If there’s anything that’s certain in this world, it’s that people love videos. Annual surveys show that this affection is only growing: people watch YouTube videos whenever they have free time, customers watch videos before purchasing a product, and employees appreciate the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills by watching corporate training videos. However, we should remember that this data only refers to captivating videos.
In this article, you’ll learn about various types of corporate training videos and how to produce them so that trainees sit on the edge of their seats and remember your training for a long time.
6 Types of Training Videos
Depending on your training objectives, you may need various training videos. Let’s see what types of instructional videos exist to figure out which one works best for your case.
Micro videos
Micro videos are about 1-3 minutes long and focus on a single topic. They fit perfectly when you need to show an update on your product or explain new office rules. Some companies make them extremely engaging by adding animations and music.
Hands-on tutorials
Hands-on tutorials are a popular type of explainer video. You must have seen one if you’ve ever watched a video recipe on YouTube or any other video, the title of which starts with ‘how to.’ The main purpose of corporate tutorials is to train employees on how to do something by actually showing how it is done. Trainees follow the speaker step by step, and by the end of the video, they learn something new and know precisely how to implement it in their work.
Software tutorials
Software tutorials can be viewed as various hands-on tutorials that focus solely on using software or web services. They are typically created in the form of screencasts, meaning the focus is on the screen and the speaker is either unseen or shown in a picture-in-picture format. To make such videos more illustrative and comprehensive, coaches add system sounds and special effects that highlight spots on the screen, buttons, etc.
Product demo videos
Product demo videos show the company’s products in action. They are usually used in onboarding training to give new hires a general understanding of products, how they look, what they do, and how to use them. This is the one type of video that doesn’t require super high quality. Moreover, if you overpolish a product demo video, it won’t look natural and will make your training session less engaging and effective. So, keep it simple. Even a smartphone with a decent camera will do in this case.
Video lectures
A video lecture is a well-known type of video. It presents a speaker who’s an expert in a specific field and covers a particular topic during the video lesson. The speaker can also show a presentation, images, and other content to reinforce their performance.
Virtual tour
Virtual tours are used only to welcome new employees at the start of their onboarding program. This video literally provides a tour of the office, introduces staff members, gives tips on where to drink coffee, find cookies, etc.
Now that you know all the types of explainer videos, let’s look at how to create a terrific corporate training video, step by step.
Step 1: Set objectives
Why are you making a video? What do you want your trainees to be able to do after they watch it? You should answer these questions to determine the objectives of your training. For example, your company started using new software and assigned you to create a tutorial on it. Your objectives could be to:
- Inform employees about the implementation of new software
- Explain why the company needs it, what tasks it solves
- Show the software’s functionality and teach employees to use it
Step 2: Perform research
Whatever topic you’re producing a video on, you need to understand the subject thoroughly. You can talk to SMEs, read articles, test-drive new software, and more, depending on your case. Find the best source of information on your topic and make the most of it.
Step 3: Identify your audience
People are different, and if you use a personalized approach, there’s a greater chance that your training video will accomplish its objectives. Consider factors such as age, profession, digital literacy, interests, and level of knowledge when developing your training to hit the bullseye with your video.
For example, younger employees perceive videos with a faster tempo better than those with a slower one. In fact, they will probably find the latter dull and entertain themselves with social media during the session. Yet, older employees might find fast-developing videos aggressive and hard to follow. So, know your audience and their peculiarities and create your training video accordingly.
Step 4: Design an outline and a storyboard
Work on the content once you know the subject, your audience, and what you want to achieve. Outline the main points of your training video and determine what you will show in each scene.
Step 5: Write a script
All scripts share the same structure: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Let’s see what you need to write in each of these blocks:
- Introduction
Introduce the topic and explain what knowledge and skills employees will have after the video.
- Main body
Here’s where you dive into your topic and lead your viewers while exploring different subject aspects. The primary rule here is to explain everything. Having spent a long time researching the issue, you might forget what it feels like to be unfamiliar with the subject. If you’re creating a video on using some electronics, show how to switch it on and off because some people won’t find it obvious. So, provide trainees with all the details that might be useful to them and keep your speech supportive and straightforward.
- Conclusion
Remind the audience what they’ve just seen and learned by summing up the video’s main points. Then invite trainees to implement the new knowledge and skills.
Step 6: Record your video
Depending on the type of your video, you will either need a camera or specialized software for this stage. If you’re okay with recording yourself on a webcam or you need to make a screencast, you can even record your training video in PowerPoint. However, this tool doesn’t offer any features for better audio recording and editing, so it might not be the best option if you want to produce a high-quality video.
For this task, you can use another tool, like iSpring Suite. iSpring Suite has a built-in video studio that allows you to record screencasts, as well as talking-head and picture-in-picture videos. It also has a number of editing features, such as background noise removal, addition of annotations, special effects, etc. Besides, iSpring Suite includes many other content development features that might be useful in your training. For example, you can design an online course with a video module and then build an interactive quiz to check how well your employees have cemented the new knowledge and skills.
Step 7: Edit the video
Once you’ve made a recording, you’ll need to edit it. There might be unnecessary sounds, noise, visual issues, and more. If you want your video to look and feel professional, go ahead and add annotations, audio, pictures, and special effects. Check your video, fix it, and that’s it – your training video is ready. Congrats!
Summing Up
Training videos come in various types, from micro-videos to virtual tours. To produce a genuinely great corporate training video, you need to determine what outcomes you expect from it, research the subject, create an outline, write a script, and then record and edit the video using a proper tool. If done correctly, your video will have a significant impact on your audience, thus solving issues for your business.
Helen Colman
Helen Colman is an editor and content strategist at iSpring eLearning software. She enjoys combining in-depth research with expert knowledge of the eLearning industry.
