Online video is arguably becoming the key method by which people satisfy their desire for entertainment, news and learning material.
If you run a business, potential and existing customers will be visiting your website seeking information on your products or services. That much is obvious, but the way in which they expect to digest such information must be satisfied if they are to remain a visitor for any longer than a few seconds.
Video is an incredibly ‘sticky’ form of web content and its usefulness extends far beyond promotional material. If you have a product in which users must be trained, you may have traditionally conducted such tuition over the phone or in person. Doing so is expensive and repetitive for the staff that deliver it, which is why video is such a compelling alternative.
The two types of training videos
Broadly speaking, there are two types of training video you can offer customers:
Traditional, one-to-one. Usually delivered by a person standing in front of a screen or interactive whiteboard, these videos can replace in-person training by delivering the same one-to-one experience.
Screencast. Used almost exclusively when the product in question is a piece of software, screencasts are video captures of the app itself being used, usually accompanied by a voice over and/or subtitles.
Ways to Engage
The method you choose for your instructional video will largely depend on what it is you’re offering training on, but once you’ve decided on the ideal format, there are 5 best practices you can follow for creating a piece of content that will engage its audience.
1. Know your audience
This is the most important starting point. For online video to be successful, you need to possess a deep understanding of the audience. What kind of approach will they warm to? Jovial? Serious? An in-depth technical explanation or short, sharp blast?
Think of your audience in terms of their behaviour, the things they like and the habits they have.
2. Define a goal
Like anything in business, a training video without a goal is destined to fail. Before the cameras start to roll, think about what you want to achieve with your video. You’ll want to educate, of course, but will you be focussing on one specific area of the product or are you aiming to provide a more rounded overview of the entire thing?
Once you’ve established a goal for the video, you’ll be able to more easily establish a tone and then the all-important beginning, middle and end.
3. Treat it as a story
We all love stories. As noted above, even training videos need a beginning, middle and end – just like a great movie. They’ll also benefit from a running theme or narrative in order to keep the audience engaged. Your product or the element of it you’re
4. Use a script (loosely)
No one wants to watch a training video delivered by what appears to be a robot, but a script of some kind will help the presenter focus on getting the key messages across. Don’t write it word for word, just note salient points as a step-by-step guide for the person delivering the video. It’ll help them tell the story and avoid heading off into the wilderness.
5. Finish up with a call-to-action (CTA)
Every training video should end with a CTA. What do you want the learner to do at the end of the video? Register their email address in order to receive future videos? Perhaps you want them to download a demo of the product in question. Whatever you decide, make sure there is something tempting to click or fill in at the end of the video that genuinely benefits the person watching it.
Summary
Get it right, and your training video will serve you well for months – if not years – to come. It will become a virtual trainer that doesn’t require a wage, is instantly accessible anywhere and which will satisfy humanity’s insatiable desire for video web content.