Step-By-Step Guide to Create Effective Training Videos

Videos rule the internet as people like to watch rather than read and understand. YouTube is the second biggest search engine with 1 Billion users directing them to their search query-related videos. A survey conducted by Pew Research stated nearly 87% of users depend on YouTube to:

  • Learn Something
  • Find an immediate solution for their problems and
  • Know how a product works

Creating a fantastic training video will help garner the attention of millions of folks looking for valuable and exciting videos online, and you will learn exactly how to do it here.

A training video is a great way to establish yourself as an expert and help others find immediate solutions to solve a problem quickly. In addition to YouTube, there are many other ways to market your training video, from online courses providing websites to free content sharing platforms.

Most content creators are problem solvers who directly guide their viewers or readers into what they want and show them how to overcome any issue, whether cleaning a clogged drain or learning to use an IBM software in half an hour. Let us clarify a few essential things before starting to discuss steps about creating amazing training videos.

  • What is a training video?
  • What are the different types of training videos?
  • What do viewers expect in a good training video?

Training videos teach the viewers to do something by showing visuals. A video showing how to make an iced coffee to a video teaching about rocket science to its users falls under the training video category.

  • Teaching to do step-by-step face makeup is a training video, and reviewing lipstick is not.
  • Showcasing amazing adventures done on a mountaintop is not a training video, but teaching how to shoot it is a training video.
  • Comedy skits are not training videos, but explaining how to do a process funnily is a training video.

Training videos need not always show a person teaching in front of a whiteboard. Nobody wants to hear a lecture of a serious-looking person seated on a chair and talking for hours – even if their content is precious. Training videos can be a

Screencast – showing the computer screen recording of doing a process like editing an image in photoshop to create specific effects.

Demo or DIY – this video shows the recording of a process without a face like making a particular recipe, repairing or creating a DIY craft object, etc.

Skit enacting – A group of people enacts a particular scenario to enhance understanding. A small funny skit showing good interview skills or lack of it is a great example.

Animated videos – short animations explain complex concepts colorfully and attractively.

Quiz videos – interactive videos that explain a concept using a short animation or a presenter require the user to click further on a choice to continue, select an answer, etc.

Now comes the most crucial part in creating the training videos – understanding the user expectation. “Good teaching is 1/4 preparation and 3/4 theatre,” said Gail Goldwin. This statement is especially true for the training videos. The teacher has to make the video fun, educational, and unforgettable.

  1. A survey states, the number one quality viewers expect in a training video is
  • Relatable,
  • Interesting and
  • Value-adding content and
  • Attention-grabbing, informative headings
  1. The tone of voice and the cheerful body language of the presenter, speaker, host, or animation is the next important factor influencing the video viewers.
  2. Last but not least, pay massive attention to the quality of the video. Excellent visuals, great audio, interactive hotspots in the middle, fun facts, humor, arrow mark, bouncing text – every single attention-grabbing element adds to the quality of the video.

The three essential parts of a successful training video are

  • Providing good value to the user through helpful content time,
  • Attractive presentation and
  • The right video length

The step-by-step procedure to create fantastic training videos with all these three elements effortlessly gets discussed in detail in the upcoming sections.

Step 1

  1. Determine the topic
  2. Narrow down the topic
  3. Select the time of the video

Finalize the topic you are going to teach in the video. It would be easy to say, “I will teach about Math.” You have to narrow down the topic to which type of math and what particular concept you will cover.

The next important thing is determining the video length. MIT did massive research analyzing over 6.9 million training videos and found videos around 6 minutes have the maximum engagement rate.

It is not possible to explain complex concepts or huge software tutorials within 6 minutes. Experts suggest the training video-makers keep their videos within 20 minutes in such cases.

Videos lasting for 45 minutes to 3 hours often have a nil completion rate. Udemy, an online course content platform, requires its creators to split the videos into short 6-minute modules.

They require the video viewers to do some reading or writing exercise based on the concept or take a small test before proceeding to the next module.

Courses designed with interaction requiring breaks have around a 74% completion rate, while huge video tutorials have only an 8 to 5% course completion rate.

Step 2

  1. Create a script
  2. Find the right audio-visual presentation resources
  3. Record the video

Creating the right script for the videos is the next vital step. No person can go into the camera and start talking directly as it won’t sound professional and will eat lots of time editing.

Write a rough script on the core subject matter topic you will cover. Use a teleprompter mobile app to speak the script into it. Talk all the essential points, fun facts, and anecdotes you need to cover into it. You can just see your mobile and talk into the video without missing the key points when you shoot it.

Once the basic script is ready, use a free training video template from Powtoon or any other platform. It will likely contain:

  • An Introduction
  • The core part of the video
  • Background images,
  • Animations
  • Motion texts and arrows
  • Interactive buttons
  • Music to play in the background
  • An ending part or outro

Use the pre-made template or edit the resources in them to fill in your resources. Add screencasts, recordings taken from other videos, graphs, statistics, etc.

Record the video using the proper lighting, audio, and video capturing devices. Read the script you have prepared earlier and create a rough first draft of the video.

Step 3

  1. Get feedback from various users
  2. Edit the video
  3. Add interactive hotspots and animations

Submit the video to review and feedback to your team or video review boards available when using various software. Ask them to mention why they like a particular part and why they do not want a specific part.

Conduct a live meeting with your team, if possible, to know the opinion of the viewers directly. Note which area is too dull or get serious and take steps to lighten that particular time frame by adding a small animation or a joke.

Take constructive feedback, edit the length of the video, add extra points or fun facts, adjust lighting and audio. Add links to videos, leading the user to attend a particular test or exam in another link or download a PDF or read about the concept further.

Conduct a viewer poll amidst reviewers on where to insert “click on the tab above to get a free PDF on…,” scripts.

Add interactive hotspots and extra animations to grab the user’s attention, like the text describing a concept (e.g., Algebra text saying bye and fading) moving away as the next concept (Geometry text) enters triumphantly.

Remember, “a good teacher is 3/4 theatre,” and you should do everything in your might to make the video as enjoyable and attention-grabbing as possible.

Step 4

  1. Finalize the production of the video and get it in MP4 format.
  2. Do video SEO
  3. Upload in YouTube, your channel or website, or any other online course selling platform.

Check the edited video thoroughly again and create a final video in MP4 format, which is acceptable by most of the video uploading platforms easily.

Once you choose the right platform to upload your training video, do the necessary video SEO to make the users find your video easily. Create a catchy headline and mind-blowing thumbnail using Canva, Crello, or any other free software.

Upload the video into your desired platform and set the right price for it to purchase. If you upload into YouTube or Vimeo, decide what sort of ads should be run and when. Give your details in the description.

Conclusion

Effective training videos make the viewers master what they are learning and recommend the video to many others. Besides, they also help the people watching them attain a new skill and use it for their betterment in new ways. Follow every step mentioned above to create stunning training videos easily, leave a significant impact on your viewers and make them come back to you for more expert videos on similar topics.

 

Originally published on June 10th, 2021, updated on June 11th, 2021
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Step-By-Step Guide to Create Effective Training Videos

by Simi time to read: 6 min
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