Could video help you to train your team more effective and efficiently? You may be surprised by just how incredible your new hires or even cross-trained individuals do when they can use video as a key component of their learning process. Video offers many benefits – lower costs, more opportunity for customized education, and lots of better results than reading a how-to manual. Yet, pulling it together and ensuring that you can teach your would-be employee or another individual in video takes a bit of practice and organization.
Where to Start
If you are just getting started turning your big training manual into a video production, the first step is to take a deep breath. You have a lot to say and plenty of time to do it, but you need a game plan. You’ll want to first consider the options available to you including video with people and video with animations. Both can work depending on your format.
Next, Create a Plan
Once you know what format you plan to use, the next step is to create a video map. This is simply a diagram that shows what information will be included in the training videos as well as how the information will flow from one step to the next. It’s a good idea to make your content, for example, into smaller chunks. An important tip – don’t go for one long video. Instead, create steps in shorter, five-minute-long videos.
Create the Visual Component
Video is highly effective because it is visual. You’ll need to create a comprehensive game plan for how to make this work that relies on a combination of instructional information as well as visuals. You don’t have to describe every detail of the process – let your visuals such as props, layouts, and location, help to provide information.
More Tips for Success
Transforming your training materials into video format takes a lot of consideration. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- What is the best ROI for this video? Be specific. You need to know what you need the outcome to be before you create the video.
- Where will this video be watched? You’ll want to consider formatting and design elements within the video based on where your viewers will watch it.
- Should you include specific learning objectives in the video (yes!) and how do you wish to do this? Simply stating exactly what the employee should learn in the demonstration or training video is a good first step.
- Who should be a part of this video? Use someone that is clearly spoken, easy to understand, and personable. Training videos are an extension of your company’s brand.
- Work with a professional video production company to get it right. Don’t assume your smartphone camera is good enough.
Creating training materials through video makes sense, but doing it well means considering a variety of factors. Take the time to really break down what you need from this video and then create a plan to get you there. It may be easier to achieve with the help of a video production company.
