In the past, creating a training video was a serious financial and time-heavy investment that didn’t really seem worth its while. Why create a video when you could just train up your employees yourself?
Now, with software like Riverside.fm, anyone can create high-production value training videos quickly and easily for an affordable price. Training videos are highly engaging, reusable resources that you and your employees can come back to time after time. Creating training videos can seriously streamline your employee onboarding processes and ensure that your employees are getting the best training possible.
In this guide, we walk you through the advantages of creating training videos and how you can start creating your very own ones in no time.
TL;DR
- Creating training videos is quick and easy with software like Riverside.fm.
- Training videos help you teach your viewers how to do or use something.
- Training videos are especially useful for onboarding employees because they’re easy to understand, engaging, reusable, and save you time and money.
- Choose between a presenter-led, screen share, animated, or role-play training video.
- Riverside.fm helps you to create HD training videos, easily include screen share, and get your video ready in minutes with the Magic Editor.
What is a training video?
A training video is essentially a video tutorial that walks the viewer through how to do something with the ultimate goal of equipping them with knowing how to do it themselves. This could include how to perform certain functions, how to use particular software, or how to follow a set process.
They are typically used in a corporate or organizational setting for onboarding employees either when they first join or when introducing a new workflow. However, you’ll also come across non-professional training videos such as DIY walkthroughs and tutorials.
Why create training videos?
Easy to understand
Training videos help you to clearly explain something to the viewer. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and the same goes for video tutorials. Compared to dense, lengthy written explanations or instructions, video tutorials can be concise and snappy, whilst still conveying everything you want to say.
Include visual demonstrations
With written tutorials, you’re limited with how much you can actually demonstrate. By contrast, with video tutorials, you can very explicitly show your viewers what you’re talking about using visuals such as PowerPoint slides or graphics. This will improve understanding and likely be more effective in communicating your main points.
Reusable resource
Once you’ve recorded an effective corporate training video, you and your employees will be able to use it over and over again. This means that if anyone ever needs a quick refresher, they can simply come back to your video tutorial in their own time.
Saves you time (and money)
In the same vein, creating training videos will save you time in the long run. Instead of having to re-explain the same concept to each new employee, you can simply send over your pre-recorded training video. This will also help you save on how much it costs to onboard new employees.
Segment your learning
Training videos can be a very effective way of creating a structured learning plan. If you’re trying to bring your employees up to speed on a broad and complex topic, bitesize learning videos can help to break down the material into digestible segments. Think of it just like an e-learning course. This will be far more accessible than a huge reading list or dense course manual.
Types of training videos
When it comes to training videos, it’s not one-size-fits-all. There are various types of training videos to cater to different needs and contexts. Depending on what you’re aiming to demonstrate you may find that one format suits better than another. In addition, don’t feel afraid to break out of the mold. There’s no need to follow a set template. Instead, aim to create videos that feel best for you and your employees.
Instructor or presenter-led
Instructor-led videos are simple recordings of the presenter talking through the training material. They might also choose to integrate elements from some of the below formats such as screen share or animation snippets.
Screen recording
A screen recording or screencast format is a simple and straightforward type of training video. Simply record your screen as you demonstrate the workflow you’re talking about or as you move through a PowerPoint presentation. You can either include a small recording of yourself overlaid on the screen share or opt for a voice-over.
Animated video
An animation can sometimes be a great way to present your tutorial. They help visualize your training material in a way that may not have been possible through other conventional formats. Do bear in mind, though, that animations are often more costly than other standard formats.
Interactive video
Interactive video turns the viewer from a passive spectator into an active participant. It is just the same as a conventional training video except for the fact that the viewer has to answer questions or respond to the content.
Role play
If you’re training your employees about a certain type of scenario, it can sometimes help to do so through a role-play format, where you reenact the situation you’re referring to. You could enlist professional actors to help you with this or simply ask some of your employees to take up the role.
First steps to recording a training video
The video production process is pretty simple. Just follow these steps and you’ll easily be able to create an effective training video.
Pick your topic
Firstly, you’ll need to choose the focus topic for this training video. In order to maximize the clarity of your training video try to keep the topic simple, rather than trying to explain too many concepts in a single video.
Set goals and objectives
Once you’ve picked your topic, distill down the overarching concept into goals and objectives. In other words, what do you want the viewer to take from your training video? Should they come away with particular knowledge or a new set of skills? Whatever your objectives, make sure that you keep these in focus throughout the video development process.
Choose the type of training video you want to create
The next step is to choose your desired format for your training video. As we saw earlier, there are a number of formats that you can choose from. Try to think about which type will best convey what you’re trying to teach. You may also encounter some branding and budgeting considerations. Perhaps an animated video fits better with your other onboarding materials or maybe you’re limited by a smaller budget. All of these factors will come together and influence what kind of training video you end up making.
Script and design
Once you’ve settled on your video format and your overall objectives, now comes arguably the most important stage: planning your script and design.
Script
Perfecting your training video script is absolutely essential. You want to ensure the highest level of clarity possible. Start by laying out a clear structure and video flow. Remember, although something might seem obvious to you, it might not be to your viewers.
Try as far as possible to use digestible language and keep in mind that since a video isn’t delivered live, you’ll want to preemptively address any questions a viewer might have.
How do you write a training video?
At this point, if you’re new to training videos, you’re probably asking yourself how one goes about writing a training video? Here are a few tips:
Use simple & concise language
Simple is always better. Training videos should, by nature, be easy to understand with no need for additional explanation. For this reason, try not to overcomplicate things. Opt for simple language, straightforward explanation, and a clearly structured script that will help learners follow what you’re saying.
Keep the visual element in mind
When you’re drafting your script, it can be easy to forget that you’re writing for a visual medium. Try to keep this in mind since in many instances the visual aspect will remove the need to verbalize certain things. For instance, if you’re talking through how to complete a certain process, instead of telling your viewer what to do, you can show them, perhaps with some reinforcing text that appears on the screen.
Storyboard
Once you’ve prepared your script, it’s time to map it out onto a storyboard. This is probably more important if you’re opting for an animated or role-play-centered training video. If you’ll be recording a presenter-led or screen share type of training video, this step will be slightly more straightforward.
Equipment
Before you can actually record your training video, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got the necessary equipment. This will include (depending on your chosen format): a camera, a microphone, a video recorder and video editor.
What software is used to make training videos?
There are lots of different recording software that you can use for your training video. If you’re creating one for your organization, you may already have a house favorite that you use to make other types of video. If this is your first time recording video content, why not try using Riverside.fm?
Why you should use Riverside.fm to record your training video
Easy to Use
Riverside is designed to make your experience recording video as smooth as possible. There’s no steep learning curve or tricky workflows and with a wide array of high-functioning features, you’ll be recording videos like a pro in no time.
HD recording
Riverside.fm automatically records video and audio in full HD, meaning you can produce high-quality training videos easily and quickly.
Screen share
Screen share is an integrated feature that lets you easily include visual references and resources during your video tutorial. Your screen share will be automatically recorded as a separate track, so that you can choose how to edit it during post-production.
Progressive upload
Your recording will be progressively uploaded as you record so you don’t have to wait around for your video to be processed when you’ve finished up. This will save you time and mean that you can start editing straight away.
Magic Editor
The Magic Editor is designed to get your video to a publication-ready state in a matter of minutes. No need for additional video editing software, simply finish recording and go straight through to the Magic Editor. This will save you time and help get your training video polished quicker.
Automatic video transcription
Including a video transcription alongside your video tutorial ensures that your content is accessible to all your employees and caters to all types of learners. Some of your employees may prefer to have some written material they can refer to alongside your training video. Riverside.fm’s automatic transcriber produces a transcript for you so that you don’t have to outsource to additional software.
How to record training videos
How do you make good quality training videos?
First of all, investing proper time in preparing and designing your training video will pay off. If you jump straight in without crafting a well thought out script, chances are the final product won’t be very polished.
Second of all, if you’re able to invest in professional equipment, this will make a huge difference to the overall quality of your training video. Remember, a training video is not a one-trick pony, but rather a long-term resource that you should be able to use time after time.
How do I record my screen for training?
As we mentioned, with Riverside.fm, screen share is an integrated feature. When you’ve started recording in your online recording studio, simply click the ‘share screen’ button at the bottom of your screen.
How to edit training videos
Good, effective editing is the finishing touch on any training video. If you have any outtakes, you’ll want to edit these out, and you’ll want to ensure that different segments flow into each other seamlessly. If you’re switching between a view of the presenter and their screen, make sure your transitions make sense and align correctly with the structure of your video.
Review and iterate
Don’t forget to take the time to review and then review again. Once you’ve put all the hard work into producing your training video, you don’t want it to be let down by an error or slightly glitchy editing. If you come across room for improvement, it’s better to spend the time rectifying it now rather than later.
Host and distribute your training video
When it’s all ready to go, it’s time to upload the video to wherever you’re going to host it. If it’s an organizational training video, likelihood is you’ll want to keep it somewhere secure within your company’s private intranet. You could also opt to keep them in a Google Drive folder or on Vimeo as a password protected video.
4 tips to create an effective training video
High quality equipment & recording software
Don’t skimp on your equipment or recording setup. You might think that investing in new equipment is unnecessary, especially if it’s just an internal training video. However, if you’re able to record a high-quality and high-production value video now, first of all it will age well, and secondly, this will convey a level of professionalism to your employees who watch the video. In addition, factors such as sound and video quality will impact the ‘watchability’ of your training video. A better quality video equates to a better learning experience for your viewers.
Comfortable in front of the camera
Wherever possible, we’d recommend asking someone who is comfortable in front of a camera to record your training video. A confident presenter is more likely to produce an engaging video and will deliver your script with the much needed enthusiasm to bring your video to life.
Well-written script
There is no doubt that a well-written script is the key to success when it comes to training videos. If your script is unclear or badly written, your viewer will probably encounter some difficulty understanding what you’re trying to say.
Soft-launch
We all know that when we’re creatively invested in a project, it can become hard to identify areas for improvement. When it comes to a training video especially, it can be difficult to recognize elements that a pair of fresh eyes might find difficult to understand. For this reason, we’d recommend ‘soft launching’ your training video. Essentially, show the finished version to someone who would be learning from scratch to see what their experience with the video is. If they come away with a positive learning experience, having fulfilled all your ‘set learning objectives’, you’re good to go.
FAQs about Training Videos
How do you make training videos interesting?
Even if you’ve got all the right materials, a great production setup, and a well-written script, that still isn’t necessarily a surefire formula for an ‘interesting’ training video. So what’s the magic ingredient? Unfortunately, there isn’t one. The fact is, some topics are dry and not that objectively interesting by nature. That being said, there are a few things you can do to maximize how engaging your video is, even if it isn’t ‘interesting’:
- Enlist an engaging host or presenter. As we said above, make sure your chosen host or presenter is comfortable in front of the camera and well-seasoned in delivering a speech in an engaging way.
- Structure your video well. Structuring your video well is key to keeping your viewer engaged. If you make it clear from the outset what the learning objectives of your training video are and clearly structure your video to match, your audience will feel they’re making actual, palpable progress as they move through the video.
- Keep it to the point. In the same vein, make sure to omit any digressions or irrelevant segments. Including anything superfluous will only confuse your viewer and lose their attention.
- Use graphics & visuals to your advantage. Harness the power of video to your advantage. Use graphics, visuals, animations, and anything else that might demonstrate your point. This will help to reinforce your learning objectives and keep your viewers engaged.
What should a training video include?
The answer to this depends on the type of training video you’re making. In addition, there’s no rigid formula to follow. Include what you think will best help your viewer understand and learn what you’re trying to teach.
For example, if you’re creating a video to onboard a new employee, you might include tutorials for how to do certain things in your workplace. If you’re training your employees how to use a new software, you might include screen share walkthroughs for all the basic workflows.
How do I make an online training video?
Making an online training video is incredibly easy with Riverside.fm. Once you’ve planned out your learning objectives and overall video structure, all you need to do is login to your account, create a new recording studio, and hit the record button. Why not start recording and give it a go for free?
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