Last week in my blog post, “Why You Should Include Video in Your Marketing Strategy (and How to Do It For FREE),” we talked about how video marketing has increasingly grown more popular, and I provided a few strategies on how to do it for free. If you haven’t done so already, you should head over here and check it out. In the meantime, continue reading for a step-by-step guide on how to make an informative video and post it online for your audience to see.
When you need to learn something new, what do you do? How about when you are trying to install new software, or fix something, what do you do? Chances are, you look for a video that walks you through the process step-by-step.
Regardless of your reasoning, informative videos are the best way to learn, teach, explain, or guide others. So, if you are looking to create your own informative video to contribute to the growth of others, you’re going to love this blog post!
But, before we begin, I want to provide you with some personal insight. I know how it feels to watch a video or hear a voice recording of yourself. Its uncomfortable, awkward and everything about it feels wrong. BUT, do not fear because viewers (other than yourself) are not sweating the small stuff! They don’t care if you stutter, mispronounce a word or even stop to giggle at yourself. Want to know why? Its because we are all human and mistakes provide entertainment. So, don’t spend your time re-recording yourself over and over again, just provide the important information that people are looking for and they will appreciate the time you took to make the video regardless of your small mistakes.
Follow these steps to start the process for making your instructional video:
Choose a topic
First, you need to choose a topic for your informative video and select a target audience. Selecting a target audience will provide you the opportunity to consider your audience member’s needs when choosing a topic and creating your video. When doing this, it is essential to consider the skill level of your audience and how they will consume the information. Will they learn better under professional, humorous or laid-back circumstances? Do you need to provide a step-by-step guide, a few examples, or are you able to verbally explain it to them?
Write a script
You don’t need to read the script word for word when you record your video, but it’s always good to have a guideline to follow to make sure you include all of the relevant details.
Record your video or voice
In step one, you will likely have already determined if your instructional video requires you to be physically present in the video or if you just need to record your voice and show your computer screen, other videos, or photos. For the purpose of this guide, let’s assume you plan on recording just your voice and using preexisting videos and pictures to go along with your voiceover. Make sure to record your voice in a quiet area. Most editing program has a built-in voice-recording feature, so continue to the next step to pick your editing program.
Visual Content
After recording your voiceover, it is now time to create the visual content of your video. Will your video have videos or photos you already have completed? Will you need to record your computer screen showing the step-by-step process? Let’s assume you will be using prerecorded videos and photos. Gather this content, so it is easily accessible during the editing process.
Edit your video
Now its time to edit your video! First, you need to determine which video editing program you are going to use. There are many free video editing programs available for beginners, and there are even more editing programs available for more advanced editors.
Some of the free editors include:
I really enjoy the ease of using Magisto or Camtasia. Both programs offer a free trial and then require a paid subscription, but both are well worth the investment! After choosing the editing program that meets your needs, upload your voiceover, and visual content then follow the steps within the program to complete the simple editing process. These programs offer many cool features including the ability to edit your uploaded clips together for you. This feature is the best way to go for beginners as it is simple and it provides you with a professional-looking video in no time!
Preview your video
Preview your video to ensure it meets your expectations! If not, go back to editing it until it reaches your standards!
Export and Share!
When your video is complete and edited perfectly, it is ready to be exported and uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo, or other sharing platforms to be viewed by your audience. My suggestion is to upload it to YouTube and share the YouTube link to other platforms, such as social media to gain more exposure and followers! This allows for viewers who are interested in your video to watch other videos uploaded to your YouTube channel and subscribe for new ones.
I hope this guide helps you on your journey to creating and sharing informative videos with your target audience. Remember, just like learning any new concept or skill, it takes time. So, don’t give up so easily. Creating videos is going to be great for your business and even better for the viewers who are learning from them.
