All too many brands attempt to create instructional videos, only to have them turn out boring, long and full of way too much information. In order to make sure your how-to or explainer videos stick and bring people back for more, you need to think creatively and strategically about how your video will come together. Try out these tips to ensure your instructional videos work.
Plan learning objectives
Planning is the key to creating an engaging and truly informative instructional video. Identify the target audience for your video and uncover their needs—what do they want to learn about, and what types of videos help this audience segment learn best?
Then, plan out the learning objectives for your video—what, specifically, do you want your viewers to understand after they watch? Solidifying these two pieces early on will ensure your video doesn’t get off track or cause confusion.
Keep it short
Instructional videos need to be
long enough
to explain the concept in full, but you don’t want to overwhelm the viewer with information, either. Long videos increase the cognitive load you put on your audience and reduce the amount of information they actually take away in the end.
Shorter instructional videos appeal to viewers’ constantly shortening attention spans. Think hard about the core pieces of information you need to deliver and cut things that might detract from your main point.
It’s also a good idea to create short segments within your video, too. Distilling information into a few bite-sized tips or pieces helps break up the information so it’s more easily digestible to viewers.
Think visually
Even though instructional videos need to convey a lot of information, they don’t need to be heavy in words or rely solely on
narration. In fact, using too much text or narration can bore or confuse viewers. Video allows you to tap the power of visuals to keep your audience engaged and help them remember what you’re telling them.
From the earliest stages of planning, remember to think visually when developing your video concept and storyboard. What images can you use to emphasize the information?
Animation and motion graphics are great tools for this purpose. Whether your instructional video is
fully animated
or uses the occasional graphic to emphasize a point, the added visuals appeal to more of your viewers’ senses and can help them understand and remember complex concepts.
Tell a story
Most importantly, remember to tell a story with your instructional video. Even though you’re trying to explain or teach something, you don’t just want to overload viewers with data and facts. Stories help illustrate your information and improve memorability. Try to include example scenarios or some sort of story arc in your video for viewers to latch on to.
Are you ready to create engaging and informative instructional marketing videos?
Say hello
to Spin Creative!
About Us
Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
