Six Tips for Creating How To Videos

Creating how to videos is a great way to build brand awareness (especially through search engine rankings like we talked about last week), sell products, and establish your brand’s authority as trusted experts.

Here are a few tips on creating how to videos that will be a valuable addition to your marketing strategy:

Find out what people want to learn how to do.

Consult with your customer service or sales teams to discuss the most common questions they are asked, and you might find your topic inspiration. Or, use the Google keyword tool and search for “how to” and then your product, to see what people are searching for instructions on.

Write a script that is simple and concise.

You’ll lose people with long, drawn out instructions. Break down your video into very simple steps to complete the process. Twenty small, simple steps are better than five long and complex steps. Having a script will also help the video to stay on topic.

Rely on experts both on camera and off camera.

Choose the right person to be on camera. It could be an actor that you hire, or an expert within your company, or both. Either way, make sure that they are comfortable being filmed. They should be able to speak from the script in a conversational tone, rather than sound like they are just reading the instructions.

You may be the expert and what you are teaching, but if you don’t have an expert behind the camera as well, the poor quality of your video will take away from your expertise. Hire a professional to create a how to video, and you will look more professional yourself.

Also ask if your video production company has access to a teleprompter that your instructor can read from. This will cut back on the amount of takes that need to be filmed, which is especially important if your how to video is very precise or uses costly materials.

Decide on a setting

Where will the how to video be filmed? In your video production company’s studio? In your office? In someone’s kitchen or garage? Choose somewhere with great lighting and minimal background noise. Your video production company should be able to assist in choosing the perfect spot to film.

Don’t forget to edit

Editing is especially important when creating how to videos because of how long and uninteresting some steps in the process might be. No one would watch the Food Network if they didn’t edit their shows, because the audience would be bored to tears waiting for water to boil! Plus, in the editing process you will be able to edit out the times that your instructor is clearing their throat or saying ‘um' or ‘like’, and add in any supporting graphics.

Distribute and promote

Develop a strong video distribution strategy ahead of time that maps out where and when your how to video will be posted. Also, make sure it is easy for people to share the video with others online by adding social and email sharing buttons.

How to videos can be an extremely valuable marketing and sales tool for your business when you can identify where the need is, and create a professional video that provides the instructions your target audience is searching for.

One company that has seen significant results from incorporating how to videos into their website is Advanced Auto Parts. Watch all of these tips come together in their how to video on changing brake fluid below:

About Talking Head Studio

Talking Head Studio is an Orlando video production company offering full-scale video production services to local businesses and national clients alike.