Creating internal training videos is a fantastic way to captivate and educate your team. With the right tools, practical tips, and fresh approaches, you can produce videos that not only convey essential information but also keep your audience engaged.
As a search marketer, you already possess valuable skills in crafting content that grabs attention and delivers results. However, when the audience is your own team and the purpose is internal training, the task may feel a little outside your usual comfort zone.
For those unfamiliar with video production, creating training videos might seem daunting at first. But rest assured, the expertise you’ve developed in search marketing can be leveraged effectively to produce content that educates and inspires your colleagues.
The key lies in using your existing skills to design videos that are engaging and informative. By applying a few best practices and learning to use essential tools, you can confidently step into this new creative endeavour.
This guide will take you through the necessary strategies, techniques, and tools to help you produce training videos that not only meet but exceed your team’s expectations.
Exploring SearchBot for internal training video insights
What should you do when faced with an unexpected assignment that plays to your weaknesses, such as creating internal training videos? Tackling such challenges can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach and resources, you can turn it into an opportunity to grow and succeed.
A great starting point is to explore expert advice. For instance, Search Engine Land’s SearchBot provides useful insights tailored to various tasks. In my own search, I sought tips on building internal training videos using the “Productivity Expert/Motivational Coach” persona. The Coaching Expert SearchBot shared several practical tools and strategies:
Essential Tools for Creating Training Videos
- Screen Recording Software:
- Camtasia: Excellent for recording screen activity with annotation capabilities.
- OBS Studio: A free, open-source option ideal for screen recording and live streaming.
- Video Editing Software:
- Adobe Premiere Pro: A professional-grade editing tool with advanced features.
- iMovie: A straightforward, user-friendly option for Mac users.
- Presentation Tools:
- PowerPoint or Google Slides: Create engaging slides to integrate into your videos.
- Prezi: Offers a dynamic presentation style to make your training more visually appealing.
- Audio Recording Equipment:
- USB Microphones: Improve audio clarity with options like the Blue Yeti.
- Headsets: Useful for clear audio during recordings or live presentations.
- Video Hosting Platforms:
- YouTube: Ideal for public or unlisted videos.
- Vimeo: Provides enhanced privacy options and is excellent for internal sharing.
- LMS (Learning Management Systems): If your organisation uses an LMS, hosting videos here ensures accessibility and integration into existing training modules.
Tips for Producing Effective Training Videos
- Define Your Objectives: Establish clear goals for your training video to guide its content and structure effectively.
- Understand Your Audience: Tailor the video’s tone, depth, and pace to match the audience’s knowledge level and needs.
- Keep It Concise: Shorter videos (5-10 minutes) are more engaging. Divide lengthy topics into multiple smaller videos for better retention.
- Use Engaging Visuals: Incorporate graphics, animations, and visuals to illustrate points and sustain interest.
- Incorporate Interactive Elements: Add quizzes or discussion prompts to encourage engagement and reinforce learning.
- Rehearse Your Delivery: Practise presenting the content to ensure smooth delivery and build confidence.
- Gather Feedback: Solicit feedback post-training to refine future videos and address any gaps in understanding.
Additional Considerations for Video Planning
While these tips offer excellent guidance, it’s equally crucial to focus on the planning and scripting stage. Tools like Google Docs or Notion are invaluable for drafting scripts and structuring your content to ensure no essential details are overlooked.
To streamline the production process, consider using project management tools such as Trello or Asana. These platforms can help you break the project into manageable steps, such as scripting, recording, editing, and reviewing, ensuring a more organised and efficient workflow.
Conclusion
Encourage your team to embrace video as a dynamic and powerful training tool. By focusing on clear objectives, engaging visuals, and interactive elements, you can create videos that enhance learning and knowledge retention. With thoughtful planning and the right resources, you’ll be well-equipped to produce training content that drives engagement and development across your organisation.
Adding a dash of creativity to your internal training videos
While technical tips and tools are undeniably important, the true impact of training videos comes from creativity that transforms content into something truly memorable. Inspired by David Ogilvy’s philosophy of “big ideas,” I sought unconventional sources of inspiration to take training videos to the next level. One surprising muse was the 1976 comedy film Murder by Death, a clever parody of detective movie tropes.
For fun, I experimented with another persona from Search Engine Land’s list: the Sarcastic Marketer. Pre-prompted as a witty, snarky expert, this chatbot offered a humorous take on crafting engaging internal training videos. Here’s what it suggested:
- Character-Based Scenarios: Imagine using the iconic characters from Murder by Death as avatars for your training modules. Picture a Poirot-inspired character meticulously solving the “mystery” of company policies. “Ah, but what is the true meaning of ‘conflict of interest’? Let us investigate!”
- Humour and Mystery: Add levity by creating light-hearted mysteries for employees to solve. For instance, “Who stole the last doughnut in the break room?” could be a fun way to teach teamwork and communication. Spoiler: it’s probably the intern.
- Interactive Adventures: Incorporate choose-your-own-adventure elements akin to the film’s plot twists. Employees can follow the lead of a wise-cracking detective or an overly serious one. Choose wisely, or risk falling into a dreaded “training loop of doom.”
- Visual Flair: Emulate the film’s quirky visual style with bold colours, exaggerated expressions, and playful graphics to keep viewers engaged. After all, nothing screams “mandatory training” like a cartoon detective peering through a magnifying glass.
- Catchy Taglines: Use taglines with a humorous twist, such as: “In the world of corporate training, the only thing more mysterious than our policies is why you haven’t watched this video yet!”
- Post-Training Debrief: Wrap up with a “whodunit”-style discussion, allowing employees to share what they’ve learned. “So, who was really responsible for those missed deadlines? Poor communication, or just a lack of coffee?”
By channelling the comedic charm of Murder by Death, training videos can transcend their often dull reputation. A creative approach can transform them into something employees genuinely enjoy. And if all else fails, you can always blame the cat.
Injecting humour and originality into your training videos can break free from the predictable, formulaic mould. By doing so, you create content that’s not only informative but also engaging, making the learning experience far more impactful and enjoyable for your team.
Strategic insights for effective training videos
Creating impactful internal training videos requires more than just technical expertise. It calls for a strategic approach that aligns with organisational goals, keeps pace with industry trends, and incorporates data-driven improvements. Here’s how you can craft training videos that are both effective and engaging.
Align Training Videos with Business Objectives
Training videos should be strategic tools rather than simple tutorials. Ensure they tie into broader business goals such as scaling lead generation, enhancing ROI, or increasing organic traffic.
For instance, if your organisation is entering new markets, focus your videos on localisation strategies for PPC campaigns or best practices for international SEO. By aligning training content with overarching objectives, you can increase its relevance and overall impact.
Cater to Different Levels of Expertise
Engaging a diverse workforce means tailoring your training content to suit varying levels of experience. Consider creating separate video content for:
- Introductory Topics: Designed for new hires or less experienced employees, these videos can cover foundational concepts like using Google Keyword Planner or a basic overview of Google Ads. They provide a solid starting point for those new to marketing.
- Advanced Tutorials: Aimed at experienced professionals, these videos can delve into complex areas such as conversion rate optimisation (CRO), attribution modelling, or technical SEO audits using tools like Screaming Frog. These sessions should offer deeper insights and practical applications to challenge seasoned employees.
Customising your training content ensures that employees at every skill level remain engaged and supported in their learning journey.
Apply Video SEO Principles
Even internal training videos can benefit from video SEO practices. Optimise file names, titles, and descriptions with relevant keywords to make them easier to find within your organisation’s systems. In larger companies, where resources can be difficult to locate, this practice ensures employees can quickly access the materials they need.
Tactical Advice for Effective Training Videos
- Leverage Analytics for Optimisation: Treat your training videos as you would an SEO or PPC campaign by tracking metrics like watch times, completion rates, and engagement levels. Platforms like Wistia or Panopto can help you identify content gaps or areas for improvement, keeping your videos relevant and impactful.
- Integrate Interactive Elements: Boost engagement and reinforce learning by including quizzes, polls, or interactive walkthroughs. For example, an SEO training video might include a keyword strategy quiz, while a PPC walkthrough could feature a hands-on campaign setup guide.
By aligning your training videos with organisational goals and incorporating these tactical best practices, you can create content that resonates with your team, drives measurable improvements, and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
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