A good tutorial video can be a really effective way of walking users through software or explaining how to solve a problem in a simple way. I’ve made a bunch of these over the years – here are some things I’ve learnt.
I’ve been working with Siteflex for a few years now, and while it’s a powerful Content Management System, I found that I’d regularly get clients asking the same questions or getting stuck using Siteflex for the first time. So I put together a series of tutorial videos to help explain the basics and get people started.
You can see one of the videos I created below:
Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your own tutorial video:
- Use a good screen capture software. I used Camtasia but there’s free options out there as well
- Keep it short and sharp – people don’t have lots of time and the last thing people want is a long-winded video of you talking about irrelevant things
- Tell people what you’re going to do, then show them how to do it. Just a quick intro that explains what you’re going to be showing them (and perhaps why it’s important to know) then get straight into it. Don’t waffle or waste people’s time
- Write a script to help keep it short and sharp
- Do a couple of takes and select the best one. This helps you end up with a better product that is easier to watch and therefore more effective. I would avoid having to edit as well, so if you make a mistake just start again
