How-To Videos: Creating Effective Tutorial Videos

While it may be one of the most popular forms of content, video has also become incredibly important to modern consumers. 

According to a TechSmith study, 2/3rds of people watch at least one instructional or informational video per week. And they watched those videos because they wanted to! Only 16% of respondents said they watched a video because they had to. 

Instructional videos are so much more than assigned training content, but rather a tool that most people use on a weekly basis. 

With people always on the hunt for information that’s easy to access and quick to digest, it’s no wonder that this medium has emerged as the go-to medium for those looking for answers to their questions. 

Think about it: how many times have you used a search team that starts with “how to” when looking for a YouTube video? Even when you’re searching on Google, there’s a good chance you’ve chosen to watch a recording over reading an article. 

As well as educating audiences, these tutorial videos give brands the chance to connect and communicate their values to audiences in a relatable way. Show users the ‘how’ while also introducing them to the ‘who’ behind the product or service. 

By using this dynamic medium, you can create content that resonates with your audience and gives them a tutorial of how to use a product, service, or solve a problem. From new technology demos to oil changes, tutorials are a relevant part of everyone’s life. 

What is a how-to video?

Put simply, a how-to video is an engaging visual guide created to educate viewers about specific products, processes, subjects, and skills. In other words, it’s a tutorial on how to do something. From product demos to tutorials, each type of how-to video boasts its own distinct style, advantages, and best use cases.

For example, if someone needed to concisely break down complex concepts, they might use an explainer to do just that. These are typically short clips that are used to demystify convoluted ideas. If, on the other hand, you needed to provide meticulous, step-by-step guidance in a ‘follow-me’ format, you’d want to use an instructional video. 

We’ll be taking a closer look at some different how-to tutorial examples in this post, but first, let’s explore the distinct advantages of this medium.

What are the advantages of creating how-to videos?

Any brand that truly understands the power and purpose of a dynamic tutorial knows that it’s not just about creating content for the sake of it; it’s about proving its commitment to an audience and showing that there’s more to business than just transactions. 

These aren’t just step-by-step guides; they are bridges between brands and their audiences. If that’s not reason enough to start using them, here are a few more:

Boost awareness

How-to videos provide a stage where brands can showcase their expertise and ethos. Every time a viewer clicks play, they embark on a journey that combines learning with brand discovery. The discovery is not just about the “how-to”—it’s also about the “who” behind it.

Convert prospects

While the primary function of these videos is to educate, they can also be persuasive. Understanding can be the difference between browsing and buying. This means that anyone who understands a product or service is more likely to become a customer.

Engage users

As humans, we all love a good story. The visual and auditory nature of videos caters to our innate preference for storytelling. By offering a clear and engaging narrative, you’re not just informing but also building a rapport with your customers.

Add value

The best way to stand out from the crowd is to offer your audience genuine value in return for their time and attention. By showcasing a dedication to customer success, good how-to videos are a testament to a brand’s commitment to its customers, not just sales. 

Build credibility

Consistently delivering valuable content is a great way for a brand to position itself as an expert in its field. Content is not just about marketing; it’s about educating users and helping them make the most of a product. 

Now that you know what a how-to video is and the benefits of using them, let’s look at the creation process.

How to make a how-to video. 

In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how to make a tutorial video. These videos can be made through screen recordings or shot footage and then edited with a video editing tool. From step-by-step instructions to lectures, a good tutorial video is essential for creating standout video content.

1. Explainer video

A great explainer recording focuses on the ‘why’ question as well as the ‘how’.

They help people understand why your product, service, or even internal process is important.

In a nutshell, an explainer recording is a short description (usually under two minutes) that showcases a company’s brand, product, or service. While these are often used as external marketing videos, businesses can also create internal explainers to share something within a team.

Creating an explainer video is a great way to share information and help your viewers understand how you can help solve their problems.

For example, you could create a short screencast for a colleague to not only demonstrate how to do something but also explain why it’s important. A little context can go a long way in helping people to see the bigger picture.

You don’t need a huge budget, an extensive cast, or even fancy animation software to pull together a standout how-to video. Creating a high-quality video is as simple as recording your screen and making a few small edits.In fact, with TechSmith Camtasia’s video editor, you can create a picture-in-picture video that will have a similar effect.

2. Software demo video

According to Wyzowl, “78% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy or download a piece of software or app by watching a video.”

So, if you’re selling a product or service, then you need a good product demo video—especially if it’s powered by software. Because once people understand the ‘why’ they need to know the ‘how’, and providing that information is key to turning prospects into customers. 

A software demo (or product demo) demonstrates the features of a particular product—the clue is in the name.  

Because a demo should take as much time as you need to effectively show your product, its total runtime doesn’t matter too much. What is important, however, is to ensure you don’t waste any time on giving your audience unnecessary information. 

While it may only take a few minutes to effectively demonstrate some products, others could take up to half an hour—it all depends on the product. Just be sure to focus on nothing other than the essentials. 

A compelling product demo can be a great sales and marketing tool that helps to inform and educate your audience. Similar to explainer videos, the best demos showcase the value of your offering and convince your viewers why they can’t live without it.

When people can see how your product works for themselves, they’ll be more likely to see the benefits of using it. This means your content will be much more memorable than a load of text or a static presentation. 

Remember, every demo video should answer the following questions: 

• Why would someone want to use your product?
• What are they trying to achieve, or what pain point are they trying to solve?
• How does your product make your customer’s life easier?

3. Instructional video

No matter what your job is, you’ve probably been asked questions plenty of times that could have been answered with a simple screen recording.

Whether you’re trying to demonstrate a product feature or onboard a new employee, instructional videos are effective in walking users through a process, no matter your target audience.

You can make several types of instructional videos, including:

• Microvideos
• Tutorials
• Training content
• Screencasts
• Presentation recordings

While some people might call them a ‘how-to video’, a ‘tutorial’, or even a ‘training video’, instructional videos come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever you call them, the power of a good instructional video can’t be understated. 

A TechSmith study found that 83% of people prefer to consume instructional or informational content by watching a video, so it’s time to give the people what they want!

At their core, these videos help answer questions and instruct people on how to do something they didn’t know. It’s like magic! 

In other words, showing what you’re trying to explain will have a greater impact than simply telling it (hence the saying ‘show don’t tell’). 

We have a whole post on how to use visual communication and why it matters. But if you’re a bit pushed for time, you might prefer to check out our infographic that explains why effective visual communication is more important than ever. 

Making great instructional videos allows you to give the best answers to your users’ questions, but that doesn’t mean they should only be used to help customers.

A video is a great way to train teams and share information throughout an organization. Creating a tutorial that can be used again and again will save time, effort, and resources in the long run—but they’re also much more engaging than traditional instruction methods.

Upgrade your content and create instructional videos that stand out and give your audience what they want. 

How to create an instructional video

Creating video tutorials does not have to be complicated, especially with Camtasia’s screen recording software. 

To create an instructional tutorial, you need to focus on the content you want to teach your target audience while you record your video. By creating an ever-lasting video for your audience, they will be able to learn at their own pace while you focus on something else. It’s a win-win!

Now let’s dive into how to create the perfect tutorial with just your computer. For this example, we’ll focus on screen recordings and other content you can create with just your computer; no fancy extra equipment is needed. 

Choose the best screen recorder for you

Start recording with a high-quality screen recorder. We recommend TechSmith’s Camtasia because of its powerful recording options and editing features. The screen recording method you use may not seem important, but it makes all the difference in the long run. It’s important you create high-quality content, and that applies to your video footage and audio quality alike. 

With Camtasia, you can capture your screen, camera, microphone, and system audio to create comprehensive tutorials and instructional content. 

Start recording your screen by clicking the red record button. Then, go through your tutorial on screen while explaining your steps along the way. 

Don’t worry about mishaps or stumbles; you can easily edit footage later. For now, just focus on recording with confidence. You’ve got this!

Edit your screen recordings

Unless you’re a well-seasoned professional, you’ll probably need to edit your footage and get rid of any mistakes. Camtasia makes it easy to splice and cut your footage and add effects and transitions. 

Do you find that the recording of your face didn’t turn out exactly like you wanted? You can easily resize, move, or even delete your camera footage to fit your needs. 

Plus, you can add closed captions to meet accessibility standards or dynamic captions to add an eye-catching effect to your content.

Effortless video creation is just a few clicks away!

Share your content with your audience

To share your content with your team, you have a few options. 

The easiest way to share your new content is with Camtasia’s Screencast integration. Just click the Share Link button, and a unique link will be copied to your clipboard. From there, paste the link into an email, messaging platform, or other virtual communication method of your choice. 

This choice is super convenient for internal communication with your team. Screencast makes internal collaboration easy because users can leave real-time comments and reactions to content. 

For example, if someone is confused about a statement in the video, they can leave a comment on the exact moment. This makes feedback quick and convenient while making it easy for people to ask questions on specific topics within the video. Say goodbye to confusion with this handy tool!

For external communication, you may want to export your video and then upload it to another platform. With Camtasia, you can export your file in multiple file formats or directly upload it to different platforms like Google Drive. 

For the social media content creators out there, Camtasia has a direct to YouTube exporting option, which makes uploading videos super easy. 

Now that you’ve completed this guide, it’s time to get started with your video creation process. Instructional and informative how-to videos are some of the most searched content out there, so get on with creating the content that your audience needs!

Try out Camtasia for free so you can see if it’s a right fit for you! (Spoiler alert: it will be.)