No, you’re not reading double – this how to blog post is all about making how to videos. This helpful medium is incredibly popular online, and can work wonders to engage and establish trust with your customers in a way that traditional marketing videos can’t.
The numbers are impressive – according to Techsmith 53 percent of people report watching two or more instructional videos per week, and in North America alone, YouTube users have consumed over 100 million hours of how-to tutorials since 2015. It’s clear that, no matter your industry, these video tutorials should find a place in your video marketing strategy.
So, how do you jump on the DIY bandwagon and create great how to videos that promote your business? We’ve got some suggestions to get you started.
What makes a great how to video?
Research
According to Google, when a customer goes looking for a how to video, what they’re really asking a brand is “can you help me out?”. If you answer with the right how to video that covers all of their questions, this can win customer loyalty and drive sales.
So, it’s important to anticipate what your customers are looking for and have videos at the ready. To find this out you’re going to need to research. One of the most effective ways to find out what people are searching for is checking Google Trends.
Closer to home, you might find customers asking questions in the comments section of your Instagram or emailing them straight to your inbox. If you notice a trend, why not turn your answers into a video!
Expertise
When it comes to how to videos, stick to what you know and feel confident that you’re the authority on your business and the products/services you provide. For example, here at Clipchamp, we create how to tutorials about making videos. It just makes sense – if we help more people make videos, more people might use our online video editor.
Creating a collection of high quality how to videos based on your industry can go a long way towards building your business’ reputation online. If all goes well, soon you’ll be viewed as a trustworthy and reliable source of information. You can also spice things up with our premium and free audios.
Simplicity
Most of the time, people search for how to videos when they’re in the middle of a project. They want answers, fast. With this in mind, it’s important to simplify and focus your videos. Don’t waste time on fluffy content to inspire or get bogged down in expert jargon – a simple, straightforward answer is what people want.
Simplicity will also help you keep your videos short. This is excellent news, as research shows that videos under two minutes long get the most views. A simple approach will let you feature key content early, an important benefit as viewers tend to disappear over the length of your video.
3 how to videos you can create using Clipchamp
Live action videos
The classic method of how to video creation. A live action video involves people, a camera or iPhone and an idea. To create this video, upload your footage to Clipchamp Create, split and edit it, and utilise our video editing features for a professional touch. Check out a great example from Tasty below.
Screen capture videos
Screen capture videos are excellent if your video is about how to use an online program or piece of software. This is actually the method we use most often to create our own how-to videos about video editing. Our new Online Screen Recorder is all you need to do this yourself. Check out one of the tutorials we created with our Online Screen Recorder below.
Slideshow videos
Last, but definitely not least is slideshow videos. These types of how to videos are ideal if you need to list a lot of instructions or can't find time to film footage or take a screen capture. They can be made using your own images or you can utilise our library of stock video and audio to bring your ideas to life. Simply add text and you've got a quick and simple tutorial video your customers will enjoy. Check out a quick example we put together below.
