No Matter how you cut it, Nowadays, video is king. Because of the Pandemic’s Lockdowns, both Families and brands have to Resort to video to Communicate with the outside world. The Epidemic may have Hastened some Trends, but there’s little denying that how-to videos have Exploded in Popularity in recent years. For example, video Demonstrations of skill have long been commonplace in Hobbyist Societies.
However, the concept of how-to videos is Relatively New to the Business World. There was a time when exchanging ideas and information was mostly for non-profit purposes. Most people were only trying to impress others with their knowledge. Many of these Videos now have branding or sponsorships, thanks to influencer collaborations and content marketing. Plus, they’re helping brands achieve Tangible outcomes. Now, let’s examine them.
Types of How-To Videos
Like so many things on the internet, there’s a vast variety of how-to video genres. For instance, some of these movies are quite simple: a pair of hands discussing and then demonstrating a technique. On the other hand, different videos are elaborate, with (basic) special effects and a lengthy screenplay.
1. Instructional/Step-by-Step Video
Instructional films can range from lecture-like styles with a speaker demonstrating the theory or method they’re teaching to mixing speaking and screen sharing depending on the topic, like my example above.
Although many instructional films are more engaging than this, others will be comparable to a classroom lecture with someone writing on the chalkboard. Of course, for technical issues, this may be a very successful video style because it lets the presenter focus on the message.
2. Explainer Video
Explainer movies are frequently animated films that explain a simple idea. For instance, explainers are popular among equipment manufacturers because they’re an easy way to demonstrate how to use something. In addition, they’re highly useful because Approximately 95% of the populace learns more about a topic by watching a movie than they would by reading About it.
Further Reading: How You Can Gain Your Subscribers on YouTube in 2024
3. Software/Technology Demonstration Video
By far, the easiest way to generate how-to movies about software and other technology is via screen sharing. There are various tools that let you effortlessly capture your screen and make something that may be published on YouTube or some other website.
Don’t be scared to integrate studio recordings together with your screen shares to provide further instruction surrounding your technology.
Further Reading: How to Become a Professional YouTuber in 2024
4. DIY Videos
As I stated at the start, DIY videos are one of the earliest sorts of how-to videos. For instance, these talk about how a “typical/Normal person” performs things. And, in many situations, it’s user-generated content. Because of its organic character, filming DIY videos is one of the ways people become influencers and, in addition, a terrific concept for influencer partnerships.
5. Webinars
Webinars are another popular format for how-to films, especially because they let people explain topics or demonstrate items in more depth. While it’s never a good idea to belabor a topic, when people hear the term “webinar,” they often assume it’s a long video. After all, the name stems from “seminar,” which tends to run an hour or more. In most cases, webinars function by displaying a how-to through PowerPoint, with a narrator filling in the details.
Some webinars are even interactive. In this situation, they are held as presentations utilizing a teleconferencing program like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Then, participants can ask questions or give remarks, often after the main presentation.
6. Online Video Courses
This one might not seem like an excellent example of how-to videos, but it actually is. In this scenario, an online video course can be a series of instructional parts explaining how to use something. For instance, it may be a sequence of different functionalities available with a piece of equipment or a succession of skills required to make a hobby project.
7. Live Videos/Streaming
Live video has been a significant winner over the last couple of years. It used to be that you pretty much had to prerecord any video and upload it. Now, streaming is wildly popular, to the point that there are numerous rival services dedicated to it. In addition, a lot of live videos contain subscriptions or other monetization methods.
One of the nice things about live videos is that they can be preserved and thus reused to be like any other of your pre-recorded videos, as in my sample above.
Tips on How to Create How-To Videos
Making quality how-to films is straightforward, assuming you know what mistakes to avoid. While some of these videos, such as TikTok posts and other short-form videos, are altered relatively little, others are highly sophisticated. Luckily, if you follow a few fundamental rules, it’s easy to be effective, whether you’re making marketing videos or just having fun.
1. Have a Great or Relevant Topic.
Nobody likes an off-topic video, especially when they’re seeking how-to tutorials. If your company makes one kind of product, you shouldn’t be releasing how-to films in a separate area unless they’re somehow relevant. Likewise, you shouldn’t make a video that’s too identical to other ones that are available or pick a theme that’s just dull. Pick something that will resonate with your audience.
2. Keep it Short and Tight.
While webinars are reasonably well-known for being longer, even with these videos, you don’t want them to belabor the subject. Likewise, it’s crucial to avoid veering off-topic because doing so detracts from your main message. At the end of the day, no matter why you’re generating how-to videos, you want them to garner plenty of views. If you turn off your viewers, then you’ll fall short of your target.
Further Reading: How to Grow Followers on Instagram Fast and Free in 2024
3. Use Captions
Using captions offers various different advantages. For one thing, it makes your video accessible to people who are hard of hearing or deaf. For instance, if captions are provided, people can view the movie with their sound turned off, which can be handy in offices, on public transit, and any time they’re trying not to bother others. Finally, captions help with SEO by offering additional room for keywords.
4. Choose an Enticing, Value-Based, Concise Title
Think about the titles of your how-to films as their advertisement or business card. Whether visitors encounter the video on YouTube, a company website, or anywhere else, they’ll likely determine in a few seconds if they want to view it. If you provide a succinct title that shows viewers why they should watch your video, then you’re likely to acquire a lot more views. And if you’re using these how-to films as a way to demonstrate to customers that your goods answer their problem areas, then those views are vital.
5. Have fun and mix in some humor.
Back in the 1980s, there was a famous movie where a teacher droned on and on. Then, he’d call on a pupil by calling their last name. While the movie was designed to be hilarious, in that it’s a caricature of people in charge, it makes a point. Just because you’re explaining something doesn’t mean it has to be boring. If nothing else, being boring makes consumers go elsewhere to learn about a product. On the other hand, if you have fun and even utter jokes, then viewers will not only remain watching your how-to films but even love them.
6. Give it a Structure
It’s easier to convey this secret of great how-to videos by flipping this phrase on its head. The worst thing you can do is hop from one notion to another without having a defined direction. Luckily, avoiding this blunder is easy: if you have a structure to the video, then you’ll stay on subject or at least return to it fast. By giving your films some structure, you’ll help ensure that they are valuable for viewers.
7. Create a script and/or storyboard.
Scripts and storyboards alike keep you on track during the recording of your how-to videos. They also ensure that you cover all you meant to, and they discourage tangents. In addition, well-planned storyboards pave the way for humor and lighthearted ways of communicating your argument. By following this suggestion, you’ll avoid many of the pitfalls of blindly recording.
8. Cut it up and repurpose it.
Content in general, and evergreen content in particular, is made to be Repurposed. In some circumstances, you’ll want to use a thumbnail of your how-to videos as an advertisement for the video itself. Post these on your website, in e-commerce shops, and anywhere that your topic has a community. And of course, you can also make blog entries or other content formats from the original video.
Further Reading: How to Get Paid by Facebook Reels in 2024
9. Create a shortened preview for social media.
Finally, lengthy how-to videos can be broken down into shorter ones. You can choose a single scene from your video to publish on social media, and then urge people to visit YouTube or your website to see the complete thing. People can watch this and decide that the rest of the film is worth viewing. By adopting this method, it’s easy to improve the number of views for your movies. In turn, increased views can improve sales, boost customer loyalty, and otherwise generate tremendous ROI.
The bottom line
How-to videos are a really helpful resource for brands and their customers alike. These films teach people how to utilize something, demonstrate use cases, illustrate the answer to pain areas, and much more. Not only are they a great tool for marketing, but becoming a voice in a certain niche may be incredibly important. Best of all, these movies may be converted into various sorts of content and used for influencer collaborations and other purposes.