Training videos are a cost-effective, time-saving way of teaching your employees the ropes without sacrificing quality. It's easy to see how training videos win out over team lectures or in-person training. You won't have to waste time and energy coming up with training lectures and exercises, and your employees won't get bored listening to them.
 

Face it: a vast majority of people out there would prefer seeing a fun, quick-paced YouTube video to sitting through tedious training lectures. Perhaps the biggest advantage of training videos is that they can be reused over and over again with audiences spanning multiple time zones and individual franchise units. 

Here are some tips for coming up with an effective training video.  

 

1. Identify the main points

Different industries require different skill sets and knowledge sets. Teaching accountants to use the latest PowerPoint features doesn't compare well to explaining sales techniques to clothing store personnel. In order for your workers to get the most out of your training video, it's important to grasp the key points you're trying to make. 

It's also critical to increase the video's effectivity by making it as short as possible to avoid overwhelming employees. This makes it all the more important to decide which points you want to make and stick to the script. If there's too much material to fit into a 2-5-minute vid, consider making a few additional ones to allow your employees a better chance of not missing out on crucial information.     
 

2. Come up with a winning script 

Now that you know what kind of message you want to impart, it's important to get a script that will get the job done in the minimum amount of time and the clearest, most precise way possible. We recommend hiring a professional script writer – someone with experience in the content marketing field will likely be able to come up with a quality text. Once the script is ready, go over it till you feel confident enough to record. Make sure you know exactly when to make pauses for emphasis, raise or lower your tone of voice, and speed up or slow down. Remember: The way you say something is just as important as what you say. 
 

3. Choose the animation

It's just as important to select animation that goes best with the message you're trying to impart. Some businesses prefer talking heads while others opt for human presenters and hire separate voice-over artists.
  

4. Pay attention to detail

Having the necessary video production equipment, finding a professional recording studio and film crew will go a long way towards getting a great training video the first time. This will save you time and money. You'll be able to use and re-use the same video for years to come, ensuring your employees get the most out of it. A good idea is to have someone you trust with the creative process provide some feedback. The vid could be great, but there might also be something you failed to notice. 
 

6. Measure the results 

The best indication of a training video's success is employees' performance. If you notice your workers applying the skills they attained in the video on an everyday basis, that should be a good indication that the video's is getting the job done. If, on the flipside, employees don't seem to get a better grasp of their work after they've seen the presentation, it's probably time to get another video or try an alternative method of instruction.