How to Make a Great Educational Video (Free Template)

Make a great educational video

Knowing how to make a good educational video is one of the keys to helping students learn better — even when classes are in-person. But how do you create educational videos, and how do you know if they’re effective?

Luckily, making great educational videos doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, with the right tools and know-how (and a free template), it can be incredibly easy to create effective, engaging videos that enhance the learning experience while improving engagement and knowledge retention among students.

What is an educational video?

An educational video is a video to educate someone on a specific topic or collection of topics.

In the higher education (or even K-12) space, this type of educational content has the potential to go way beyond skills and how-to guides. In fact, the best educational videos can teach abstract concepts, theories, and much more.

Educational videos vs instructional videos

So, how is an educational video different from an instructional video, a how-to video, or training video?

While instructional, how-to, and training videos are all types of videos that can be considered “educational” they’re usually more focused on teaching a skill or skillset.

In this article, we’ll focus on videos for use in higher education as opposed to instructional videos, workplace training, or other knowledge-sharing videos used in internal communications.

Common types of educational videos

What’s more, educational videos aren’t limited to recorded lectures. In fact, video can be used in a wide variety of ways to enrich, optimize, and supplement a learning course. Depending on the need, you could create course videos for each and every part of your course – because why wouldn’t you? 

To give you some ideas, educational videos could include:

  • Lecture recordings
  • Introduction videos
  • Course & syllabus navigation videos
  • Assignment or project feedback videos
  • New week/topic preview videos

Most — if not all — of the tips and techniques we explore in this article will apply to any type of video intended to instruct or inform, including the types of business videos used by large and small organizations.

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How to make an educational video

Creating educational videos has become an increasingly important skill for educators. Whether you’re teaching in a fully online environment or supplementing a face-to-face course with additional resources, videos offer a dynamic and engaging way to deliver instructions to learners of all ages. 

If you’re wondering how to make educational videos, you’re in luck as this section will act as a step-by-step guide to help you create high-quality videos that will engage and inspire your learners.

1. Start with a plan

As we mentioned already, every educational video should have a learning objective. Once you know what your video needs to accomplish, you must work on a plan to do exactly that. While not every video needs a high degree of professional polish, pressing the record button before you’ve prepped probably won’t be as effective as you want it to be.

For less formal videos, such as providing feedback on student projects, consider a quick run-through of what you intend to record to ensure you know what you want to cover. Even a bulleted list can help keep you on track. 

2. Write a script

Nothing ruins a good video faster than a lot of hesitations. While it’s natural for “ums” and “ahs” to slip in a natural conversation, if you’re “umming” and “ahhing” too much it’s probably because you’re underprepared – and your audience will pick up on that.

Having a script will help you sound more professional and preserve your video’s focus. 

The best scripts will include — word-for-word — everything you intend to say. Taking the time to write this out before recording helps ensure that you will cover everything you want to without the danger of meandering into unrelated topics.

To write a script, start by outlining the points you want to make, or use an AI script generating tool to help you out. TechSmith Audiate is a handy tool that will create a script based on your prompt, which you can then edit and use word-for-word or as an outline. This tool is an easy way to kick-start the video creation process!

3. Create a storyboard

If your educational video will include camera footage, a storyboard helps you visualize what all your shots will look like before you shoot. This will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Quick sketches and stick figures are perfectly fine for live video. For a screencast or screen recording, you can use a series of simple screenshots to roughly show what you plan to display with the narration.

If your video won’t use camera video, or if the camera video has already been recorded and you’re simply assembling it into the final product, you probably don’t need a storyboard.

4. Record your voice over

With your script in hand, it’s time to record your voice over. TechSmith Camtasia comes with a built-in, easy-to-use voice recording feature and can be an excellent choice, but you might also benefit from using TechSmith Audiate.

Audiate takes voice over recording and editing to a whole new level by transcribing your voice in real-time, as you record. If you already have a voice over recorded, you can import it into Audiate and the software will transcribe it for you.

Then, you can edit your audio in the same way you would edit the text in a document. So, rather than staring at an audio waveform and trying to figure out precisely what you said and when, you can actually see your words on your screen. 

Audiate will even flag all the “ums”, “ahs,” and other hesitations automatically so you can easily find and delete them. You can even delete them all at once!

When you’re done, save the audio file and import it into Camtasia. If you want, you can also export the edited text as a transcript or an SRT file and use it to provide subtitles or captions.

It’s worth noting that it isn’t always necessary to record your voice over separately from your video. For those videos, we recommend recording your voice over in Camtasia directly.

5. Record your educational video

If your video is going to include any screen recording, be sure to tidy up your computer desktop of any clutter. Adding personality to your videos doesn’t mean showing your students all your files.

Once your desktop is clutter-free, open the software applications you want to show in your recording. This could be anything from your internet browser to Microsoft PowerPoint.

Open Camtasia and click the New Recording button.

In the Camtasia window, click New Recording.

Next, select the screen or window you want to record, choose your microphone, and toggle your system audio on or off. Camtasia allows you to record your screen and camera at the same time, so you can show your students your face throughout your video.

For most videos, we’d recommend including your webcam footage and system audio as both offer your audience additional layers of context. However, it’s really up to you to decide what’s best for your video and your students. 

In the recording window, you can choose your monitor, toggle on/off your webcam, choose your microphone, and enable or disable system audio.

Once you’ve made your selections, click Start Recording, wait for the three-second countdown, and you’re on your way.

Remember, if you make a mistake while recording, it’s better to keep going than to start over. Take a moment to clap twice before starting again from just before the mistake was made – this will make it easier to find and edit the recording later on. 

When you finish recording, click the stop button and Camtasia will automatically add your recording to the timeline in a new Camtasia project.

6. Import your media

Click Import Media to find and select your media to import.

If you want your video to include any other visuals or assets, such as music, screenshots, images, or even other videos, import them by clicking Import Media and navigating to the folder where your assets are stored. 

Camtasia can also directly import PowerPoint slides, which is a fantastic feature if you plan on including a slide deck in your video.

Placing your assets in your video is as simple as dragging them to where you need them to be in your timeline. If you need to make any changes and move them later, you can!

Drag your media to the Camtasia timeline.

7. Edit your video

Editing your video might sound like a daunting task, but it really isn’t. With Camtasia, it’s incredibly easy to edit video content. If you can drag and drop assets, then you can edit – trust us!  

Video editing is even easier if you’re using a video template.

Templates help to standardize and simplify the editing process by providing a structure. You can adjust the template as you need, but it gives you a starting point that’s far closer to the finished product than the raw footage.

If you’re new to recording educational videos, or any videos for that matter, templates can help take some of the guesswork out of the process. We even have a list of our top 5 educational video templates you can use.

 

To use a template in Camtasia, go to File > New Project from Template. Camtasia will automatically load assets into your media bin and even place some of them on the timeline.

Next, open your screen recording from your library and drag it to the timeline and over the template placeholder. When the placeholder turns green, you can release the recording and choose “Ripple Replace.”

Finally, make any final edits as you see fit. For a more detailed explanation and walkthrough on using templates, check out the video above.

8. Share your video

Once you finish editing your video, it’s time to share it with the world – or at least your students. 

With Camtasia you can save your file locally or to a network drive. Alternatively, you can share it to any of a number of popular destinations such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Google Drive, and TechSmith’s Screencast® – to name a few!  

share button camtasia

Simply click Share and choose your destination. All you have to do now is share the link with your students or upload the file to your learning management system. 

What’s the right length of an educational video?

The idea of “less is more” applies to educational videos too, only you might say “shorter is better” instead. While this is a good guideline to work with, it would be more accurate to say that your videos should be the ‘right’ length for the subject matter. 

If you’re used to longer in-person class sessions, it might be tempting to do the same thing with video. But to truly leverage the advantages of this type of learning, your videos should be concise and easy to digest. Depending on the subject, that may be two minutes or 20 minutes. 

As with so many aspects of creating videos, it’s really important to keep your audience in mind. So when making a video, consider your students’ age and cognitive load as well as the difficulty of learning the content, and the video’s learning goals.

3 tips to make educational videos more accessible

When recording videos for higher education or K-12, accessibility of the content for people with disabilities is essential to ensure that everyone can access and understand the content.

But here’s a little secret: Accessible content is actually better for everyone because many people have their own preferred ways of consuming visual content.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for ensuring your video content is accessible to all your students:

1. Add captions

Every educational video you make should include captions. Captions ensure that any words spoken, along with relevant sounds or sound effects, are displayed on the screen. This ensures that people who are deaf or hard of hearing can still follow along and learn from your content. 

Without closed captions, your video won’t meet the necessary requirements for accessibility and you’ll risk excluding some of your viewers. 

However, captions come with an added bonus, as they’re also great for anyone who can’t watch your video with the volume turned up, or if they’re watching in a noisy environment. On the other hand, some people just like reading along with videos as it helps ensure they won’t miss anything. Others might even find captions help them learn the correct spellings of complex words. 

Pro tip: To be fully accessible, be sure to use closed captions rather than open captions to ensure students can turn them on or off as needed.

2. Make a video transcript

A video transcript is a text version of your video. They’re helpful for both people who are hard of hearing and those who are blind or visually impaired. But they can also help enhance the engagement of your video lessons.

For viewers with audio difficulties, they can read the transcript directly, while those who have visual impairments can use a screen reader to access the content. 

Remember, if you recorded your voice over in Audiate, you can export your captions and transcript directly from your recording, which will save you — and your students — a lot of time.

3. Create an audio description

An audio description is a narrative track added to your video that describes important visual details for people who are blind or visually impaired. Audio descriptions are usually added during natural pauses in dialogue or voice over to avoid distracting from other important audio details. 

Creating videos with accessibility in mind can help ensure that important visual elements of the video are described verbally in the audio track itself, which will eliminate the need to add audio descriptions. 

For instance, if your video is just you speaking into your webcam, you probably don’t need an audio description. However, if your video contains complex visuals, an audio description may be necessary to provide additional context and ensure that all viewers can fully understand the content.

Ryan Knott

Ryan Knott is a Marketing Content Strategist at TechSmith, where he creates content about easy, effective, and efficient video creation, editing, and tips and tricks, as well as audio editing for creators of all kinds. He/him.

What is Talent Acquisition? A Guide to Attracting Top Talent

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When someone leaves your organization, or when your organization is in a state of growth and expansion, how do you get new talent? 

If this is the only time you’re thinking about talent, you may be falling short. Reacting to a headcount need of the organization is recruiting. This is where Talent Acquisition differs from recruiting. 

Talent acquisition is the process and strategy to identify, attract, consider, and hire top talent. In this article, we’ll break down the different “pieces of the puzzle” that make-up Talent Acquisition. Additionally, I’ll incorporate some key tools to make it all easier and more impactful, specifically Snagit.

Puzzle pieces including employer branding, tools and technology, talent pipeline, and Snagit.

Key strategies for successful talent acquisition

Building a talent pipeline

Remember, we’re not just reacting to immediate needs; our focus is on long-term planning. To build an effective talent pipeline and strengthen your talent acquisition strategy, you first need to understand the current state of talent within your organization.

Ask yourself:

  • What is the average tenure in each department?
  • What is your turnover rate, and which department has the highest turnover?
  • What are the onboarding and training timelines for various roles within the organization?

Once you gather this information, the overall picture becomes clearer.

Find out for your organization: The [insert department name] department has an average turnover rate of [X%] and an average employee tenure of [Y years]. On average, we’re replacing [Z] team members every [quarter/year]. Then, use these numbers to work backward to refine your hiring process and ensure you address the right gaps.

The above information will reveal the biggest gaps in your talent pipeline and help identify your top candidates. Now, go fill in the gaps. 

As you look at your talent needs, if you’re an organization that’s losing entry-level talent within the first 90 days (think entry-level, customer-facing roles), then you’ll need a constant flow of candidates. Ultimately, you’re constantly hiring for that role. So, instead of waiting for someone to leave, keep a full talent pool and have someone ready to start at all times.

Conversely, if you have great tenure for a specific role, you can align your talent acquisition to bring people in early in their career (think intern) and train them into an experienced role. Ultimately using less hiring and more training and engagement.

Every organization has its own unique talent acquisition vs. recruitment challenges and needs that will shape your overall strategy. Your organization’s specific situation – whether high turnover in certain roles or long tenures in others–should guide your approach to hiring training and retention. 

Before creating your strategy, make sure you have a clear understanding of where, when, how, and why talent is joining, staying, or leaving. By doing this, you can focus your efforts where they’ll make the most impact and avoid wasting time on guesswork.

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Employer branding

Whether you create your employer branding or not, you have an employer brand. So, you might as well make what you want true regarding how the talent market views your organization and how it aligns with your recruitment and talent acquisition efforts. 

Employer branding is what talent “thinks” of your company. 

When they hear your company’s name, do they think of good working conditions or bad? 

Do they think of good benefits and pay (think BIG tech companies), or are there rumors around town of poor pay and benefits?

Instead of letting people completely form the narrative of how they view your company, help them view it in the light YOU prefer—one that benefits the company and aligns with your job descriptions and the roles you’re recruiting for. 

The more work you do with your employer branding, the less work you have to do on the attraction side. For example, do you think the big tech companies have to convince people to work there? Nope. 

People WANT to work there. Why? Because their employer brand is so strong. Here is where screen capture, screen recording, and video editing tools can come in. 

Leveraging technology and tools

Video is powerful. Technologies like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are important means of information for people across all generations. Video is on the rise in every facet. So, let’s tap into that. 

You might think, “I don’t know how to do video, and we don’t have a video team.” 

You don’t need prior knowledge or a team of professionals—you just need the right tool. That’s where Snagit and Camtasia come in. I am a novice video creator as in, I’m not good at it. However, using user-friendly tools makes creating videos easy.

“Yeah, but how do I incorporate video into talent acquisition and recruitment?” 

When you currently share job openings on various platforms, you probably rely on text. Instead, use video. 

If you welcome people to the company via email, including a personalized video. And when you show your employer benefits during the interview or offer stage. USE VIDEO. 

Benefits are boring and stale—spice it up and highlight the value of your employer benefits by how it has brought value to YOU.

Whether you’re attracting candidates through LinkedIn InMails, cold messages, building your employer brand, networking within your industry or on college campuses, interviewing candidates, or extending offers—video can enhance almost every step of your talent acquisition process.

Additionally, integrating video with talent acquisition software allows you to streamline and personalize your approach, ultimately giving you better engagement from your audience. Your time goes further (impact-wise) when you’re communicating with video. Why Snagit is Essential for Talent Acquisition Teams

Personalized video of introduction to a company.

Benefit 1: Visual content creation

Talent Acquisition has to think like marketing, not only from creating your employer brand but also how to deploy it. The way to win with an employer branding strategy is by keeping it alive, which means creating content around it. 

Most people, especially younger generations, prefer video as their preferred method of content consumption. 

Having an employee event at work, capture it with video. 

Have a new position open? Have the hiring manager create a quick video about the team and the opportunity. This is where screen recording comes in. 

Using video lets people have a window into your company and the company culture. 

This will help you attract top talent and qualified candidates. 

Top talent can work anywhere; that is a perk of being the best at what you do. By opening a window to your company, your talent pool will be able to accurately assess and feel what it is like to work with your organization. 

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Benefit 2: Enhancing effective talent acquisition

By using Snagit in your content creation, talent acquisition process, and new hire onboarding and training, you can create a clearer picture of the objectives you’re trying to accomplish. 

This is thanks to Snagit’s powerful tools for improving visual communication. Features like annotating workflow documents, highlighting important text, and capturing on-screen tutorials help ensure that information is clear, concise, and easy to understand

Not only does this aid knowledge retention, but it also helps provide reasonable accommodations by presenting information in multiple formats to suit diverse needs. 

That’s a win for Human Resources.

Benefit 3: Improved internal and candidate communication

One of the most impactful uses of Snagit is when communicating with hiring managers. Your Talent Acquisition Team will love this.

Traditionally, sharing candidate insights involves lengthy emails, phone calls, or meetings. While valuable, these methods can be time-consuming. Snagit streamlines this process, allowing you to quickly create personalized videos that showcase top candidates, including those from employee referrals. With just a few clicks, you can record and share a video that highlights the value the candidate may bring to your organization.

By leveraging another tool from TechSmith, Screencast, you can track when a hiring manager views your videos, how long they watched, and invite them to place comments at specific points in the video. 

This makes the candidate review process more efficient and engaging—no more endless meetings or dry emails. Instead, you’re using video to tell the candidate’s story.

Ready to enhance your talent acquisition efforts with Snagit?

If you’re serious about your talent acquisition business goals and finding top talent, consider changing your recruiting strategies from reactive to proactive. Create an employer brand and keep your brand alive through content creation.

Make video a core piece of your skill sets within talent acquisition. You will have more impact within the business and more impact with your talent pool. 

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TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

What is Document Management Software Implementation

paperwork going into a folder

Do you find yourself searching for hours, even bugging coworkers mid-workday, for this one document you need? You could’ve sworn it was in a message thread from last month, or maybe it was that one email…

When businesses and corporations build their brand and products, it comes with many documents. Nothing is more frustrating than wasting hours looking for one specific one! This is where document management comes in. These systems are crucial for any growing company.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of document management, let’s dive into the basics.

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What is document management system (DMS) software?

Document management software secures, manages, and stores documents. An organization implements software and procedures to transform the software into a working system.

Many digital systems provide features for storing, managing, and protecting documents. However, most systems have a standard set of advanced features that help users get their documents organized.

DMSs are heavily used in industries such as healthcare companies, financial services, and law firms to improve everyday outcomes. However, they can be a crucial part of every organization and are not limited to these options.

Document management system (DMS) software features

Software needs features that make it easy to use and convenient for users. Common features include document capture such as screenshot abilities. This makes records management much easier for everyone. 

Then, version control comes in handy. Members can co-create documents and review them collaboratively while the system keeps an accurate previous version history. Every change made will be tracked and recoverable so that no document is ever lost.

After the document has been captured and edited, it can be backed up to cloud-based storage so that it is easily retrievable. Access controls can be set based on sensitivity and job role. For added security, audit trails, encryption, and other data protection standards can be implemented as key features.

A log in portal to access secure documents.

Most document management software includes a tagging feature for easy search. Just tag your documents with company-wide naming conventions and store each digital file in appropriate folders.

Lastly, you can integrate DMS with other systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and content management systems (CMS) depending on your company’s needs. This is taking your DMS a step further but can make a positive impact on your business cohesion.

However, the question is whether these users realize the full benefits of their DMS. First, let’s review the expected benefits and potential frustrations.

Expected benefits of document management solutions

The promised benefits of these systems go beyond “just using it”. Key expectations of document management implementations can trigger a wide range of benefits.

Cost-saving benefits

Let’s start with the obvious: employees will spend less time searching for various documents and more time completing actual work!

Employees who can’t find content may waste time recreating it. This reduces productivity, hinders collaboration, and slows decision-making. With a DMS, correct documents are found quickly and with accuracy, and they can be reverted to a prior version for extra clarity. 

Say goodbye to file cabinets! Since a DMS is a software, organizations use fewer paper documents and save time and money in filing, storage, and transport of documents.

Additionally, document formats can be batch-converted into a shared standard like PDF to increase accessibility. This includes paper-to-digital conversion with optical character recognition (OCR) for easy sharing.

Improved security practices

If a knowledge worker can’t find a document quickly, they will keep paper backups nearby. Those backups will not be secure, which makes an accessible DMS that much more important.

Sign-in and encryption prevent unauthorized access to documents from employees who do not have the clearance to access certain materials. Since access controls meet regulatory and security requirements, there will be no accidental release of important information as there could be with stray papers.

Employee collaboration and decision-making

Digital content enables virtual teams and workplaces to collaborate more effectively and efficiently. With one in five workers working remotely in 2024, virtual collaboration is crucial. With collaboration tools like Snagit’s Screencast integration, teams can work in sync on a project and share their thoughts in real time. This can aid in document integration into a DMS. 

Feedback on a graph to show collaboration across teams.

A single source of truth drives fast and well-informed decisions for a team. When a document is integrated into the DMS, there is no need to double-check accuracy or relevance. Teams can continue working with confidence.

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Considerations for document management implementations

How quickly someone finds the correct document tells you everything about the effectiveness of a DMS. Unfortunately, based on industry surveys, there is a widespread issue.

A 2021 survey indicated that 81% of US office professionals had difficulty finding essential documents. 54% of these employees spent more time searching for files than working on tasks. An earlier 2019 report indicated that 83% of employees were recreating existing documents they couldn’t find.

Common problems include:

  • Difficulties maintaining file structures
  • Inconsistent naming standards
  • Resistance to change among staff
  • Steep learning curves

These are important issues to keep in mind while implementing a new DMS. By taking these problems into account and expecting them, you can minimize their impact. Finding solutions before problems arise is a great way to stay on top of implementation.

Best practices for DMS implementation

So you’ve found the perfect DMS for your organization and it’s now time to start the process. Let’s go over a few considerations.

Set achievable goals

When you advocate for a system, generate an extensive list of benefits. This will show the stakeholders every way in which the organization could benefit. However, when you implement, pare back the expectations. This will create a balance in expectations.

Before you start, take the time to agree on what minimally constitutes success. Set clear goals with an easy-to-follow timeline and continuously refer back to it during the process.

Take training seriously

Yes, seriously. Humans embrace change for two key reasons. First, they understand the potential benefits and see the value in this change. This can be made real with extensive benefits-based advocacy and peer anecdotes. 

Second, they adopted it as a habit. This is key. Remember to support end users until the document management system is a familiar process. Using the DMS should be as easy to complete and almost automatic for users as brushing their teeth in the morning!

Iterate regularly

Check user sentiment and outcomes regularly and use the responses to gauge any additional changes. Are customers loving the system but finding the tags hard to understand? Maybe it’s time to re-think the tagging structure to positively impact end-user outcomes.

Remember that fully achieving benefits can take years, so listen and adjust.

AI technology and the future of document management

AI technologies promise easy information retrieval for users without the need for extensive training and repetitive tasks.

Believe it or not, AI is already present in many DMSs. Here are some examples of how AI is already making a difference in document management software.

Natural language search and retrieval

Users can leverage natural language processing (NLP) to retrieve information and locate collaborators without training. AI can create intelligent summaries of large documents. This time-savings helps users see the benefit quickly.

Optical character recognition (OCR) also enables image searching. ChatGPT Plus already has advanced capabilities for interpreting images. 

Automatic organization

AI can study tagged documents and find more documents like those through machine learning. This reduces the burden on content creators to add structure. The AI can discern outdated, overlapping, and conflicting information, which provides collaboration benefits with less overhead.

This additional document control decreases the human work needed to keep a DMS running smoothly.

Predictive analytics

AI can analyze information to forecast trends and risks. It can also optimize workflows by reassigning tasks to avoid bottlenecks, which should improve efficiency.

Multilingual translation

AI translation services can reduce storage requirements and speed up collaboration across countries and continents. Language barriers can stop being a real hurdle with the help of AI.

How Snagit can improve document management systems

Document management systems need digital documents. Historically, these documents were word processing documents, but images and video are increasingly commonplace in the workplace. DMS software support for image and video is mixed, requiring companion products.

To create images and videos for your DMS use Snagit, a screen capture, image editor, and video recording tool loved by end-users. Plus, it’s easy to integrate with DMS systems and corporate processes.

Quick and high-quality captures

Snagit can take a screenshot of anything on a screen with the stroke of a few keys. Capture a specific region, a full screen, and even small details like a drop-down menu. With the scrolling capture option, users can screenshot a full webpage in one image file, effectively removing the need to haphazardly stitch together multiple images.

Snagit's scrolling screenshot feature taking a screenshot of a sea otter page.

Images can also be resized in the Snagit editor so that all files are uniform. For even more cohesion, Snagit enables any team to create detailed process documents using customized templates that combine visuals and text. 

Annotations and useful edits

Snagit lets users annotate media with text and arrows, and combines both with callouts. Add clarity to specific data sets, include additional context, or make a comment right on the document. By adding these quick annotations, users can have questions to common questions before they ask them, which saves time for everyone!

Additionally, Snagit has a step tool that comes in handy when explaining a step-by-step tutorial or providing extra clarity to confusing information. 

Information redaction and Simplified User Interface

Documents sometimes have more information than needed. For example, let’s say you took a screenshot of an important data set, but it is surrounded by other, non-essential and distracting information. With Snagit, you can blur out anything, like login information or a stray username, you want to be removed. Redact sensitive information with ease without making your documentation look clunky.

A username blurred to remain private.

Additionally, you can directly remove information using the Select Tool. Just use your cursor to box in the unwanted information and hit the backspace button on your keyboard. The background will automatically fill in to match the existing one, or you can choose a color to fill it with.

For highly detailed documents that simply need to be easier to look at, Snagit has a Simplified User Interface (SUI) option. With the click of a toggle, Snagit will simplify the interface to an easy-to-understand interface. 

Before and after of a graph using the simplify tool.

This feature is convenient when capturing documentation that may look more complicated than it is or in a different language. Plus, this reduces the frequency required to update documentation. 

 

Security and accessibility

For security reasons, Snagit can be configured to stay entirely within the corporate firewall. It also integrates with preferred enterprise locations like Google Drive and OneDrive and with DMSs like Sharepoint and DropBox. This direct integration makes Snagit a no-brainer for users who want to easily capture, edit, and share their documents with their team.

As more advanced features, Snagit automatically collects rich application metadata with every capture. Optional features in Snagit also provide automatic summaries and ADA captions for videos. Many DMSs require text transcripts for videos to support searching functionality, which makes this feature extremely handy. No one wants to spend extra time or money transcribing videos!

Collaboration across platforms

Teams can share annotated screenshots or videos via Snagit links from preferred storage locations, enhancing collaboration. Snagit integrates with tools like Slack or Screencast to facilitate feedback collection. 

Using Snagit with a DMS improves documentation clarity, streamlines workflows, and enhances team collaboration, ensuring information is accessible and organized.

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Conclusion

Document Management Systems (DMSs) have helped us evolve from bulky physical storage to essential digital document repositories.

They have countless benefits and although some issues will need to be addressed throughout the implementation process, their use can increase efficiency. 

Tools like Snagit can take your DMS to the next level. By capturing, editing, and securely storing files with Snagit, you can create professional documents that users can utilize effectively. Say goodbye to wasting time looking for lost documents, and use Snagit’s workflow instead. 

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

How-To Videos: Creating Effective Tutorial Videos

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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.

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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:

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.)

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Ryan Knott

Ryan Knott is a Marketing Content Strategist at TechSmith, where he creates content about easy, effective, and efficient video creation, editing, and tips and tricks, as well as audio editing for creators of all kinds. He/him.

A Complete Guide to a Successful Software Implementation Plan

Code with visuals of new software on separate screens.

Not long ago, we needed to switch some of our internal communication and go through a software implementation process. We knew it was important to make the changes as smoothly as possible to minimize disruption of business operations. Doing so was not easy, and we learned a lot along the way. 

Hopefully, what follows will give you some guidance for your own software implementation plan and some ideas based on our experience as well.

Step 1: Create a comprehensive software implementation plan

Assemble the right team and resources

As you start your efforts, it is important to form a core team that includes someone comfortable with project management to help keep things on track. You also want to ensure your IT team is represented from the beginning, along with individuals from the departments that will be using the software. Having their input from the start will help them become champions for successful software implementation within their teams.

At TechSmith, we started our efforts by forming a group that pulled in representatives from all the various departments of the company as the software would be used throughout the company. In many cases, we spoke with people managers to help us identify individuals that might be a good fit and would also enjoy the opportunity to work on an implementation like this.

Define the project scope

Once you have a team, you want to have that team come together to further tighten the project scope of the effort and put together a timeline so you can see if you are staying on track. A solid plan can also help you avoid scope creep as the project progresses. A key consideration is whether there is an impact on business processes, such as with enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations.

Our team started by making sure we understood the problem we needed to solve, but that was very broad, so the group worked to narrow the project scope right away. A key step for us at the beginning was defining the core business cases that the software applications we were considering would need to address.

We created a rubric of features and functionality that were important to us and the organization. This is where having a team consisting of individuals from all the different areas of the company was helpful. Examining our existing systems and current workflows also provided valuable insights.

After evaluating numerous tools and gathering feedback from the entire group, we made a recommendation and then could move on to the work of rolling out the software. However, because of all the work we did to make sure we selected the best software for us, it made the replacement of existing systems that much easier.

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Step 2: Develop processes and conduct a needs assessment

Identify potential issues and develop contingencies

With the team and scope set, you will now need to work on identifying potential risks/challenges and decide how you want to handle them. Here you can leverage the viewpoints of the team you have assembled to help identify and call out your risks/challenges. Once you have the list of potential risks/challenges, you can evaluate which ones are the most critical to deal with and start to tackle the ones that need to be dealt with in order of impact/importance.

The first major challenge for us at TechSmith was determining the optimal go-live date for the new software. Having this date would allow us to work backwards and plan the rest of our implementation process accordingly. It was super helpful to have a diverse implementation team from around the organization. This ensured that we minimized downtime and disruptions for our sales, customer service, development, and all the rest of the teams at TechSmith.

We were able to gather feedback from everyone quickly and landed on what we felt was the best week to target the implementation. With the target week identified, we started working backward to identify other potential issues and put together the rest of our software implementation plan.

Assess existing systems and plan data migration

If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to review your existing systems to ensure compatibility with the new software. Additionally, assess whether your current software contains data that needs to be migrated to the new system, and plan how you will execute this data migration.

One thing that was extremely helpful was that we developed a rubric early on when we were evaluating software, and that rubric includes key systems we needed to integrate with. We also called out if data migration was important or not. In this case for us, data migration was not critical, but at other times it has been, and we have done things to find ways to make sure the data can be migrated. 

We also have done things to try and make sure we had a solid backup of information in the past. In this specific example, we did discuss some integrations with existing systems that were important to us and worked to prioritize those. We planned out how to test the software to inform critical assumptions, such as how integrations would work.

Step 3: Implement the software implementation

Execute the software implementation process

The time has now come to create your detailed implementation plan that the team will follow during the implementation phase. Having a plan to follow and communicating clearly and often with where you are at on the plan will ensure a smooth transition.

At TechSmith, we landed on a plan that would include setting up the new software and doing some setup in advance based on the old system. Responsibilities for each piece were determined as was when different items needed to be ready, so everyone was on the same page.

Using Camtasia and Snagit to document the software implementation process

Creating videos and step-by-step guides for users to use during the software implementation process and after going live can save time, allow people to self-serve, and ensure that everyone is getting the same information. Camtasia and Snagit are two fantastic options for creating that content.

Our software implementation group identified various things we wanted to cover in training materials we would create using Snagit and Camtasia. We also made sure those materials were easy to find later so employees could refer to them for their own use or use them to help onboard any new employees in the future.

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Step 4: Provide a comprehensive training program

Train employees to maximize software use

Even with great materials, you still will likely want to do some training with your employees so they can use the software application effectively and confidently. This can take many forms, from large group meetings to small group interactive sessions to just well laid out plans of how to learn the software on their own.

In our case, the team came up with a fun activity that would get people to try the new system and mini challenges they could work to complete. It started with groups of no more than twenty coming together and interacting with a little bit of live and in-person sharing and then having them complete the mini challenges on their own but still in the room/call together so if they had questions the entire group could help answer them.

Gather feedback and make continuous improvements

As you go through the training, it is important to gather feedback from people as they start to use the software to identify areas for improvement. If you do the training a short time before going live with the system, you will have time to potentially address issues before the full rollout. If the system is already rolled out, that is fine, as you want to have a mindset of continuous improvement anyway, and there is always going to be something that comes up well after the initial rollout.

Once the system was live, we continued to provide support and answer questions. The ability to use Snagit to create quick visual guides with step-by-step instructions has been invaluable for addressing unforeseen questions and providing training. Additionally, we have had to adjust our workflow due to changes in the software and other organizational processes. Leveraging Snagit has helped us convey this information quickly and clearly.

Step 5: Monitor and optimize post software implementation

Evaluate the software implementation’s success

Congratulations! The software is out there and being used, or is it? It is important to figure out some key performance indicators (KPIs) you will watch to see if things were successful. You might include factors such as productivity gains, user satisfaction, and reduced downtime. Your team will likely identify additional specific aspects that are meaningful for your organization. This way, you know the software is fulfilling its intended purposes.

After the system had gone live, we did some checking to see if messages were being sent, read, and how people were communicating with the tool, and did it line up with our expectations.

Identify areas for ongoing optimization

After all that work, you will still find that there is a need for ongoing support. As I mentioned earlier, the software may be updated, necessitating updates to the documentation you have created to communicate these changes. It can be beneficial to keep a group together to regularly check in and review progress. This allows you to assess whether any process changes need to be made.

As a member of our project manager team, I’ve regularly used that group as a place to seek feedback and find areas for continuous improvement based on what they are hearing and seeing from the teams they work with. We also watch for trends in any tickets that come into our IT team, as that might indicate a pain point that needs to be evaluated and potentially addressed.

Common mistakes to avoid in software implementation

Underestimating the importance of planning

It will be tempting to shortcut or even skip the planning part of the process, but planning up front is helpful in avoiding delays and overspending down the line. Having a detailed software implementation plan in place is highly valuable. It serves as a guide during the process and provides a central location to note any changes that arise. This plan can be a reliable reference point throughout the project.

Neglecting employee training

Again, it may be tempting to not invest the necessary effort into this aspect. Some will say it is expensive and a waste of time, but even great software is wasted if people don’t know how to use it or how to get started with it. 

Leveraging tools like Camtasia and Snagit to create materials can be extremely helpful. You can take a creative approach by flipping the training process. Share videos you have made prior to in-person sessions, allowing participants to come prepared with questions. This way, the session can focus on addressing those questions.

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Also, don’t forget that everyone that needs to use the software might not be a member of your organization today. Having materials new employees can go through a month or a year after a successful software implementation will ensure long-term success and sustainability.

Conclusion

Having a successful software implementation is hard work and requires careful planning, effective communication, and ongoing optimization. 

The most important lesson I learned, and the one that will stick with me, is the significance of including representatives from all groups that might be using or supporting the software throughout the entire implementation project.

I was also grateful to be able to have Snagit and Camtasia as tools we could use to help create content to help train and support our employees throughout the entire project.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

The Ultimate Guide to Boosting Employee Engagement

Team building a puzzle together

Imagine a workplace where employees are motivated, enthusiastic, and aligned with the company’s goals. This type of workforce is essential to fostering a positive work environment, increasing productivity, and achieving better business outcomes.

In today’s competitive market, the level of employee engagement can make or break your business. Workforce engagement is more than just keeping employees happy. It’s about building a high-performing, loyal team committed to your company’s vision.

This guide will take you through everything you need to know about employee engagement. We will:

  1. Cover the fundamentals of employee engagement
  2. Explore actionable strategies
  3. Show how tools like Snagit can streamline communication, especially in remote work settings.

What is employee engagement?

A chalkboard with the words 'Employee Engagement' in the center and the words 'recognition', 'clarity', 'autonomy', 'stress', 'relationship', 'growth', 'fairness', and 'workload' surrounding it.

One measure of employee engagement is employees’ commitment and enthusiasm toward their jobs. An engaged employee is satisfied with their job and passionate about contributing to the company’s success. These employees are motivated, proactive, and take ownership of their roles. 

Impact on business outcomes

Engaged employees don’t just clock in and out—they drive actual, tangible business outcomes. Improved productivity and higher customer satisfaction levels can significantly impact the company’s bottom line. Companies that measure employee engagement often experience the following:

  • Increased productivity: Engaged employees are more efficient and often exceed employee performance expectations. Gallup’s meta-analysis research shows that companies with more engaged employees experienced a 21% boost in productivity.
  • Lower turnover: Engaged employees are less likely to seek other employment, reducing recruitment and training costs.
  • Better customer experiences: Employees who care about their roles frequently deliver exceptional service, which improves customer satisfaction.

Why employee engagement matters

Boosts job satisfaction

A young businesswoman leaning back from her laptop and smiling.

When employees feel valued, heard, and connected to their company’s goals, job satisfaction improves. Happy employees are less stressed, more motivated, and more likely to go above and beyond in their roles. Employee satisfaction is also pivotal in reducing absenteeism, burnout, and employee turnover.

Strengthens Company Culture

A team of young professionals sitting around a table and smiling. Two of the men are bumping fists.

A company culture built around engagement creates a more positive, cohesive work environment. Helping employees feel a part of something larger than themselves can help employees collaborate, innovate, and contribute positively to the organization.

Showing how an employee’s work is related to your organization’s mission is significant too. “A purposeful mission is not sufficient to establish feelings of value alignment. Employees have to see a connection between their day-to-day work and the organization’s greater purpose,” states Harvard Business Review.

Improves business performance

Stacked wooden blocks with arrows pointing up and to the right indicating growth.

Engaged employees are more productive, and their commitment positively impacts a company’s profitability. Higher engagement levels can lead to increased sales, better customer retention, and even innovation in products and services.

Common signs of employee disengagement

Recognizing the signs of disengagement early can prevent larger organizational issues down the road. Culture Amp warns us of a growing trend called “Quiet Quitting”. “Rather than quitting in a literal sense, they (employees) quit the practice of going above and beyond.” Some common indicators include:

  • Lack of Initiative: Disengaged employees avoid taking on new challenges and resist ownership of their tasks. 
  • Decreased Productivity: A lack of motivation often results in poor performance and lower output. 
  • Poor Communication: A disengaged employee may limit interactions with colleagues, avoid team discussions, or contribute minimally in meetings. 
  • Resistance to Feedback: Employees who are disengaged or seem indifferent to efforts aimed at improving their performance or growth.
  • Withdrawal from Team Activities: Avoiding team-building activities, social events, or collaborative efforts may be signs of disengagement.

Top employee engagement strategies to implement

Strategy 1: Encourage open communication

One of the most effective ways to improve employee engagement is by fostering open, transparent communication. Employees need to feel comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback. By creating a culture where dialogue is encouraged, employees are more likely to feel heard and valued. 

Tools like Snagit can play a crucial role in enhancing communication, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment. Visual aids like screenshots and screen recordings make it easier for employees to share ideas and collaborate.

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Strategy 2: Provide opportunities for growth

Employees are more engaged when they see a clear path for their own growth and development. Offering career development plans, mentorship opportunities, and training programs can significantly boost engagement. Support these opportunities with visual learning. Create video tutorials or training guides with Snagit, making information more accessible and engaging.

Strategy 3: Recognize and reward achievements

Regularly acknowledging and rewarding employee contributions is key to maintaining elevated levels of engagement. Whether through public recognition, bonuses, or informal thank-yous, recognition makes employees feel appreciated. One thing to consider, however, is that individuals may like to be recognized differently. Consider implementing an employee recognition program that consistently highlights accomplishments and contributions to the company’s success in various ways.

Strategy 4: Promote work-life balance

A work-life balance is no longer a perk; it’s an expectation. Employees who have the flexibility to manage their personal and professional lives are generally more engaged and satisfied. Whether it’s offering flexible working hours or remote work options, companies should prioritize employee well-being. By promoting a healthy work-life balance, you can directly improve job satisfaction and engagement.

Strategy 5: Foster collaboration and teamwork

Collaboration is crucial for fostering workforce engagement. When employees work together toward a common goal, it not only improves team dynamics but also increases job satisfaction. Use Snagit to capture and share ideas visually, making teamwork more interactive and efficient. Encourage team-building activities and cross-departmental projects to create a stronger sense of unity.

Creating an employee engagement action plan

A notebook entitled 'Employee Motivation' surrounded by colorful paper and pencils.

A well-thought-out engagement plan is the cornerstone of improving employee engagement. Here is how you can create one:

Step 1: Set clear engagement goals

Define what success looks like for your company. Are you aiming for higher job satisfaction, better productivity, or lower turnover? Clear objectives will help you measure your progress and stay on track.

Step 2: Conduct employee engagement surveys

To gauge current engagement levels, conduct regular pulse surveys. These surveys should measure employees’ feelings about their roles, the company culture, and management. Tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms can streamline this process. Use Snagit to create visuals, graphs, and reports from survey results, making the data easier to action for future development opportunities.

Step 3: Develop tailored solutions

Use the survey results to tailor strategies specific to your company’s needs. The first step is to thoroughly analyze the data to identify trends, strengths, and areas needing improvement. Next, look at specific groups like departments, locations, or employee levels. Here you can uncover more nuanced insights and avoid implementing broad, generic solutions. 

Once key issues are identified, prioritize them based on their impact and urgency. Prioritize improvements that will lead to the greatest engagement gains, such as addressing concerns about recognition or the work environment.

Step 4: Implement and monitor

After identifying priorities, work closely with relevant stakeholders—such as department heads and HR teams—to develop actionable, targeted solutions. Collaboration ensures that any proposed changes are aligned with organizational goals and the specific needs of each team. 

Communicate the findings and the proposed actions to employees transparently.  This helps demonstrate that their feedback is valued and acted upon. This step boosts engagement by demonstrating the company’s commitment to continuous improvement.

Once your engagement strategies are in place, continuously monitor progress. Conduct regular check-ins to ensure that strategies remain effective and adapt as needed.

The role of employee engagement surveys

An open sketchbook with colorful doodle drawings of business  graphs. An orange note that says 'Engagement Rate' is laying on top of the notebook.

Culture Amp states, “For many organizations looking to make a change, understanding what’s driving employee engagement is a helpful starting point. When you understand your employees—their motivators, emotions, feelings, and more—you put yourself in a better position to enact true change.” 

Surveys are vital to understanding your employees’ needs and adjusting your strategies accordingly. They provide real-time insights and create a platform for employees to voice their concerns. Designing an effective survey involves focusing on critical areas like job satisfaction, company culture, and communication. 

For example, ask questions such as, “How satisfied are you with the communication channels available in your team?” Once the data is collected, act on the feedback. Team members are more likely to engage if they see that their input leads to positive changes. Also, be sure to let them know that certain actions are a direct result of their feedback.

Tools to enhance employee engagement

Communication platforms

In today’s hybrid work environments, effective communication tools are essential for fostering collaboration and engagement. Platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams facilitate open lines of communication among employees, especially in remote settings.

Snagit for visual communication

The Snagit image editor displaying an image with callouts and emojis added.

Visual aids improve clarity and help bridge communication gaps. Snagit is an excellent tool for creating screenshots, videos, and tutorials, making communication clearer and more engaging. Use it to create instructional videos or capture visual feedback to enhance workforce engagement.

Video messages > meetings

Record your screen and camera with Snagit for quick updates and feedback.

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Screenshot of a video message with a dark-themed dashboard and various reaction emojis

Project management tools

Tools like Asana or Trello keep teams aligned, ensuring tasks and responsibilities are clear. These tools improve team collaboration, helping employees stay organized and focused on common goals.

Survey tools

SurveyMonkey and Culture Amp are effective platforms for conducting employee engagement surveys, gathering actionable feedback, and tracking employee satisfaction over time.

Measuring the success of your employee engagement strategies

Track key metrics

To understand the effectiveness of your employee engagement initiatives and strategies, you should track metrics like employee retention rates, productivity levels, and survey results. A drop in turnover or a rise in productivity after implementing engagement strategies indicates success. 

Adjust and improve 

Continuous improvement is essential. Use the data you gather to refine your strategies and make adjustments based on employee feedback.

The role of company culture in employee engagement

Company culture is more than a buzzword—it’s the essence of how a company operates. A culture that promotes engagement, values transparency, recognition, and growth. Creating an environment that prioritizes open communication, shared values, and ongoing support is essential for long-term engagement. 

To create a positive work environment, focus on fostering a culture that prioritizes transparency, recognition, and continuous improvement. Engaging employees through open discussions, providing support, and promoting shared values are key to building a strong, collaborative culture that drives success.

Conclusion: Prioritize employee engagement for long-term success

Engagement is the key to building a thriving company culture, improving job satisfaction, and achieving better business outcomes. By implementing the right strategies and using tools like Snagit for enhanced communication, you can significantly increase employee engagement and create a more dynamic, productive workforce. 

Ready to engage your employees more effectively? Try Snagit to improve communication and collaboration today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I run employee engagement surveys?

At least twice a year to gather continuous feedback and adapt strategies. Consider a larger survey at the same time every year and then perhaps a condensed version six months later that can circle back on the most important topics you are concerned with.

What are the most effective employee engagement strategies?

Clear Communication and Expectations, Opportunities for Growth and Development, Recognition and Reward, Work-Life Balance, Strong Leadership, Purpose and Meaning in Work, Inclusive Culture. By focusing on these drivers of employee engagement, companies can create a work environment that motivates employees to be productive, committed, and loyal.

How does employee engagement impact business outcomes?

Engaged employees are more productive, have lower turnover rates, and provide better customer service, all contributing to better overall business performance.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

Managing Successful Projects: Strategies for Success

Folder with many things coming out of it.

Face it, we’ve all worked on projects, and many of us have even led them. In many cases, we are simply given a goal or outcome and find ourselves implicitly managing a project to achieve the goal. In other cases, we’ve been explicitly asked to lead a project. While we’ve likely all had life experiences that help us work towards a goal, managing successful projects is more complex and requires more tools.

Success starts with getting clarity on the goal or desired outcome. To ensure effective communication with your stakeholders, it’s crucial to understand their concerns and how the project impacts them. You also need to be willing to ask the tough questions and deliver the hard news to drive effective decision-making. Neglecting these aspects can lead to project failure, and that’s not even half of it!

Fortunately, in my career, I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow in the skills needed to successfully manage projects. I’m also fortunate to have ready access to key tools to help drive project success. Let me offer, from one project leader to another, my tips, tricks, and key tools to help you improve your strategies for achieving project success.

Defining clear project scope and objectives 

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, ‘Begin with the end in mind’. You may even recognize it as a quote from Dr. Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.’ Well, it’s also sound advice for project success. 

A project is essentially a form of contract. Having a clearly defined project scope is the heart of that contract. Without it, there are many ways things can go wrong. 

A lack of clear project scope can lead to lost time or the disappointment that can come from unmet expectations. A lack of clear scope also invites scope creep, adding time and cost to the project. 

Now, to be clear, I’m not meaning to imply that scope can always be 100% nailed down up front and held unchanging. More often than not, it can’t and it shouldn’t be. What I absolutely mean to say is that ‘scope creep’ is about allowing unmanaged change in the scope of a project, versus the making of explicit decisions, eyes wide open, to change the project scope.

Using Snagit for visualizing project scope

While you don’t need an official project charter template to create a clear project scope, you do need some artifact to refer back to, so when you are driving those explicit scope decisions, you’ve got a shared understanding of what was previously agreed to.

An annotated image in Snagit using call-outs.

Here’s where a tool like Snagit comes in handy. You may have things like your project scope in a project management tool that not everyone has a license to.

Rather than licensing all your stakeholders and possibly dealing with the security implications of granting stakeholders outside your organization access, you can use Snagit to capture, annotate, and share screenshots of the scope, or to capture your screen while recording a brief video overview, walking through the scope, and highlighting questions or concerns about places you need to clarify. 

Whether via screen capture or screen recording, Snagit can help you increase shared understanding around your project scope by avoiding costly and complex efforts to grant all your stakeholders access to a common tool.

Record your screen with Snagit

Snagit makes it easy to share quick updates and how-to’s by capturing exactly what’s happening on your screen.

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Screen recording of a dashboard showing conversion rate, spend, and monthly performance with a picture-in-picture webcam view of a smiling man.

Breaking down the work with work breakdown structures

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is nothing more than a way to take a project scope, decompose it into smaller parts, identify dependencies, and create a clear roadmap for all stakeholders, including the team members doing the work. The Project Management Institute’s PMBOK® Guide defines WBS as “a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables.”

Regardless of whether you are building a Gannt chart or breaking down work on a Kanban board, a Work Breakdown Structure is how you get from a clear picture of scope to a roadmap for how to achieve the goal. And that same roadmap can then aid you in measuring–and communicating–progress.

Visualizing work breakdown structures with Snagit

I don’t know about you, but most of the projects I’ve worked on have been extremely complex. Lots of moving pieces. Which translates into a deep and detailed work breakdown structure. The kind that doesn’t easily fit on a single page. In comes Snagit.

As mentioned above, sure, you could try to get licenses for all your stakeholders and team members to see the plan, but that’s not the only or most cost-effective choice. Using Snagit’s Scrolling Capture, you can easily get one image of the work breakdown structure, whether it’s a long horizontal scroll like a Gantt chart or a deep vertical scroll like a backlog column.

Building an effective project team

For project success, it’s not enough to have team members with the needed skills. What you need is for those team members to understand how they can work together in alignment to achieve the goals of the project.

A project team split into three sections: production staff, project manager, and stakeholders.

It’s important to be sure not only that you can see, from the people side, what each individual will be responsible for. You also need to check the list of project tasks, or needs, against the people. Make sure there are no gaps – tasks with no ownership -and no overlaps – tasks with multiple parties and no clear ownership.

In the end, aligning your project team members with each other and with the needs of the project, making sure everyone has shared expectations of each other, and making sure ownership is clear are all critical for project success.

How an effective project manager leads

Of the many roles on a project team, one key role is the project manager. On a complex project, that may be someone in a dedicated role in that domain, with the experience, skills, and training to serve your team well. On a less complex project, or in other organizations, the project manager or leader becomes a role or ‘hat’ that another individual or team member must wear.

Regardless, the role is critical in ensuring project success. Everything in this article is targeted to someone acting as project manager. A project manager’s ‘secret weapon’ is communication. Communication can occur in documents. Or spreadsheets. Or Kanban boards. Or, in screen captures or recordings. Snagit can be a project manager’s secret weapon for project success.

Developing a detailed project plan

At its heart, a project plan is the time- and dependency bound list of activities- and their owners- needed to achieve the project scope. It’s important though to be thoughtful about the way you identify your tasks. If you go down the path of specifying things to specific implementation steps, you’ll have too much detail and not enough flexibility.

Rather, think about the outcomes and how far you need to break those down to have clear ownership. With that in hand, you can leave the project team room to refine the ‘how’ while you have the ‘what’ steps needed to manage the project.

Tracking progress and visualizing milestones with Snagit

Even with a focus on only breaking down the project to needed granularity, it’s’ still likely to have a lot of detail and complexity. And while that is necessary for managing the project, it’s not helpful for tracking and communicating progress. Milestones are interim goals within the overall project that reflect the completion of a logical subset or portion of the project.

Snagit can help you communicate the milestones and progress against the milestones. Applying a few ‘Magnify’ effects to a screen capture of the entire project plan can give context to the overall complexity while drawing attention to the critical milestones.

Magnifying tool magnifying due dates on an image.

Managing risk and adjusting to change

You should go into a project understanding that change will happen. What’s key to managing successful projects is not avoiding change; it is ensuring that change is not haphazard and instead is conscious and the result of explicit decisions. 

A risk is little more than something that might cause you to have to adjust your project with impact to project scope, time, cost, or quality. A risk management plan helps you catalog what risks you have on your radar and work to address them. Doing so allows to minimize or eliminate unmanaged change to the project. 

Managing risks

Identifying risks is a start, but it’s all for naught if you don’t actively manage them. I like to start by triaging risks, using a ROAM system where each risk is discussed and assessed as being in one of four states: Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Managed.

Of course, one triage and assessment isn’t enough. Throughout your project, you’ll want to review that list of risks, determining what new risks have been identified and starting the risk management process for them, and checking back in on the status of the existing risks, especially any that haven’t moved from ‘Owned’ to one of the other states. 

Monitoring and adjusting project progress

If you think of the first five steps above as getting to the starting line, that’s only half the battle. As the project team progresses through the plan, completing work, adjusting to change, and addressing risks, you’ll want to monitor progress and adjust the plan. When done well, that monitoring takes two forms, which work together to make sure that you are continually taking stock of new information. 

One form is continuous monitoring- day-to-day you will have the opportunity to observe new risks surfacing or previously identified risks becoming real impacts. Really, there’s no excuse for waiting until the next scheduled check-in to communicate and begin to assess how to address the issue. Risks and ‘bad news’ are not like wine- they do not get better with age. 

Equally important though are periodic check-ins, such as at each project milestone. While continuous monitoring is sure to catch ‘acute’ changes, a periodic check-in allows you to examine more closely overall progress and changes in the risk situation in a way that catches the proverbial ‘frog in the pan of boiling water.’

L. David Marquet, in his book ‘Leadership is Language’, refers to this as ‘planning the pause’, or ensuring there is a point at which you can reflect on progress, assess new information, and have another chance to revisit your plans.

Using Snagit to capture progress updates

Of course, monitoring, measuring, and tracking progress are good for ensuring project success, but without communication, that information is vastly less impactful. You need to capture and communicate progress in order to ensure that the team as a whole is continuously aware of the situation and able to work together to problem solve.

Snagit is ideal for communicating progress updates. A great way to do this is by using Video From Images (VFI). Begin by taking screenshots of the various artifacts you will need for your update- project dashboards, your risk log, and other information.

Then, using VFI, record and share a video, adding context and analysis to the data. That way all stakeholders, regardless of access to the project management tools or availability for a meeting, can consume an update and keep aware of project progress.

Conducting regular meetings and reviews

Not all project communication can be appropriately accomplished with a one-way update. Having synchronous meeting time can help with keeping the team aligned, addressing and resolving small issues or impediments before they can become bigger ones, and also present the opportunity to celebrate wins immediately and continually. Having regular meetings allows for real-time communication and problem solving. 

Enhancing meetings with visuals

While meetings can be critical to project success, that’s only true if the meeting is efficient and effective. Having visual aids, such as using Snagit to capture and share images of project plans or dashboards, can help keep the conversation focused.

Using visual aids to keep meetings focused can be key for maximizing the time spent in the meeting, allowing your team to get back to their project work more quickly.

Utilizing project management tools and software

Having transparency to the plan and the ability to easily help the plan stay in sync with reality is a key benefit to using project management software.

Project management software like Trello, Asana, Jira, or the many alternatives can help a team stay in sync and keep a plan current by providing a way to manage and update tasks in the context of the plan and its dependencies. This makes it even easier to provide real-time updates on progress and empower the team to self-serve updates on things like dependencies. 

Considerations for choosing project management software

When selecting project management software, there are a few things to think about. The type of project(s) to be managed, the budget, your other tooling and how a given solution might integrate, and how a tool fits your needed security, privacy, and compliance requirements are among some of the top considerations.

Effective communication throughout the project

It may be a slight overstatement, but the most fundamental component of project success is effective communication because every aspect of a successful project requires good communication. And, while project management software can enhance communication and collaboration, it doesn’t replace them. 

Communication throughout a project can take many forms. Yes, it can be, in part, the shared information maintained in a project management tool. There should be plenty of formal communication, such as kick-off meetings, refinements, plannings, standups, and demos.

And there should be even more informal communication, such as peer collaboration, in the course of planning for and completing a task. And, realistically, every new day brings more information than was available the prior day, and naturally, you’ll need to continue to adjust and refine your plan, your scope, and possibly the team. The new information for better decisions is the result of communication, and the adjusted plans require communication.

Using visuals to enhance communication

Communication can take many forms. It can be synchronous communication, such as an in-person or virtual meeting, or even an active text chat. But, realistically, it’s not always possible to find available time for all parties, and not every communication or collaboration needs the higher bandwidth of synchronous techniques. For any communication that is biased towards one speaker (versus many speakers), an asynchronous communication technique is likely to be more effective.

Someone recording their screen and webcam.

Screenshots or screen recordings are an excellent way to share information or seek feedback. Adding a webcam and voice recording can add context and detail to the communication. Both screenshots and recordings can be used for asynchronous communication. But they can also both be helpful in a synchronous communication, such as a meeting, by providing a visual that can be shared during a meeting or as a way to get input from an absent participant.

Closing the project and evaluating success

Don’t just deliver the project; slap up a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner and call it a day. If you’re a good project manager or leader, you know that iterating and learning is a super power.

So go ahead and celebrate successful delivery, but also put in the time to document lessons learned. Taking time after the project to identify what went well and what could have been improved gives you the learning you need to make the next project even more successful. And less stressful.

But remember, learning is best shared, so another key aspect of closing out a project is to share a final update, not only on the outcomes of the project but also on the lessons learned. 

Documenting the project closeout with Snagit

Having completed the project, while your work as a project manager may not be complete, it’s likely the project team members have moved on quickly to new work. So, it may not be feasible, or preferable, to bring people together in a meeting to go over the results and lessons learned.

Moreover, if you’ve heard the phrase ‘Take a picture, it’ll last longer’, that also holds true for lessons learned. That mistake you told yourself you’d never make again? Using Snagit to record a video walkthrough of the project outcomes and learnings can not only be a communication tool for the end of the project, but it can also create a reference point your ‘future self’ may find very useful.

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Snagit makes it easy to share quick updates and how-to’s by capturing exactly what’s happening on your screen.

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Screen recording of a dashboard showing conversion rate, spend, and monthly performance with a picture-in-picture webcam view of a smiling man.

Key takeaways for managing successful projects

Managing successful projects starts with clear scope, continues with effective planning, stays on track with risk management, and helps us grow for the next time with a structured project closeout. As a project manager, you likely have experience with, and know the benefits of, using project management tools in helping you manage your projects.

But when you stop to think about it, the difference maker for project success is communication. Yes, synchronous communication can play a vital role in project success, but in many cases, asynchronous communication can be even more effective. And the flexibility of when to consume information can be greatly appreciated by the project team.

A visual tool like Snagit can help you make the most of your communication through screen captures and screen recordings, allowing you to ensure that shared understanding is maintained throughout the project.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

How to Get the Most Out of Process Mapping

blue process map

In today’s ever-changing business environment, understanding and optimizing workflows is key. Process mapping can give you an edge, and simplifying this task with a tool like Snagit has never been easier.

Process mapping refers to techniques used to visually communicate workflows and act on them. By making the workflows visible and understandable, they can also be more easily improved. This will help you improve efficiency, communicate more clearly, and enhance decision-making. There are many process mapping software and tools available, and using TechSmith’s Snagit will make your outcome with any of these more complete and impactful. 

What is process mapping?

Process mapping is the visual representation of the steps, activities, and decision points in a workflow or process to better understand, analyze, and improve it. 

Generally, we’re talking about business processes: order fulfillment, employee recruiting and onboarding, product development, project management, and IT support are just a few of the examples you may be considering.

One of the main benefits of using process mapping in businesses is to increase effectiveness. This can come about in many ways, including:

  • Improving efficiencies by identifying bottlenecks and improving them.
  • Enhancing communication by providing clarity within and between team members and departments.
  • Supporting change management by identifying and sharing best practices.
  • Standardizing processes.
  • Simplifying onboarding.
  • Meeting requirements for compliance and audits.
  • Risk identification and management.

When you take the time to identify and analyze the steps and make these processes visible, you create a better shared understanding of what’s happening. 

At a high level, consider these five steps when process mapping:

Step 1: Identify the process and set boundaries – Figuring out what you’re trying to map and how detailed you want to be.

Step 2: Gather information – You need to understand who is involved, what steps are being taken, and in what order.

Step 3: Create the visual map – The graphics that represent the steps

Step 4: Analyze and revise – Getting feedback and revising the map is important to make sure it’s correct and addresses any changes you want to make.

Step 5: Implement – You need to share the updated process with stakeholders and implement any changes identified. Be sure to take in feedback after this point and consider revising when appropriate.

Common challenges in process mapping

Process mapping involves overcoming several hurdles. It can be difficult to set boundaries and maintain the right level of detail. Also, process mapping tools use specific language or shorthand that only daily users understand. 

Modern work has lots of complex processes, and it’s rarely accomplished by a single person. Understanding the handoffs and communication mechanisms can be daunting for people attempting to try and map out processes that they aren’t familiar with.

Processes can change often as better approaches are identified. You’ll want to use process mapping tools that allow you to easily update your maps so they best reflect what you’re trying to accomplish. Consider adding periodic check-ins to keep your process maps current.

How to use Snagit to help process mapping

You rarely create a brand-new process while creating a process map. It’s important to engage those that are experienced in doing the work. Collecting how things get done from these subject matter experts (SMEs) may seem daunting, but Snagit offers you some simple ways to make that happen.

Record the screen while doing the process

What’s great about this approach is that there’s no real preparation needed. Have the person familiar with the process record their screen and voice. They can do this by installing Snagit, or you can join a Zoom or Teams meeting and record their screen sharing. Make sure to ask them to “talk you through it out loud.”

Someone explaining a process while recording their screen.

Here’s a simple example of this process flow for “filing a bug” workflow

  • First, I go to the project website.
  • Check to see if someone has already filed the issue.
  • Create a new issue.
  • I fill in the required fields.
  • Then I upload a screenshot that shows the problem.
  • Finally, we go over open issues at our next standup.

You may need to do multiple walk-throughs. For instance, in the above example, more details are needed if there was already an issue.

Record your screen with Snagit

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Screen recording of a dashboard showing conversion rate, spend, and monthly performance with a picture-in-picture webcam view of a smiling man.

Capture screenshots of the workflow

For more well-understood or concise workflows, you may want to use screenshots instead. Capture the full screen as you go through each of the steps. You can add arrows, text, callouts, or step counters directly to the images. This adds focus and clarity and makes the process easier for people to understand. To keep all the images together, you can select the screenshots and combine them into a template as a visual guide.  This will combine the images into a single document for sharing.

 
template options in Snagit.

Understanding the processes with Screencast

After you’ve collected the information about how the processes are performed, have multiple people look at your detailed process map to review and annotate it. Uploading these recordings or images to Screencast, a video and image hosting site by TechSmith with easy review tools, is just a simple click in Snagit. Once the images are uploaded, you and others can collaborate via the Conversation tools to highlight important or missed information.

Comments on video uploaded to Screencast.

Creating your map

Armed with a better shared understanding of the process, you’re now able to create the appropriate map. The visual map is the part that most people think of when they consider process mapping. These maps can take many forms. Some are loosely defined, and others have much more strict layouts and meanings. Ensure those using the map can understand what you’re showing by including any process map symbols with the processing map.

visual process map

Types of process maps

  • Flowcharts – Simple, general purpose.
  • Value Stream Maps – Focus on efficiency and waste reduction; good at visualizing flows from raw materials to finished products.
  • Business Process Mapping and Notation (BPMN) – Very detailed and structured visualization.

TIP: Keep your audience in mind and use the right level of detail

You can use free drawing tools or more complete solutions like Lucidchart to create and organize your process maps. After creating your maps, it’s important to do another round of feedback and ensure they fully capture the process. This is also a great time to engage others in possible improvements now that the steps have been laid out.

Getting feedback and iterating

After you’ve created your map, it’s important to obtain feedback to verify its accuracy and ensure it is understood. You can share these images on Screencast and gather feedback to help you clarify and refine the maps.

Try showing the maps to someone who is only somewhat familiar with the role and work. This can help you understand complicated processes and give insight into whether it’s worth breaking the maps down further. You may also find that some processes are over-described and visually confusing. Fresh eyes can be very helpful. 

Snagit and Screencast are key tools for any process mapping

Using Snagit and Screencast can help with both the creation and upkeep of any process mapping exercise. They enable seamless communication while keeping feedback accessible for later review or for involving additional participants.

Ready to streamline your process mapping? Download Snagit today and experience a faster way to improve your workflows.

The best snipping tool for Windows and Mac

Don’t let clumsy built-in tools hold you back. Take and edit screenshots with Snagit!

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TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

Top Tango Alternatives for How To Guides

The Tango logo on a blue background.

Tango is a process documentation tool known for creating step-by-step guides efficiently. It excels at making interactive walkthroughs from real-time captures. Use cases include:

  • How-to guides: Product managers use Tango to create detailed user guides.
  • Onboarding: HR teams improve onboarding by documenting processes. 
  • Tutorials: Freelancers support customers with custom tutorials.
  • SOPs: Small teams create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Tango users value Tango for these features:

  • User-friendly interface: Make it simple for anyone to create step-by-step instructions. 
  • Automatic guide creation: Capture your screen, automatically generating content. 
  • Interactive walkthroughs: Guide users with a screen overlay.
  • Team collaboration: Notify team members of updates through Microsoft Teams.
  • Seamless integration: Integrate with Microsoft Teams, Zapier, Google Docs, Guru, and Notion.
  • User analytics: Report on content usage and other insights.

Pricing and Plans

  • Free plan: It limits workflows to 25 and users to 25. It also limits capture to the Google Chrome extension. Content has a watermark.
  • The Pro annual plan ($192/year) offers unlimited creation, desktop recording, blurring, and extra administrative controls.

Why seek an alternative to Tango software

These pain points are the typical reasons that users seek other options:

CapabilityTango
EditingTime-consuming editing
ImagesMinimal image capture and editing. Markup is limited to arrows, boxes, text, and blur
VideosNot supported to capture recordings. Not supported to include a video.
BrandCannot personalize content, such as brand themes for color, font, and style

Let’s look at six great options to consider based on these needs.

1. Snagit: Best for how to guides and video recording

Snagit is the leading screen capture and recording tool. It lets you take screenshots, record videos, create GIFs, and create documents using templates. It also has powerful editing tools for images and videos designed for technical documentation. 

Snagit vs. Tango

Both products create content through image capture. Snagit also provides screen recording.

Strengths: Snagit is excellent at creating how-to guides and video recordings. It offers robust editing tools for images and videos, personalization, and efficient workflow automation.

  • Tip: Upcoming features in v25 include automatic step-by-step guide creation and automatic redaction to hide sensitive information.
 

Snagit features include:

Screen capture

  • Snagit supports up, down, left, and right scrolling captures.

Screen recording with Live Draw and webcam

  • Snagit captures mouse movement and system audio for rich video content. It also records microphone narration and offers various markups for clarity. 
  • Optional webcam content provides a personal touch.

Image mark-up and editing

  • Snagit provides efficient screenshot editing with rich markup features like Magnify and Spotlight. It can blur or redact information to hide personal details. The tool offers an automatic Simplified User Interface (SUI) to reduce future updates and translation costs.
 

Personalization and consistency

  • Users can create custom presets and set brand themes. Snagit includes a library of professionally designed templates that users can customize further.

Efficiency and workflow automation

  • Batch processing lets users apply effects to multiple images quickly. Keyboard shortcuts enable fast captures, enhancing productivity.

Organization and secure sharing

  • Snagit helps organize content with automatic metadata and custom tags. Unlike Loom, it allows users to choose between its cloud or secure options to keep content inside the firewall or on approved platforms.

Weaknesses: Snagit lacks interactive experiences and detailed usage analytics compared to Tango.

  • Snagit provides basic analytics, such as tracking content views. Its commenting feature supports interactive Q&A with viewer identification. 
  • Video documentation is advantageous over closed systems like Tango because videos are compatible with many third-party tools. Tools like Interact.video, PlayPosit, and EdPuzzle can add interactive video features and collect more analytics.

More on Tango vs. Snagit:

CapabilitySnagit
EditingAutomated creation of step-by-step guides (v25) Robust editing for images and video cutting, trimming, and combining videos. AI-assisted features like Smart Move and Simplified User Interface (SUI).
ImageAutomatic redaction (v25) Captures high-resolution screenshots. Supports scrolling capture for long screenshots. Integrated asset library. More mark-up options than in Tango, including arrows, sequences, squares, circles, highlights, text, and blur effects.
VideoHigh-definition video recording. Recording of the screen, webcam, system audio, and narration plus live draw.
BrandPersonalization options for both images and videos. Brand themes. Editable templates.

Pricing and plans

  • Snagit costs $39.99 per year. Snagit version 24 is available for a one-time purchase of $62.99. 
  • Optional plans for expanded cloud usage and asset library. 
  • Snagit offers site-wide plans and has many site customers. 
  • It does not have a free plan but does offer a free trial.

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Create clear videos and guides with Snagit so you only have to explain tasks once.

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2. Scribe: Best for SEO-friendly content

Scribe creates text-based how-to guides and processes content.

Tango vs. Scribe

Both products automate the creation of text-based guides with screenshots. They both offer a choice of a desktop application or a Chrome extension.

Strengths: Scribe is best for SEO-friendly content with extensive personalization options.

Weaknesses: Scribe has limited user analytics and interactive features.  


Additional Scribe vs. Tango comparison:

CapabilityScribe
EditingAutomated creation of step-by-step guides. More text generation than Tango for less editing time.
ImageCaptures high-resolution screenshots. Basic mark-up. Automatic redaction of sensitive information.
VideoNot supported – but allows embedding of videos into guides.
BrandMore personalization options than Tango. Can tailor guides.

Pricing and plans

Scribe offers a free version with limited features. Paid monthly plans start at $29 per user for additional personalization and integration features.

3. Loom: Best for usage analytics

Loom offers video messaging. It does not specialize in tech documentation and provides minimal screenshot capture features.

Videos are an excellent choice for content creation. Studies show that 83% of people prefer learning with videos.

Tango vs. Loom

Both products allow administrators to track who has access to content. 

Strengths: Loom focuses on screen recording with strong consumption analytics. 

  • For example, Loom includes a feature to track view counts based on completion rates. In enterprise plans, Loom tracks viewers’ emails and exports usage data.

Weaknesses: Loom has minimal screenshot capture and markup.  It lacks automatic step-by-step documentation creation or interactive features.

Review of Loom vs. Tango:

CapabilityLoom
EditingBasic video editing, such as trimming.
ImageLimited support – capture screenshots during video recordings.
VideoAbility to record screen, voice, and camera.
BrandCustom branding options like adding logos and changing color schemes.

Pricing and plans

Loom’s minimum paid plan is $150/year. Loom also offers a free plan, but recently removed editing features like trimming from its free plan.

4. ScreenSteps: Best for comprehensive knowledge management

ScreenSteps offers comprehensive features for knowledge management and training that Tango does not. 

Tango vs. ScreenSteps 

Both products support process-oriented content creation by combining screenshots with text information. 

Strengths: ScreenSteps supports comprehensive knowledge management features, including course creation and LMS integration. It supports detailed content creation with robust editing tools.

Weaknesses: ScreenSteps requires a higher learning curve and investment. It also needs quick interactive guide creation.

More on ScreenSteps vs. Tango:

CapabilityScreenSteps
EditingRobust editing: text formatting, table of contents, bullet points, checklists, decision trees. More comprehensive than Tango.
ImageMore mark-up options than Tango: arrows, sequences, squares, circles, highlights, text, and blur effects.
VideoNot supported – but allows the embedding of videos. 
BrandCustom PDF templates. Site changes using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.

Pricing and plans

Pricing for ScreenSteps is provided with consultation with their sales team.

5. Trainual: Best for performance management

Trainual is a powerful platform for employee development focusing on performance management.  

Tango vs. Trainual

Both products allow organizations to create content that combines images and text.  

Strengths: Trainual is excellent for performance management with features for tracking user progress and integrating media.

Weaknesses: Trainual has a higher learning curve and cost; not ideal for quick process documentation.

More on Trainual vs. Tango:

CapabilityTrainual
EditingText editing and AI assistance.
ImageNot supported – however, it allows the embedding of images.
VideoNot supported – but supports embedding of videos.
BrandMore options than Tango, including templates and role-based access.

Pricing and plans

The minimum paid plan is Small Business, which starts at $300 per month for up to 50 employees.

6. iorad: Best for interactive experiences

iorad is a tutorial builder that captures user actions in real time to create interactive, step-by-step tutorials. 

Tango vs. iorad

Both iorad and Tango use overlay techniques to guide within applications.

Strengths: iorad is best for interactive features and engagement, as well as the real-time capture of user actions. It offers extensive editing features and media integration.

Weaknesses: Complexity, setup time, and pricing may be barriers for some users.

More on iorad vs. Tango:

Capabilityiorad
EditingExtensive editing: adding, duplicating, deleting, and reordering steps.
ImageCaptures high-resolution screenshots. Automatically adds markup.
VideoAdd a video to each tutorial step. Ability to add voice overs with text-to-speech.
BrandThemes and branding.

Pricing and plans

iorad’s monthly pricing starts at $200 for a single license, with additional features in higher-tier plans.

Conclusion: Finding the right alternative to Tango

When choosing an alternative, consider your needs and use cases.

  • Tango: Creates interactive, step-by-step guides with real-time captures, ideal for how-to guides and onboarding. However, it lacks strong editing, image markup, and video features.
  • Snagit: Excels in screen capture and video recording with extensive editing tools for print and video technical documentation. Version 25 will add automatic step-by-step document generation and automatic redaction features. Third-party products can enhance interactive features and tracking data.  
  • Scribe: Offers SEO-friendly content creation with automatic text-based guides but lacks interactive features.
  • Loom: Focuses on screen recording with strong analytics but has limited screenshot and interactive features.
  • ScreenSteps: Provides comprehensive knowledge management features but lacks interactive features.
  • Trainual: Great for performance management with digital media integration but is costly and complex.
  • iorad: Offers rich interactive features through real-time action capture but can be complex and expensive.

Snagit is the best alternative to Tango for creating how-to guides, video walkthroughs, and general documentation. But the best alternative depends on your own specific needs for interactive features, personalization, or video.

Stop repeat questions

Create clear videos and guides with Snagit so you only have to explain tasks once.

Try it Free
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TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

The Best Filmora Alternatives for Video Editing Projects

The Filmora logo with arrows above and below.

Wondershare Filmora is a popular video editing software known for its intuitive interface and accessible tools, suitable for hobbyists and content creators. 

While Filmora ranks highly for its long list of intuitive features, there can be some concerns for customers related to their customer service not accepting returns on unapproved purchases, lack of helpful technical support, and the possibility of features being pulled from version to version to then be marketed as a new feature later. 

Their AI features are based on “credits,” which is a common practice, but it is difficult to budget how many you can use for each video project. Some features require AI Credits that might not need or use AI. 

However, if you are still looking for an intuitive video editor, you have come to the right place. Let’s dive in!

Camtasia + Audiate: The perfect duo for seamless video and audio editing 

What’s been voted for years as the #1 user-friendly video editor? 

Camtasia is one of the top alternatives to Filmora. It offers a wide range of powerful video editing tools and an intuitive user interface that makes it an easy-to-use video editor for beginners and professionals. 

Recently, TechSmith released a sister product, Audiate, a specialized tool for users looking to enhance their audio and video projects with advanced text-to-speech editing capabilities. 

The best part is that you can sync your projects together, so whatever edits you make in Audiate will be editing your Camtasia video at the same time. While some products are specialized, with the TechSmith suite, you will be in good hands to easily create videos. 

Key features of Camtasia

Library and templates: Who really likes repeating the same work over and over again? 

As you grow in your video editing journey, you are going to want to take some shortcuts. Editing videos already takes enough time! With Camtasia, you can save your video as a template to easily drag and drop new video content in. Or, save your intros and outros to your library for easy use again. 

Do you find yourself making the same tutorial video again? Or do you clean up a webinar before posting it to YouTube? 

Save yourself time by utilizing templates and the Camtasia library. A lot of video editors have wonderful templates. Still, they don’t allow you to create and reuse your own templates, which is perfect if you are collaborating with subject matter experts or teammates for a seamless editing process. 

Make boring screen content exciting. If you use screen recording in your content, you should be using Camtasia. 

Seriously, ask any trainer you know, and they’ve heard of it. Zoom and pan easily, add a blur on top of your screen recordings or annotate your content with customizable arrows and callouts. 

Highlight your mouse, enlarge or change the mouse shape with automatic smoothing (or edit the path!). Dream what you could add to a screen recording, and Camtasia probably has it.

Text to speech: Audiate’s text-to-speech editing tool allows users to generate audio instantly, choosing from a variety of voices and languages

Text-based video editing: Remember how we mentioned needing to create more types of videos from above? 

With Camtasia, the sister product, you can edit audio and video in real time. Remove um’s and ah’s from your videos in one click!

Professional audio: Audiate has some of the best audio improvement tools to enhance audio quality and noise removal. 

Best Suited For:

Beginners: A simple user interface with an extensive training library and live webinars helps ease the sharp learning curve for most video editors and allows you to customize as much as this tool does. 

Camtasia and Audiate are available on Windows and Mac, so you can get started using the platform you are most comfortable with. 

Jack of all trades: Remember, Camtasia is the tool to help you create all types of high-quality and mixed medium videos with the options of screen recordings, stock footage, professional camera input, your webcam, PowerPoint integration, and more. 

This makes Camtasia a favorite tool for marketers and small business owners. 

Trainers & instructional Designers: While Filmora has an impressive list of features, Camtasia can beat it on the screen front. If you are creating mostly screen content, Camtasia is the niche for your type of video. 

Podcasters: Compatible with various video and audio file formats, you can quickly transform and edit your visual podcast videos and enhance your audio quality with their simple editing tools. 

Pricing and plans 

Camtasia offers a free, watermarked trial and also has discount options for students and teachers and government and not for profit workers. 

They have a well-established enterprise footprint as well, so please check with your IT department if they have an extra license seat for you.

  • Camtasia Essentials Plan: $179.88/ a year (Audiate not included)
  • Camtasia Create Plan: $249/ a year
  • Camtasia Pro Plan: $499/ a year (includes 100+M premium and customizable assets like stock footage, background music, and AI generator)

Crystal-clear screen recording

Why settle for blurry screen content? Camtasia’s screen recorder captures everything at up to 4K!

Free Download
A image showing the user interface for the recorder in camtasia

DaVinci Resolve: Best free alternative with advanced color correction 

DaVinci Resolve is one of the most powerful free alternatives to Filmora, offering advanced editing tools and professional-grade color correction. 

If you are making high-quality content for television or cinema production, you may be familiar with DaVinci Resolve. While you don’t have to be a movie star editor, you will have to spend some time learning DaVinci’s Adobe Premiere-like user interface.

After putting the time in to learn this software, you will be impressed at all the features at your fingertips. 

Who knows, maybe you will make the 117th Marvel movie in no time!

Key features of DaVinci Resolve

Color grading: No video editor tool can beat DaVinci on color grading. They also have chroma key support, and 4K resolution editing, which make it ideal for professional video projects.

Cloud collaboration for shared groups:  DaVinci can let you sync to your own cloud or the company’s cloud (Blackmagic). They have thought through the process by adding safeguards like timeline locking bins, allowing only one editor on that track, and intuitive file management. 

AI tool for tracking – Want to add lipstick to your face? Done. 

Want to remove an object from the background? Done. 

Any type of scaling, tracking, and masking can powerfully be done in this program. 

Best suited for: 

Professional video editors: I mean, you think I am joking about making Marvel movies, but there’s a reason this is one of Hollywood’s favorite advanced editing tools. 

DaVinci is ideal for professional editors and filmmakers who require advanced tools for post-production, color grading, and visual effects.

Broadcasters & journalists: Like with the high polish of cinema as a use case, those in broadcasting or video journalism will appreciate the live streaming capabilities to the cloud. 

Pricing and Plans

  • Free: DaVinci offers a robust free version with many of its core features
  • DaVinci Resolve Studio: $295 as a one-time cost for a specific version

Adobe Premiere Pro: Powerful with advanced editing tools

Adobe Premiere Pro is a video editing software known for its robust features and seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud. 

For most professional video editors, Premiere Pro is a top choice. 

While there may be glitzy small start-ups with new AI video features, the benefits of Premiere Pro are that they can copy these same features overnight and absorb the cost to do so because they are a well-established company. 

If you are looking for a certain feature, Premiere Pro probably has it. Many corporations already have a creative cloud license, so it’s possible that you only need to request from your IT for a license. 

What a relief! Nobody likes having to ask their boss to approve a purchase.

Key features of Adobe Premiere Pro

Effects: Adobe’s sister software, After Effects, is known for its commercially ready visuals and animated text, but you can still get powerful effects, such as designing custom motion graphics or adding titles and text. 

The best is that whatever text you add is adaptive and will respond to whatever aspect ratio you choose. There is no need to resize your video when you can be confident that “Your Title Here” in 16:9 won’t look like “Title H” in 1:1. 

Professional transitions: Adobe Premiere Pro has some of the best transitions on the market and is one of the main reasons that users come back to them, even if they use other video creation tools in their process.

Auto syncing of music: This is another fan-favorite feature that retimes your music to match the length of your edited video. This is great for marketing sizzle reels, social media, or a demo.

Best suited for: 

Professional video editors: Premiere Pro might be a little more advanced than DaVinci or even Apple’s Final Cut Pro, but more widely used. If you hope to become a full-time video editor, Premiere is a valid option.

Designers with the Creative Suite: If you are already invested in Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, it makes sense to keep your video editor within the same ecosystem for compatibility purposes.

Some users complain about Premiere’s steep learning curve, but if you are already familiar with their other products, this might help.

Pricing and plans

Adobe put subscription pricing on the map, so next time you try to cancel your millionth subscription, thank the ol’ Adobe Creative Cloud for starting all these troubles.

But with subscriptions come new updated features. Their subscription plans are extensive and based on individual, business, and education. Below is the pricing for simply the individual Premiere Pro license. 

Individual plan: 

Annual Paid Monthly: $22.99

Annual Prepaid: $263.88

Monthly: $34.49 

Shotcut: A free and open-source alternative for beginners

Where are all the free video editing options? 

If you are looking for a fully free, open-source, cross-platform video editor, Shotcut is worth downloading. 

Its interface looks similar to Camtasia, so if you are familiar with this, you could always invest in Camtasia once you get your video editing feet wet.

“Nothing in life is free” as they say, so please remember that Shotcut is a bit more unstable than the other options mentioned, as users report a 1-2 second lag between clicking on actions.

Key features of Shotcut

Easy editing process: If you want to make simple videos like trimming your video clips or adding new clips with the “ripple” options will move the elements down your timeline. 

This “ripple delete” and “ripple replace” are standard across all the video editors we mentioned, but it’s nice to see this feature in a free video editor. 

Chroma Key: Chroma-what? If you’re new to video editing, this industry term means ‘green screen’, which Shotcut is impressive at

Remember, your green screen effect is only as good as your input source, so if you aren’t achieving the effect you need, see our DIY tips here. 

If you want to produce videos with Chroma Key, most video editors on this list have some type of Chromakey or similar background removal options available. 

Resizing Video: Again, all of these features mentioned will be included in the other options I mentioned above, but if you are willing to go through a couple more clicks and watch a few YouTube videos, you can accomplish a lot. 

Best suited for: 

Beginners with no budget: If you are new to video editing and willing to learn a new tool, why not take the risk of a slower yet free tool? 

It’s like buying the rusty fishing boat before a brand new boat – a prudent, reasonable choice that your grandpa would be proud of. 

Choosing the right Filmora alternative for your needs

We wish you the best in finding your Filmora alternatives – whether it’s the advanced features, ease of use, or aesthetic needs.

Top pick: Camtasia + Audiate is the perfect duo with the quickest ramp-up time into the world of video editing.

The easiest way to edit videos

Stop wasting time and discover how Camtasia makes creating incredible videos easier than ever.

Free Download
An image of a laptop showing the camtasia drag-and-drop editing feature

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

The Best Adobe Premiere Pro Alternatives for Video Editors

The Adobe Premiere logo with arrows on either side of it.

Adobe Premiere Pro is a leading video editing software known for its robust features and seamless integration with the Adobe Creative Cloud. For most professional video editors, Premiere Pro is the top choice.

If you are a professional video editor or your company has already invested in Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, it would make sense to learn this video editing software to stay within the same ecosystem that your colleagues use for compatibility purposes. 

However, if you do not have an Adobe Cloud suite license, or simply cannot swallow the cost of one, there are other options. There is a steep learning curve–you have to be a professional to use it, so this is something to keep in mind if you are considering using it.

It’s important to find a video editing software that fits your skill level and offers the necessary editing features for various projects. 

You might be thinking that you could simply use less features of the software, so it would feel easier to use. This leads to the third reason for looking for Adobe Premiere Pro alternatives–using an extra powerful tool might not match your workflow.

Sure, you could use a chainsaw to cut through a piece of paper, but why not look at some scissors? Let’s begin our quest for an affordable, easy to learn, and convenient workflow video editing software!

Camtasia + Audiate: Best Adobe Premiere Pro alternative for easy-to-use video and audio editing

What’s been voted for years as the #1 user-friendly video editor? Camtasia is one of the top alternatives to Premiere Pro.

Camtasia offers a wide range of powerful video editing tools and an intuitive user interface that makes it an easy-to-use video editor for beginners, yet brings efficiency for professionals. Camtasia is ideal for individuals and teams who are looking for a powerful, accessible video editor.

 

Camtasia also has a sister product, Audiate, a specialized tool for users looking to enhance their audio and video projects with advanced text-to-speech editing capabilities. The best part is that you can sync your projects together, so whatever edits you make in Audiate will be editing your Camtasia video at the same time.

Text-based video editing is a game-changer of a workflow. What’s better than not having to scrub through playback and delete all um’s and ah’s with one click? There are other products on the market specialized to do this, but with the TechSmith suite, you will be in good hands to easily create videos, while editing audio.

Key features of Camtasia 

Camtasia video templates from the asset store.

Library and templates

Who really likes repeating the same work over and over again? 

As you grow in your video editing journey, you are going to want to take some shortcuts. Editing videos already takes enough time! With Camtasia, you can save your video as a template to easily drag and drop new video content in. Or, save your intros and outros to your library for easy use again. 

Do you find yourself making the same tutorial video again? Or do you clean up a webinar before posting it to YouTube? 

Save yourself time by utilizing templates and the Camtasia library. A lot of video editors have wonderful templates. Still, they don’t allow you to create and reuse your own templates, which is perfect if you are collaborating with subject matter experts or teammates for a seamless editing process. 

Make boring screen content exciting. If you use screen recording in your content, you should be using Camtasia. Seriously, ask any trainer you know, and they’ve heard of it. Zoom and pan easily, add a blur on top of your screen recordings, or annotate your content with customizable arrows and callouts.

An image of arrow customizer in Camtasia.

Highlight your mouse, and enlarge or change the mouse shape with automatic smoothing (or edit the path!). Dream what you could add to a screen recording, and Camtasia probably has it.

Text to speech

Audiate’s text-to-speech editing tool allows users to generate audio instantly, choosing from a variety of voices and languages. This is great to keep your content evergreen, so when you need to update content, you can do so easily without having to worry about matching up the pitch

Text-based video editing

Remember how we mentioned finding a video editor that works with your workflow? With Camtasia, the sister product, you can edit audio and video in real time. Remove um’s and ah’s from your videos in one click! Again, you will find other video editors with this feature, but they often started only from this workflow and do not have the other features that Camtasia provides. Get you an editor that can do it all.

Professional audio

Audiate has some of the best audio improvement tools to enhance audio quality and noise removal. This is so important if you are collaborating with others on videos. Not everyone on your team will have access to a great microphone, so Camtasia + Audiate will save you from having to ask your teammate to re-record. 

Best Suited For

Camtasia suits a variety of people, including, but not limited to:

Beginners

A simple user interface with an extensive training library and live webinars helps ease the sharp learning curve for most video editors and allows you to customize as much as this tool does. 
Camtasia and Audiate are available on Windows and Mac, so you can get started using the platform you are most comfortable with.

Image of a women smiling with feedback from a coworker.

Multiple users or teams

Collaborating on video doesn’t have to be hard. Export your video as a link to allow your colleagues to time stamp comment, add an annotation or react to your video before you make any final tweaks.

Camtasia also allows you to share libraries and create your own brand kit theme, so that everyone is matching your style guide. Because it’s easy, and dare I say fun to use, you get less pushback when you need your subject-matter-expert to record their part of the video. 

Jack of all trades

Remember, Camtasia is the tool to help you create all types of high-quality and mixed medium videos with the options of screen recordings, stock footage, professional camera input, your webcam, PowerPoint integration, and more. 

This makes Camtasia a favorite tool for marketers and small business owners. 

Trainers & instructional designers

While Premiere has an impressive list of features, Camtasia can beat it on the screen front. If you are creating mostly screen content, Camtasia is the niche for your type of video. 

Podcasters

Compatible with various video and audio file formats, you can quickly transform and edit your visual podcast videos and enhance your audio quality with their simple editing tools. 

Pricing and plans 

Camtasia offers a free, watermarked trial and also has discount options for students and teachers and government and not-for-profit workers. 

They have a well-established enterprise footprint as well, so please check with your IT department if they have an extra license seat for you.

  • Camtasia Essentials Plan: $179.88/ a year (Audiate not included)
  • Camtasia Create Plan: $249/ a year 
  • Camtasia Pro Plan: $499/ a year (includes 100+M premium and customizable assets like stock footage, background music, and AI generator)

Compare the Camtasia Plans here

The easiest way to edit videos

Stop wasting time and discover how Camtasia makes creating incredible videos easier than ever.

Free Download
An image of a laptop showing the camtasia drag-and-drop editing feature

DaVinci Resolve: Best free alternative with advanced color correction 

DaVinci Resolve is one of the most powerful free alternatives to Premiere Pro, offering advanced editing tools and professional-grade color correction. 

If you are making high-quality content for television or cinema production, you may be familiar with DaVinci Resolve. While you don’t have to be a movie star editor, you will have to spend some time learning DaVinci’s Adobe Premiere-like user interface.

After putting the time in to learn this software, you will be impressed at all the features at your fingertips. 

Who knows, maybe you will make the 117th Marvel movie in no time!

Key features of DaVinci Resolve

Color grading

No video editor tool can beat DaVinci on color grading. They also have chroma key support, and 4K resolution editing, which make it ideal for professional video projects that require color correction.

Precision editing

It’s pretty amazing that DaVinci gives away editing features like magnetic timelines and easy ability to trim videos for free. As you delve into the world of video editing, you will notice that most of the options here listed are non-linear editors (NLE’s), which is important for building robust and professional looking videos. 

Cloud collaboration for shared groups

DaVinci can let you sync to your own cloud or the company’s cloud (Blackmagic). They have thought through the process by adding safeguards like timeline locking bins, allowing only one editor on that track, and intuitive file management. 

AI tool for tracking

DaVinci Resolve has some powerful face tracking. Want to add lipstick to your face? Done. 

Want to remove an object from the background? Done. 

Any type of scaling, tracking, and masking can powerfully be done in this program. 

Best suited for professionals and broadcasters

I mean, you think I am joking about making Marvel movies, but there’s a reason this is one of Hollywood’s favorite advanced editing tools. 

DaVinci is ideal for professional editors and filmmakers who require advanced tools for post-production, color grading, and visual effects.

Like with the high polish of cinema as a use case, those in broadcasting or video journalism will appreciate the live streaming capabilities to the cloud. 

Pricing and plans

  • Free: DaVinci offers a robust free version with many of its core features
  • DaVinci Resolve Studio: $295 as a one-time cost for a specific version

Final Cut Pro: Best for Mac users and professional editing 

Final Cut Pro as a top-tier video editor for Mac users, offering powerful editing tools that rival Adobe Premiere Pro. Again, it’s another video editor that offers a magnetic timeline, which simplifies the editing process by allowing clips to automatically adjust when you move or delete them, making it easy to insert shots. Users mention in reviews that it’s one of the most reliable video editors on the market, so Mac users rejoice! Having a stable video editor is important for longer, complex projects with high quality videos that can range from 4K to 8K editing. 

Key features of Final Cut Pro

Auditions: Do you edit video where you have multiple takes of the same line of a script or a scene? If so, you would appreciate their “Auditions” feature where you can try out multiple takes on your timeline.

Auto-syncing of audio/music: This is another fan-favorite feature that retimes your music or second source audio to match the length of your edited video. This is great for marketing sizzle reels, social media, or a demo.

Best organization tools: Easily tag entire clips or clip ranges with metadata for searching, and create Smart Collections that automatically collect content according to what you set as your criteria. In the browser you can create and save custom column views and search for media using clip names, markers, and notes. 

Motion graphics and audio plugins: Some editors build everything from scratch, but those platforms that build for third party plugins often can get new technology out to their users faster, which is the case for Final Cut Pro’s motion graphics like titles or transitions along with crisp audio. 

Best suited For: 

  • Mac users: Using a tool that was created for the Mac platform allows you to harness all the power of your machine. 
  • Professional editors: If you are a Mac user and a professional video editor, then Final Cut Pro would be the tool of choice for you. 

Pricing and Plans 

Final Cut Pro offers a free trial for 90 days, which is ample enough time to start one of your first video projects and see if it is worth the investment. Unlike many subscription models, Final Cut Pro is a one time purchase that includes continual updates.

  • Final Cut Pro: $299.99 / one time purchase in the App Store. 

CyberLink PowerDirector as a feature-rich alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro, offering a blend of professional tools with an easy-to-use interface. This video editing software is ideal for users looking for advanced editing features, including 4K video editing, without the complexity of Premiere Pro. Their impressive features revolve around creating dynamic videos that put an emphasis on motion effects or motion tracking. 

Key features of PowerDirector

Video effects: If you want to make moving people or objects in your videos more dynamic, consider adding AI body effects or motion tracking with this tool that can follow along frame-by-frame. They also have background removal and AI object detection. 

Drag and drop editing: While many of the options we discussed have drag-and-drop editing, it’s worth noting that PowerDirector does as well, which allows for easy video creation.

Color correction: PowerDirector also has features that allow you to enhance or correct your footage like color match and enhancement along with a variety of tones or blend modes to get you exactly the color palette you are looking for. 

Best suited for beginners

With its intuitive user interface and drag-and-drop editing functions, this tool is ideal for beginner to intermediate users who want advanced video editing capabilities.

However, some of their powerful features and effects are more suited to content on social media rather than corporate. 

Pricing and plans

PowerDirector has a free forever trial, however, it is only for the first 30 days after you download that you will have unlimited access to its features. Subscriptions can be purchased either monthly or annually. 

  • PowerDirector 365: $74.99/ a year
  • PowerDirector 365 + PhotoDirector 365: $134.98/ a year
  • Premium Add-On for stock content: $49.99/ a year

Choosing the right Adobe Premiere Pro alternative

Camtasia software interface.

The best alternatives to Adobe Premiere Pro, need you as a user to select a tool based on your specific editing needs, which depends on how comfortable you are with the tool’s ease of use, your budget, advanced editing features, the type of content you are looking to create, and the profession you are in. Top Choice: Camtasia is the best choice for users looking for a balanced video editor that combines advanced features with simplicity for beginners and teams.

Free Tool: DaVinci Resolve would be your best free tool option and if you are making polished content that uses a lot of imported camera video that you need color correction for, it would be a great tool to invest in later down the road based on your specific project needs.

The easiest way to edit videos

Stop wasting time and discover how Camtasia makes creating incredible videos easier than ever.

Free Download
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TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

Project Management Process: A Complete Guide

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A structured project management process is vital for the successful completion of projects. It helps teams effectively manage projects, optimize resources, and align actions with clear project objectives. By utilizing a defined process, project teams can reduce risks and ensure that projects meet both timelines and deliverables, leading to a successful project outcome.

What is the project management process? 

The project management body of knowledge defines the project lifecycle into five essential process groups: project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing. These phases guide the team to complete successful projects by ensuring clear workflows and milestones are followed from start to finish.

Popular project management methodologies 

Different project management methodologies, such as Agile project management and Waterfall are discussed in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and provide structured approaches for managing project schedules, scope, and resources.

Agile focuses on flexibility and iterative development, while Waterfall follows a linear approach. The PMBOK provides project managers with the fundamental practices needed to achieve organizational results and excellence.

Phase 1: Project initiation 

Project initiation is the first critical step where the project manager can outline the business case and high-level project scope. The project charter is created in this phase, detailing the project objectives, stakeholders, and initial risks. A solid project charter ensures clarity and alignment from the beginning, setting up the foundation for success.

Using visuals to communicate project goals 

Tools like Snagit help visualize the project scope and project objectives, simplifying the communication of complex goals with stakeholders. These visuals make it easier to discuss and align on key project aspects during meetings. 

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Phase 2: Project planning 

A clearly defined project scope prevents scope creep, which can derail project progress by introducing unplanned tasks. A well-managed scope ensures that the project remains focused and that expectations are realistic.

Developing a detailed project plan 

During project planning, the team creates a comprehensive project schedule, detailing timelines, milestones, and project deliverables. While having a clear schedule is essential to keeping the project on track, it’s important to avoid overloading it with too many rigid details.

Teams should focus on identifying the real hard constraints and dependencies while also recognizing areas where more flexibility is possible. Overly detailed schedules can lead to frustration if minor delays derail the entire timeline.

By distinguishing between non-negotiable deadlines and softer milestones, teams can adapt more efficiently as the project progresses. This approach encourages agility while still ensuring that the project’s overall direction remains clear.

Creating a risk management plan 

An essential part of planning is crafting a risk management plan, identifying potential project risks, and creating strategies to mitigate them. Teams often use screen capture tools to create risk matrices or visual charts to communicate these risks to stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is aware of potential challenges with the project execution phase.

A matrix with 4 colored squares labeled 'known unknowns, 'unknown unknowns', 'known knowns', and 'known unknowns'.

Phase 3: Project execution 

The execution phase is where the project team brings the plan to life. All tasks and project deliverables are completed according to the project plan. It’s important to utilize collaboration tools and regularly check in with the team and stakeholders to ensure progress is on track and goals are being met.

Tracking and managing project progress with visuals 

Tools like Snagit, a screen capture software, help capture and track project progress visually through charts or screenshots of dashboards, which can be shared with stakeholders. Using visuals makes tracking easier and allows for quicker updates, keeping everyone aligned.

Screenshot of a project planning Kanban board with a section of the image circled and a Snagit text callout added that says 'these are must-haves'.

Phase 4: Project monitoring and controlling 

The monitoring and controlling phase runs alongside execution, with a focus on tracking project performance. The team uses key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure the project is progressing according to the plan. This phase also involves addressing changes that may arise.

Handling changes and updates 

Implementing a change control process ensures any adjustments to the project schedule, scope, or budget are properly handled. Visual tools can be used to document changes and update all stakeholders, ensuring transparency.

Phase 5: Project closing 

During the closing phase, all project documents and project deliverables are finalized and handed over to the relevant parties. This is also when the team confirms that all objectives have been met and the project is officially closed.

Reviewing lessons learned 

Reflecting on lessons learned during the project is a critical step for a team’s continuous improvement and helps the team improve their processes for future project success. While this is typically done as a post-project review to ensure that successes are celebrated and mistakes are avoided in the next initiative, teams should always be learning and reflecting back throughout the project lifecycle.

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How agile project management fits into the process 

Agile project management allows for an adaptive approach by breaking work into shorter time increments, often called sprints or iterations, while focusing on regular feedback and continuous improvement.

Agile is well-suited to projects that require flexibility and quick adjustments. It can fit into any of the five process phases, from project initiation to project closing. Different agile methodologies offer unique advantages. Scrum organizes work into sprints with daily check-ins to track progress, while Kanban visualizes workflows to limit tasks in progress and improve efficiency.

Extreme Programming (XP) emphasizes high-quality code through practices like pair programming and test-driven development. All share Agile’s focus on flexibility, collaboration, and iterative delivery. With all of that being said, each situation is unique, and these methodologies can be adapted and/or combined to meet the needs of the teams doing the work. 

Using visuals to communicate in agile 

Snagit and similar tools can help visualize sprint summaries and agile boards, providing clear snapshots of project progress during daily stand-ups or sprint reviews.

A screenshot depicting a project board with Snagit's text annotations pointing out key parts of the image.

Best practices for a successful project management process 

Clear communication between the project team and stakeholders is essential. Keeping everyone informed and aligned throughout the management process ensures smooth execution and minimal misunderstandings. Therefore, conducting regular demos and check-ins is an excellent way to achieve this.

Document everything 

From the project charter to final reports, creating and maintaining accurate project documents is vital for tracking decisions and ensuring transparency. This documentation helps the team stay aligned and track project progress efficiently.

Use visual tools to simplify complex information 

Visual tools like Snagit simplify communication by turning complex information into clear visuals. Visual aids such as charts, timelines, and screenshots can all help communicate critical information to stakeholders more effectively.

A screenshot of a project board with Snagit's magnify feature used to call out key project dates.

The key to managing successful projects 

A well-structured project management process, encompassing the entire project life cycle and clearly defined phases, is the foundation of any successful project. A robust project management plan, supported by strong communication and the identification of relevant knowledge areas, ensures effective project work.

Using visual tools like Snagit can enhance communication, streamline project tracking, and lead to successful project outcomes. When combined with the right project management methodology, these practices help teams complete projects efficiently and with less risk.

Get started today with a free trial of Snagit screen capture and recording software

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

How to Improve Customer Service: Strategies for Success

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Customer expectations mirror the expectations of society. Instant gratification dictates today’s world. Technology has advanced, and expectations are for everything to be as quick and painless as possible. Especially when it comes to communication.

Many companies now have technologically advanced systems to handle their customer service workload, such as automated messaging systems, chatbots, limited contact options, and self-service options. However, these options may cause longer communication timelines and solutions not completely tailored to a customer’s needs.

Evolving customer expectations means strong strategies are key to customer retention.

Customers expect real-time, personalized, and insightful service. And commerce in today’s market is more competitive than ever. So, providing excellent customer service is more important than ever and can set a business apart from its competitors.

Efficiency and speed are especially important to today’s customers. Using visuals when interacting with customers leads to faster resolutions, happier customers, and shorter wait times.

You need the right tools to create an effective customer service experience that fosters loyalty in your customer base.

Going above and beyond for your customers has become the norm rather than a rare experience. Arm your team with a problem-solving toolbox that includes empathy, real-time support, and clear visuals.

This will help to emphasize understanding and provide actionable steps.

Train your customer support team to be empathetic and solution-oriented

Empathy is your key customer service strategy

Empathetic customer service delights customers and also benefits your customer support team in ways you might not expect.

A recent study found that “training employees to focus on how good customer service benefits themselves creates a positive feedback loop. This will benefit customers, service providers, and organizations alike.”

Happy support teams make for happy customers, and vice versa!

Great customer service naturally requires soft skills that lead to better outcomes for your organization and customers. When support teams truly connect with customers, they feel empowered to go the extra mile.

Training your customer support team to listen to and truly understand customer concerns will empower them to respond thoughtfully. Your team should be on the customer’s side, solving the problem together.

Fewer touchpoints and more meaningful interactions, supported by easy-to-understand visuals, cross-training strategies, and personalized service, will help your team to connect with customers on a human level.

A positive feedback loop that runs both ways will retain a happy team, and your team’s personal connection with your customers will retain a happy customer base.

Better problem-solving techniques lead to faster resolutions

Problem-solving is a key skill that successful customer service teams possess. Many customer contacts require a careful eye to sift through information and determine the exact issue and what may be the cause.

Problem-solving skills lead to reduced solution times and more personalized solutions.

No situation is cookie-cutter. Tailoring solutions to a particular customer leads to higher customer satisfaction than meeting just some of their needs with a formulaic response or a chatbot designed to help the masses.

Customer service teams should know the parameters of their abilities so they can have the agency to problem solve the best resolution with both the interests of the company and the customer in mind.

Personalize the customer experience

Data helps your organization understand customer needs

A study from leading customer service expert Shep Hyken on the benefits of personalized customer experiences found that “81% of customers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience, and 70% say a personalized experience in which the employee knows who they are and their history with the company (past purchases, buying patterns, support calls and more) is important.”

When support teams use customer data to understand preferences, it leads to greater customer satisfaction.

Using a customer’s name is great, and customer support agents can pull that data from prior tickets and interactions, but beyond that, you should always have a secure log of notes and background that agents can refer to.

Your teams need to see if a customer has had the same problem before or if they’re noticing a pattern of issues affecting multiple customers, which isn’t possible without access to customer contact history.

Nobody likes having to repeat themselves, especially when they’re already running into issues and are trying to explain a tough-to-described technical issue or frustrating billing problem.

Teams can quickly refer back to earlier tickets to tailor solutions to a customer’s specific needs without making them say the same thing for the fifteenth time. Keeping a record of past support can make the difference between a returning customer and a lost one.

Customer data empowers your support team

Equip your customer service team with powerful, user-friendly tools, such as a ticketing system that tracks customer history and includes essential features like agent notes.

A hallmark of great customer service is taking advantage of the support tools included in a ticketing system to log past tickets and track customer contact and preferences.

Being greeted by name by a friendly agent with a thorough understanding of your history with the company feels like walking into your neighborhood spot!

With the right tools, your support team can easily look back and see if the customer they’re helping has faced similar issues before and view background information that can help resolve their current problem faster. Highly personalized support using individualized information stored in a secure database is a great way to improve your customer service.

Provide the real-time support your customers expect

Customers expect easy, quick options to communicate with companies, such as live chat and phone support. This type of real-time communication has become a crucial part of everyday life, so companies must provide customer service modes that are familiar and readily available to customers.

Customers should be encouraged to send visuals like screenshots and attachments to customer service representatives while communicating through chat or email.

Incorporating this into a contact strategy is extremely helpful for the agent. It also leads to reduced resolution times and an improved overall customer experience since many customers already use tools like Snagit and Screencast in their normal workflow.

Real-time support builds trust and loyalty

Providing real-time support options leads to happy, loyal customers who want to do business with you.

Just like any relationship, the customer-business relationship are built on trust. “83 percent of consumers say they will not do business with brands they don’t trust.” A good customer service experience builds trust in your company and, by extension, your products or services!

Another facet of trust-building is having a customer service team that is confident in their ability to assist a customer and in the information they provide. Instilling trust in customers by showing that agents are knowledgeable and truly have the customer’s best interest at heart will increase customer retention.

Reach your service-level goals with screenshots and GIFs

Visuals lead to customer service efficiency

Data shows that customers prefer receiving visual solutions, and these visuals also lead to reduced time to a solution and reduced future touchpoints with customer support.

It’s a win-win when you can achieve customer satisfaction using a method that’s easier and simpler for your customer support team.

Using visuals to enhance your written content helps the customer understand your message better, and the customer support agent spends less time trying to rephrase the perfect sentence.

How support teams use visual support in action

Screenshots are key, but we’ve also found that using video content to highlight steps in a process is another great way to provide excellent customer service that’s both streamlined and personalized to the customer’s specific issue.

Customer service agents get great customer feedback when they can refer to a specific part of a video when troubleshooting an issue.

Visuals don’t just have to mean in-depth videos, though. Anyone on your customer support team can use Snagit to quickly create a repeating GIF to add to a support article or chat with a customer to show how to complete a few-step process.

Capture a video with Snagit and press GIF when you’re done – seriously, that’s it. GIFs are fast, fun, and, most importantly, easy for customers to consume.

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Use Snagit to create professional, helpful visuals

Do you want to cut your email touches in half?

TechSmith studied whether support tickets with images or videos mean a faster response rate or fewer touches.

We found that they do!

When we pulled data from the tickets of our technical support team, we learned that the agents used Snagit 65% of the time.

These tickets always had a faster resolution rate than those that didn’t include images – by half.

Step-by-step solutions significantly reduce back-and-forth communication, which frees up time for your agents and customers.

 

Customers also benefit when they send images to support teams. Train your support teams to ask customers for a screenshot of the issue and see how quickly issues get resolved when long descriptions are removed from the equation.

It might surprise you how quickly support teams find their own clever ways to use visual tools to save time.

Turning a 1-2-3 teachable moment into a screenshot, GIF, or micro video and sending a shareable link to the customer makes a keepsake that the customer can refer to any time, rather than opening up a new chat or picking up the phone again.

Customer support teams that pull from a shared collection of annotated images get great results when using these to direct customers to use a specific workflow. Arrows, steps, and callouts in screenshots sent to customers help greatly when troubleshooting technical software issues or even showing customers how to update their billing information.

Snagit can store your organization’s design colors and preferred fonts to create a theme to use throughout your documentation. Make images agents send crisp and professional, no matter who created them. To see how these simple tools can help you boost your documentation and make life easier for your customers, check out the Snagit trial for free here.

Collect and act on customer feedback

Feedback from your customers brings continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is necessary in today’s market, especially for organizations that aim to deliver service at the high standard their customers have grown to expect.

When developing your team’s customer service strategy or taking it to the next level, keep it simple – listen to what your customers are telling you.

Your customer support team is on the front lines of your business and can quickly notice patterns and report back.

We all know customers don’t hold back from sharing candid feedback on social media. Members of your customer service team can monitor keywords and mentions to make sure you’re supporting customers everywhere they are.

Whether you’re reaching out to a specific person to make things right or noticing posts referencing one of your products or services, use social media to your advantage and snag that feedback!

Having agents send surveys to customers is one way to grab data quickly. Teams can also send follow-ups to check in on the status of an issue, which makes customers happy you remembered!

Personalized contact in the form of a 7-day or 8-day follow-up message can be easy to set up in your ticketing system. It will help you on the path of continuous improvement and enhanced customer experiences overall.

Act on customer feedback to improve service levels

Team leaders and managers know that customer feedback is important when streamlining processes and determining better workflows for their agents. Businesses can turn feedback into actionable steps for customer support teams, which will, in turn, increase customer retention and loyalty.

Gathering and acting on feedback also helps your support team take part in growing your business as a whole.

A major but often overlooked part of excellent customer service is learning from your customers and determining their needs.

Don’t just fix an issue on an individual level every time a customer calls in about the same problem again and again; grab data and take that pattern to the team that has a hand in fixing it.

Support teams can easily use visuals as examples to share with other teams.

A customer service team member can annotate a customer’s screenshot with their own notes to highlight issues or suggest improvements.

Knowing that they’re providing constructive feedback internally to improve products or processes will improve your customer service experience and make your team feel good about the contributions they’re making to the company itself.

 The positive feedback loop that comes from knowing you’re making a difference at your organization acts as a built-in incentive to gather data.

Using visuals like annotated screenshots turns feedback into actionable steps that improve processes every step of the way.

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Invest in support team training and development

Ongoing training builds an effective customer service team

Continuous training for your support team is necessary when providing products or services to a growing and changing customer base. Creating training documentation for your customer support team doesn’t have to be time-consuming or contain endless wordy descriptions.

Providing your customer service team with async training sessions via short-form videos and screenshots allows your team to keep up with changes without attending hours-long training sessions or lengthy meetings.

Extended meetings take your team away from the front lines and often mean coming back to an overflowing inbox of waiting customers or lots of voicemails to return.

Long emails and memos are often overwhelming, filled with irrelevant details, and difficult to remember.

We find that team members are much happier to receive quick and simple visual updates and feedback on internal changes.

As a bonus, if your team has easy access to simple visuals and engaging videos on your organization’s products or services and how they work, they can continuously train on the spot without taking time away from live coverage.

When training is served in bite-sized and friendly bits, teams see it as another part of their daily work rather than a frustrating experience.

When your customer service representatives feel confident in performing their daily tasks, knowing they can easily grab the resources and information they need, they’ll naturally provide better customer service.

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Cross-training for flexibility and efficiency

We know that customer-centric information is important, but what about cross-training between teams?

Customer-facing team members perform better and retain a wider knowledge base when they have access to information in the form of maps, flowcharts, tables, and easily digestible images from other internal teams.

Creators, developers, and engineers who work on products and systems often face disconnect with front-of-house, customer-facing teams, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cross-train your team to handle a wide range of customer questions. Watch wait times decrease like magic when your team doesn’t have to wait for an email from another department or dig for an answer.

Increased efficiency comes from both agent flexibility to handle questions and an easily digestible and easy-to-access knowledge base from which to pull.

Ensure you build a bridge between your customer support team and the rest of the company. This will allow your organization to access customer feedback and make your team feel heard.

Effective communication between departments makes it easier for customer support teams to have access to what they need when they need it. When customers expect fast resolutions, easy access is practically a requirement for success.

Customer support team managers who forge connections between their team and others know that all impacted teams find it greatly rewarding.

Improve self-service options for your customers

Customers prefer self-service tools

Modern customers often prefer to resolve their own issues without having to contact support.

Sometimes assuming that it will take a long time before their issue gets resolved, customers like to take matters into their own hands more and more frequently.

Customers have been burned by long wait times and never-ending back-and-forth chats with agents who don’t want to take the time to resolve their problems, so make your business stand out by providing fast, simple, and friendly service.

By raising the standards of your self-service materials on your website, you can empower your customers to find answers quickly, which is exactly what they expect. Not only does this make for satisfied customers, but it also means way less strain on your support team.

Strong customer service strategies that support self-service don’t just mean a helpful online account system, though.

You also need easy-to-locate and thorough but simple guides for your customers so they can navigate those systems. Let them know what to expect so they can feel confident to solve their own issues.

Adding visuals like screenshots and GIFs to your support articles helps customers plot their own course as they visit your website and manage their accounts. Learn how to turn a short video into a friendly and easy-to-consume GIF that you can add to your customer-facing knowledge base!

Wordy documentation isn’t very helpful, especially if customers are trying to find information fast.

Images lead to pattern recognition, which helps customers remember what to do next time without needing to return to your article or reach back out to customer support.

If your goal is customer retention, train your customers to access what they need on their own. Make it easy, but be there to catch them if they need support.

Visuals and tutorials for self-service success

Our own support teams use Snagit every day to create high-quality visuals that boost our customer-facing and internal support articles.

Help articles with strong, clear visuals lead to greater understanding and enhance customers’ interactions with the self-service tools we provide. Your customers can also benefit from visuals when it comes to self-service.

Easy access to visual guides will improve the way your customers interact with your organization’s self-service systems and, in turn, lead to fewer touchpoints with customer service teams.

Super-quick resolution times and fewer back-and-forths between agents and customers are picture-perfect proof that using visuals to aid with support is a winning strategy.

Even complex issues benefit from visuals. Rather than reading a long series of boring how-to steps from an agent, a customer can spend a minute or two watching a video with easy-to-see mouse clicks and arrows letting them know exactly what to do next.

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Improve your response times

The impact of fast response times on customer satisfaction

The goal of a customer service team should be to resolve a customer’s issue effectively and efficiently. Swift response times show that the company values the customer’s time and is committed to solving their issue, which is the heart of customer satisfaction.

However, customer contact is constantly rushing in.

It never stops.

So, it can be easy for a customer service team to feel like Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill if they are not working towards a set objective. Customer service agents need to see the impact they make.

Setting goals is an effective way to motivate customer service teams to meet the Service Level Agreements standards you set.

Use Snagit and Screencast to provide visual progress updates. A customer service team needs to know that the set expectations are realistic and important.

Little reminders help a customer service team to push themselves further, ensure customer satisfaction, and raise levels of service. When goals are achieved, and customers are happy, they spread their satisfaction through social media and reviews.

Strategies to reduce response times

A picture is worth a thousand words. As previously discussed, research shows that visuals reduce customer touchpoints and provide more information quicker.

But, a customer service team needs to be equipped with the mindset to assist customers efficiently.

Part of that efficiency is built from an agent’s side of real-time support. They need to progress the conversation with clear and direct messages to the customer.

 It is ideal to find a balance between being personable and friendly and being solution-oriented.

The customer service agent cannot allow the conversation to stall. They need to ensure all communication flows towards the solution in an understandable way.

The company’s ability to set up a customer service team for success has an important role in cutting solution times. Having pre-made phrases and visuals that an agent can customize quickly to suit a particular customer’s needs will help prepare them to assist anyone effectively and efficiently.

Also, having visuals that customers can use to self-service while waiting on a customer service agent’s response, or even before reaching out, is an effective strategy that can reduce time to a solution.

Conclusion

Improving your customer service experience is a never-ending process. Your customers expect continued improvement, which is necessary if your organization wants to keep up with ever-changing demands.

If your goal is to generate effective, personalized customer service strategies that work for your team and your customers, visuals can aid in their training and boost how they support your customers.

Customer loyalty is often hard-won, so make it easy on your team with the right software to support your organization’s customer experience goals.

Seamlessly enhancing the customer experience becomes just another part of your everyday workflow when you invest in the right tools for the job, like Snagit and Screencast Pro.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

How to Edit Videos on PowerPoint: A Guide

A video clip laid over a PowerPoint slide, with scissors cutting the video clip.

Adding and editing videos in PowerPoint can elevate your presentations, making them more engaging and visually dynamic. But how do you effectively edit a video in Powerpoint?

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of editing videos in Powerpoint. From inserting a video file to trimming and formatting, we’ll show you how to do everything using Camtasia and Snagit as your go-to tools.

Why use videos in PowerPoint?

Videos are great communication tools, but why use them in PowerPoints?

Keep your audience engaged

Videos are a great way to break up large blocks of text and keep your audience stimulated. You can find explainer videos that are perfect for presentations.

Explain complex concepts

You can use videos to explain ideas that are hard to convey through words or static images alone. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, so imagine what a video is worth!

Professional presentations

A video in Powerpoint can add a professional touch to corporate presentations, training materials, and product demos.

How to insert a video in PowerPoint

Inserting a video in PowerPoint is easy and only takes a few steps:

Step 1: Open your presentation

First, open your existing PowerPoint presentation or create a new one.

Step 2: Go to the insert tab

Navigate to the “Insert” tab in the ribbon on the top of the PowerPoint window. Make sure you have the PowerPoint slide open where you want the video to be placed.

Options to insert video in PowerPoint

Step 3: Insert the video file

Click on the “Video” button and choose “This Device” if your video is saved locally on your computer. 

Select the video file you want to insert and then click “Insert” to add it to your slide.

Step 4: Adjust video placement and size

Once the video is inserted, resize and move it to fit your slide design. There are tons of options for you to frame your video and edit it to fit your design preferences.

Basic video editing features in PowerPoint

After inserting your video, you can edit it right in PowerPoint.

Trimming your video

Select the video, click on the Video Tools Playback tab that appears. From there, choose “Trim Video” to set new start and end points for your video.

Adding playback options

You can control how your video plays during the presentation. In the Playback tab, choose whether the video should play automatically, on click, or loop.

Formatting your video

Powerpoint allows you to add borders, shadows, and other visual effects to your video. Select the video, go to the Format tab, and explore options like “Video Shape” and “Video Border” to customize.

Advanced video capture with Camtasia and Snagit

What if you need to add a video to PowerPoint, but you don’t have one, and need to create one first? Luckily, Camtasia and Snagit make it easy to record any video from quick how-tos and tutorials, to high-production instructional videos and social media content.

Snagit’s simple screen recorder

With Snagit, you can create simple screen recordings fit for any occasion.

Area of the screen circled during video recording with Snagit Screen Draw

The Screen Draw feature is a great tool for quick explainer videos or instructional videos. While you record your screen, you can highlight important information, point to certain details, and outline specific points.

Plus, Snagit lets you record your screen, webcam, microphone, and system audio. Or, choose from a combination that will let you create comprehensive videos.

With a fully-functioning free trial available, you can get started and create a video right away! Check out the full library of tutorials if you would like to review some how-to content as you’re getting set up with the program.

Camtasia’s advanced screen recorder

Think of Camtasia as Snagit’s more experienced and serious sibling.

With Camtasia’s multi-track recording powers, you can screen record your screen and edit out extremely detailed elements with ease. For example, you can enable cursor highlight or click animation so that your viewers never miss a beat – or a click.

Screen recording with a highlight around the cursor

Plus, you can resize and move around your webcam recording over your screen recording to keep your viewers engaged.

Screen recording with a picture-in-picture webcam video that can be repositioned

Camtasia also offers a free trial–no credit card required. Just note that videos produced in trial mode will have a watermark, but the screen recorder plus all video editing features are fully functioning during the evaluation period. You can get better acquainted with how to use the Camtasia by exploring the instructional tutorial library.

Advanced video editing

When PowerPoint’s built-in tools aren’t enough, you may need the advanced editing features that Camtasia or Snagit provide.

Editing video with Camtasia

Camtasia is a powerful tool that allows for detailed video editing before you insert it into PowerPoint. 

First, you can either record your video with Camtasia or upload the file into the editor. 

Second, edit your video by adding annotations, transitions, or even animations to make it more engaging. 

With Camtasia you can make basic edits like splicing and reordering clips, to advanced edits like cursor smoothing and dynamic captions. 

 

Lastly, export the editing video file and insert it into PowerPoint using the steps we mentioned earlier.

The easiest way to edit videos

Stop wasting time and discover how Camtasia makes creating incredible videos easier than ever.

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Editing video with Snagit

For videos that need minor edits and quick capture, Snagit is a great option. 

First, capture your screen recording with Snagit or upload a video to the editor.

Then, use Snagit’s basic video editor to trim, annotate, or adjust the video. Then, just export the video and insert it into the PowerPoint.

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How to play videos during your PowerPoint presentation

You can adjust the way your video plays during your presentation by using the Playback tab. Choose between playing the video automatically when the slide opens, or playing it only when you click on it. 

Pick the one that works best for your video needs. Usually it’s best that the video does not play automatically, since you may need to introduce it.

How to share your PowerPoint with a video

Make sure the video is embedded, not just linked. This ensures that the video will play even if you share the PowerPoint on a different computer or device.

Export options in PowerPoint

You can also export your entire PowerPoint presentation—including embedded videos—as a standalone video file. This is useful when you want to upload the presentation to YouTube or share it via email. To do this, go to File > Export > Create a Video.

Troubleshooting common issues with editing videos in PowerPoint

Sometimes, things go wrong, so let’s dive into the most common issues here:

Video not playing correctly

If your video doesn’t play during the presentation, it may be because of an unsupported file format. Convert to MP4 and try reinserting it.

Video quality issues

PowerPoint may compress videos, leading to a loss in quality. To avoid this, ensure that your video file is optimized before inserting it. Using Camtasia or Snagit to export in high quality can help.

Audio not syncing with video

Ensure the video’s audio settings in PowerPoint are correctly configured. If the issue persists, edit the video using Camtasia to adjust and sync the audio track.

And that’s it, now you know how to upload, edit, and share a video in PowerPoint.

TechSmith

TechSmith is the market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions for daily in-person, remote, or hybrid workplace communication and customer-facing image and video content. Our award-winning flagship products, Snagit, Camtasia, and Audiate, empower anyone to create remarkable videos and images that share knowledge for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication.

Frame Rate: A Beginner’s Guide

A beginner's guide for frame rate

Getting started with video can be a little intimidating, especially when you hear so many technical-sounding terms, like frame rate or fps. 

Even if you’ve heard of frame rate, it can be hard to know what would be best for your videos. Many factors need to be taken into account when choosing the best one for your video.

Lucky for you, in this beginner’s guide, we’ll break down the definition of what a frame rate is and why it matters.

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What is frame rate?

Frame per second (fps) means how many frames are squeezed into one second of video.

So, if a video is captured and played back at 24fps, that means each second of the video shows 24 distinct still images.

Remember those cool little flipbooks? The ones where a pad of paper had an image on every page, and when you flipped through the pages quickly, the image would appear to move. 

This is how video works. Whether it’s digital or film, a video is essentially a series of still images that, when viewed in order at a certain speed, give the illusion of motion. Each of those images is called a “frame”. 

 

Frame rate, then, is the speed at which those images are shown, or how fast you “flip” through the book. This is usually expressed as the number of “frames per second,” or FPS.

The speed at which they’re shown tricks your brain into perceiving smooth motion. Magical isn’t it? 

Why does the frame rate matter?

Frame rates can greatly impact the style and viewing experience of a video. Different rates yield different viewing experiences, and choosing a rate often means thinking about multiple factors, such as how realistic you want your video to look and whether you plan to use slow-motion or motion-blur effects.

For example, Hollywood-style movies usually have an industry standard frame rate at 24fps, since this rate is similar to how we see the world and creates a cinematic look. Live videos or videos with a lot of motion, such as sporting events and video game recordings, often have higher rates because there’s a lot happening at once — this keeps the motion smooth and the details crisp in real-time.

Meanwhile, people who create animated GIFs will often sacrifice detail for a smaller file size and choose a low rate.

Frame rate is different than video speed, but they are related. You can change the speed of your video when you’re editing it, it’s always best to capture footage at your preferred rate. 

The most common video frame rates

Every art form has its standards, and in the world of video, frame rates have been central to the viewing experience. Historically, these standards have evolved not just from artistic decisions but also from technological and practical considerations.

The cinematic world settled on its standards early on. Movies, with their desire to emulate real-life motion, chose to capture film at 24fps and display it at 48fps or 72fps as this mimics the way our eyes naturally process movement. This standard has stood the test of time and is deeply rooted in the film industry’s legacy.

In contrast, TV broadcasters had to contend with technical constraints related to power standards, which influenced the frame rates used. This led to regional variations based on the electricity specifications of different countries.

Fast forward to today, and technology has broadened the horizon. Modern filming equipment allows filmmakers and videographers the flexibility to explore beyond traditional frame rates, especially when pursuing specific visual effects or storytelling techniques.

In essence, while there are common rates that the industry leans on, the ultimate choice often rests on the blend of an artist’s intent and the technical demands of the project.

What is the best video frame rate?

There’s no such thing as the “best” frame rate. As mentioned, different frame rates yield different results, so selecting the best one means going with the option that best fits what you’re trying to create.

Even though frame rate is a relatively straightforward concept, there’s a fair amount of controversy around which rates provide the best viewing experience, and there’s research that builds the case for just about any rate. Controversy aside, here are four things you need to keep in mind when choosing a frame rate.

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Style/Realism

The frame rate of a video greatly impacts the way it looks and feels, which in turn determines how realistic the video appears. This concept ties directly to how we see the world.

When we see motion, such as a person throwing a ball or a car driving by, we naturally see a certain amount of motion blur. Ideally, the rate you choose will mimic this motion blur, keeping the experience as realistic as possible. 

If you choose a frame rate that’s too high speed, things will look unnatural and the video will suffer from what’s called the “soap opera effect” — which is when a video shows so much detail that it looks odd. On the other hand, if you choose a rate that’s too low, the video will look choppy and will provide a poor viewing experience. 

To help figure out which frame rate is best for you, let’s look at a few common options and how they’re used.

24fps

This is the standard for movies and TV shows, and it was determined to be the minimum speed needed to capture video while still maintaining realistic motion. Even if a film is shot at a higher frame rate, it’s often produced and displayed at 24fps. 

30fps

As mentioned, this has been the standard for television since the early days, and is still widely used despite producers moving toward a more cinematic 24fps. Videos with a lot of motion, such as sports, will often benefit from the extra frames per second.

The reasons for using 30fps are complicated and, as mentioned are mostly to do with television and electricity standards set in the days of yore.

60+fps

Anything higher than 30fps is mainly used to create slow-motion video or to record video game footage. Additionally, as technology continues to evolve, many smartphones are now capable of recording at 60 fps as well.

Motion

The next key variable to take into consideration when choosing a frame rate is the amount of motion in your video. This one’s pretty straightforward. If you have a lot of movement, you’ll probably want to capture at a higher frame rate.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll want to produce at a higher frame rate, but capturing at a higher rate ensures a higher level of detail for the amount of motion captured. The higher rate also allows for more flexibility when editing your video

To help you decide what’s best for your video content, here are a few common options.

24fps 

As stated above, this is the minimum speed needed to capture video while still maintaining realistic motion. If you capture a busy scene at 24fps, you’ll see a lot of motion blur.

30fps 

With six more frames a second than 24fps, you’ll see more detail during scenes with high motion; however, the motion might look unnatural and suffer from the “soap opera effect.”

60+fps 

Anything higher than 30fps is usually reserved for recording busy scenes with lots of motion, such as video games, athletics, or anything you want to show in slow motion.

Gamers record at this rate because there’s a lot happening on their screen at once, and more frames equals more detail. Sports are often recorded at a high frame rate too so they can be slowed down to show replays while still maintaining crisp, clear video.

Frame Rate Delivery

The way a video is delivered, such as via YouTube or broadcast television, and the device a person uses to view your video can greatly impact the options you have for frame rate.

Not all devices and delivery methods support all frame rates, so it’s best to look into this before you start filming.

To help tackle delivery, let’s look at a few of the most common places people watch videos and how the video is delivered.

Streaming video on the Internet

This is quickly becoming the most common way to deliver video, and many streaming services support a wide array of frame rates. 

If, for example, you’re making a YouTube video, you can relax a little with the knowledge that viewers aren’t as bothered by frame rates when watching online. However, keep in mind that older TVs and computer monitors might not have a screen refresh rate that can handle high frame rates.

Television

When you produce a video for television, it’s best to stick between 24 and 30fps. This ensures that your videos look realistic and fit what people expect from broadcast television. Live broadcasts, such as news and sports, are almost always shot at 30fps, whereas TV shows and movies are usually shot at 24fps.

Film Projectors

Movie theaters, and projectors in general, are still an incredibly popular way to consume video. Much like TV broadcasts, the frame rate should be kept to 24fps as this will give your video that “cinematic” look and feel. You’ll also be able to rest easy knowing that your video will be displayed properly on most projectors.

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Frame rate file size and export times

The final factors to consider when choosing a frame rate are file size and export times. These two are pretty straightforward — the higher the frame rate, the more still images are packed into each second of video.

More images mean more information, and more information means bigger files and longer export times. This is especially important to consider when uploading videos to online streaming sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and TechSmith’s Screencast.

Higher-quality video is always the most desirable, but larger file sizes require better internet connections and computer hardware to stream at its highest quality. This means that people who aren’t using the most modern equipment or the fastest services might suffer from a poor experience.

Final thoughts on frame rates

Choosing a frame rate requires some thought, but if you consider the four key points outlined in this guide, it should be pretty easy to find the best frame rate for you. Of course, the best way to get to grips with frame rates and understand how they work is to play around with them. Try recording similar footage at different frame rates, and then using software like TechSmith’s Camtasia to edit your videos. 

Camtasia comes with a professional editing suite that’s intuitive and easy to use for beginners and experts alike. With it, you can add music to your videos, create closed captions, and even synchronize different audio and video sources

But Camtasia isn’t just an editing suite, it’s a screen and webcam recorder too. This means you can use it to film your own videos, record live streams, and make training videos

If you don’t have Camtasia already, you can download a free trial here. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make some great videos! Check out the video below for a great walkthrough on making your first video with Camtasia.

 

FAQs about Frame Rates

Is one frame rate better than another?

That depends on what type of project you’re working on! See the above sections to learn about different frame rates and what they’re typically used for.

How many frames per second can the human eye see?

Most people can see about 30-60 fps.

What are the most common frame rates?

The most common frame rates are 24fps for cinema, whereas 30fps and 60fps are used for television and online content. Different projects and mediums may have their own unique standards, but these are the most typical benchmarks.

How do you change a video camera’s frame rate?

To change a camera’s frame rate, access the camera settings or menu, locate the video or frame rate option, and select your desired fps setting. For more specific instructions, look at the user manual for your camera.

What’s the difference between shutter speed and frame rate?

The shutter speed determines how long each frame is exposed to light, while the frame rate indicates how many frames are captured in a second. A fast-paced shutter speed freezes motion, whereas a slower one can introduce motion blur. Frame rate, on the other hand, affects how smooth the video is when you’re watching it back.

Doug Brunner

Doug Brunner is an Instructional Designer at TechSmith. Fun Facts: • He's run a 52.4 mile race • Traveled to 11 different countries • Played drums in a Celtic band • Sings in his local community choir