How To Create A How-To Video

YouTube stars have made millions on teaching their fans how to apply makeup, cook vegan food, and put together Ikea furniture. “Life hack” videos are an immovable trend in today’s world. People want constant information about how to live their best lives with the products and services that they use. They want to see their product in use firsthand with how-to video tutorials.

 

 

What Are The Benefits Of A How-To Video?

 

You want your customers to feel a bond with your brand and your product. You can build brand loyalty with “about us” videos, marketing story campaigns, and client testimonials. But you can only build product loyalty through the lifestyle use of the product itself.

 

But in a world with thousands of similar products, how do you go above and beyond to make your product stand out?

 

You tell your customers how to use it.

 

It sounds simple… and that’s because it is. More often than not, companies will provide a product or service to their consumers, hand them an instruction manual, and leave—until they start marketing them for more business a few weeks later.

 

But asking for your customers to buy more after you left them high and dry the first time is like asking for a second date after you left before the bill came on the first one.

 

You didn’t help your customer with their product. You didn’t teach them how to implement your service into their life. You didn’t provide a continuous brand bond through the use of your product.

 

Note: How-to videos are also great for employee training. In this topic, though, we’re discussing primarily customer-facing videos.

 

 

Marketing

 

A quality how-to video is more than a tutorial that teaches someone to use your product or service. It’s a marketing tool that helps build the relationship between company and consumer. It ensures satisfaction with your product; when products are used correctly, they’re more likely to have a higher satisfaction and review rating. A how-to video shows that you care about your customers, so they will be loyal in return.

 

Keep in mind that you’re not necessarily trying to make this video go viral; you’re trying to provide value to your consumer. This how-to is a marketing tool for retention rather than acquisition. In opposition, an “about us” video is more about acquisition and recruitment. However, occasionally product videos are a great way to convince customers to buy, especially on eCommerce sites. Learn more about using how-to videos as a selling tool for eCommerce products here.

 

Troubleshooting

 

How-to videos can also function as troubleshooting customer service, especially if you don’t have a round the clock customer service. Videos have a higher response rate than text FAQ, as most people tend to learn better visually. In this way, any concerns or problems with your product can be fixed with a strong tutorial video; if the problem is fixed without a headache or long customer service phone call, your customers will be highly satisfied with your brand.

 

 

How Do You Create A How-To Video?

 

1. Plan.

 

Always plan the video before you start shooting to avoid any issues with lost time and money. With a how-to video, you should clearly establish the problem you will be solving.

 

• What issues could your customer face? How will the how-to video solve that issue?

• What are the learning goals? What do you want your audience to takeaway from the video?

• What topics will you cover to achieve those learning goals?

• How can you make those topics short and bite-sized?

• How will you incorporate visuals and setting to reflect the learning goals of the video?

• Who will talk during the video? Will it be a voiceover, an employee, or an expert in the field?

 

2. Keep it short.

 

When planning your video, don’t choose too many topics at once. The shorter the video, the better you’ll be able to hold the attention of your audience. Nevertheless, you want to be as thorough as possible. In this way, you could consider focusing on each topic in its own video, rather than creating one large video that covers all of the parts of your product. Short, digestible videos are more relatable and engaging than long, dense ones.

 

Learn more about the power of short video here.

 

3. Start with an introduction.

 

Begin by introducing the person who will be speaking about the topic, if relevant. If you’re using an expert in the industry or in your company, ask them to introduce their name, position, and experience. This will help bring credibility to the video. If you’re not using an expert, other actors or employees should be quickly introduced as well. A voiceover generally does not need an introduction.

 

From there, present the topics that will be covered in the video. Give an overview of what the how-to video will look like. This will help users know immediately if they have found the right video to solve their problem. They want their questions answered, and a strong introduction will tell them whether or not to spend the time watching this video. The introduction promises to answer a certain question and provide a certain solution in the how-to video.

 

4. Create the video.

 

What will the meat of your video look like? Each video should focus on only one topic. Then, decide how that topic would best be presented and taught. Unlike an “about us” video, a how-to is much more straightforward in terms of filling in the formula: problem → answer → solution.

 

The topic was presented in the introduction as a problem. Now the rest of the video will address that problem… but how will the video address that pain point?

 

• How will you show the product in use?

• Will the video be narrated?

• Will you use actors or focus on the product?

• Will you have a story line or a step-by-step guide?

• Will it include humor or be more practical?

 

Overall, consider the best ways that will help your audience relate to and understand your how-to video.

 

Tasty became one of the top cooking video channels simply because their “how to” videos are consistent, quick, and easy to follow. With just two hands, upbeat music, and embedded text, they can teach you how to cook just about anything (even if you’re generally a pretty bad cook).

 

5. Make it simple and fun.

 

Engage your audience. Even though you’re teaching someone how to do something, it doesn’t have to be boring. Use humor and storytelling just as you would in any other marketing video. This will help keep your consumer’s focus so the how-to video can have a beneficial impact.

 

Also, keep it simple. Your users want entertaining and understandable how-to videos. Visuals are a great way to grab your viewer’s attention. For example, if you’re teaching about software, include screenshots of the specific processes you’re discussing. If you’re teaching a topic that has specific terminology, use embedded words on the screen with the spelling and definition of that term.

 

6. End with a conclusion.

 

In the end, summarize everything learned in the video. You don’t need to repeat all the steps, but you should reiterate key learnings so the information will be better imprinted in the user’s mind.

 

Don’t forget that every video needs a call to action—even a how-to video. You could request that they contact customer service, try the product in a new way, play the next how-to video, or even buy more from you. Now that you’ve given them valuable information about your product or service, they have an immediate sense of trust… and trust sells.

 

 

The Bottom Line

 

Do you want to differentiate your product from your competitors’ before and after purchasing? Do you want to build up your customer satisfaction towards repeat purchases, word of mouth marketing, and strong brand loyalty? Request a quote with True Film Production right now to build a stunning, quality how-to video that will be the envy of your peers and the strategic marketing tool that builds your client list.