium for creating instructional content, how-tos, and teaching new skills because it conveys what audiences need to know using visual and spoken instruction. Videos are also intrinsically more engaging than methods using text-only.
Whether creating training videos for employees, software tutorials for customers, or broader subjects like changing a tire, training videos focus on clear topics that teach skills or share knowledge. Here are some tips for creating training videos.
Benefits of Making Training Videos
Video is one of the most popular media for consuming and distributing content. That will not change anytime soon. Training videos are also one of the best ways to share knowledge and information.
YouTube, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Twitter, and Tik Tok encourage everyone to view, like, and share short casual videos on social media. And more than ever, consumers look for videos to help them solve problems.
A Pew Research study indicated that users say watching YouTube tutorials is an essential tool for figuring out how to do something they have never done before.
For anyone still wondering why training video creation is paramount to teaching others new skills, here are a few prime benefits:
- Improves Google search results
- Drives website traffic
- Reduces burdens on tech staff and customer support
- Improves the customer experience and satisfaction
- Enables business growth
- Creates more intuitive users and customers
How To Make Effective Training Videos (People Will Want to Watch)
Many people lack the experience to make a training video. However, creating a high-quality training video is easier than many think. Anyone can make a video with these tips and tricks to create effective training videos (people will want to watch).
1. Choose the Type of Training Video You Need
Creating an engaging training video requires choosing a format. Video producers must consider available resources, schedules, and stakeholder expectations when starting work on the training video.
Some types of training videos require different amounts of time and effort. Different formats are also suitable for different kinds of knowledge exchanges. Therefore, it is paramount to know the pros and cons of each.
For example, it wouldn’t be a good idea to cover a very complex topic in a micro-video, and a screencast probably wouldn’t work for a demo of a physical product. Here are some standard formats for training videos:
- Screencast
- Micro-video
- Presenter video
- Roleplay
- Animation
- Interactive video
2. Script and Storyboard
Producers can’t go straight to recording their videos without sufficient preparation. To ensure a clear message, there must be a script and a storyboard. The script can be plain or complex.
After writing the script, it is necessary to make a storyboard. Like the script, this can be as detailed as needed, but simple stick-figure drawings work. The storyboard demonstrates the sequence of visual elements.
Storyboards do not take long to put together. Screenshot captures or taking pictures for concrete ideas can help build the storyboard.
3. Record and Edit
Once the prep work is complete, it is time to start recording. It does not require a great deal of expertise to make a video. But there are some things to consider, such as lighting, backgrounds, and other elements that impact the viewers’ experience.
Once the producer is done recording, it is necessary to edit the training video. There are several ways to do this, software to use, and things to consider while editing as well, such as:
- Annotations
- Text overlays
- Animations
- Show the speaker
- Add some interaction
4. Review and Iterate
Once recorded and edited, it is time to have colleagues or stakeholders review the training video. That can help ensure the quality of the video and that the message is clear and concise for viewers.
Some producers may opt to invite third-party viewers to review it. These reviewers may leave comments, add markups, and reply to each other. They may also provide members of the public with a link.
Reviews and feedback are two of the most effective methods of making a high-quality training video. When reviewers have finished providing feedback, use their comments to iterate the initial video, and check suggestions off as they get addressed.
5. Produce Your Training Videos
The final two steps of top-notch training video creation are production and hosting. That is the prime time when producers make the video available for viewing.
Production refers to taking video renders from the video editor and converting them into a video file (i.e., MP4).
Unless there is a good reason not to, most video production experts recommend producing videos as an MP4. It is the most common format. It is one viewer that will easily recognize it as a video file when downloading.
Hosting refers to how the training video is made available to the audience for viewing. Vimeo and YouTube are examples of hosting sites. There are several on the market to choose from, so companies must do some research before publishing their training videos and hosting them on any given site.
For internal videos, hosting is less of a priority. These videos can reside on desktops or flash drives. Public videos will require hosting on either an organization’s website, one of the two listed above, or any available for hosting public access videos.
High-Quality Training Videos from NG Production Films
Producing high-quality training videos does require some technical proficiency that many do not have the time or resolve to learn. Another option is to choose NG Production Films and allow our experienced production crews to produce your high-quality training videos.
Our Orlando Video Production Company, NG Production Films, can communicate effectively and efficiently to produce high-quality video production. We have over a decade of experience producing the next video production project for your organization. Call NG Production Films today for a free, no-obligation consultation at 407-233-3236 or fill out our contact form for a prompt reply.
