How to Make Instructional Videos that Your Target Audience Will Love

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to do something and you turned right to Google to search for the answer, you’re definitely not alone! More than 1B questions have been asked on Google Lens since it started in 2017 and within the Google search engine itself, billions more questions are asked through desktop, laptop, and mobile search each year. The internet makes it real easy to ask, and answer questions as well as to learn or teach how to do things. If you’re thinking about how to make instructional videos that will target Google’s huge audience of people interested in performing various tasks, you have several options for success that we’re sure your audience will love.

Instructional videos can take many forms. Whether you’re teaching how to put furniture together, how to speak German, or how to train a dog, the process of learning how to make instructional videos that your target audience will love is going to stay pretty much stay the same with the exception of the actual content that’s going into each video. In fact, you can learn how to make instructional videos that target your audience in just a few simple steps.

Step 1:  Plan Your Video Content

The first step to learning how to make instructional videos is to plan ahead. This is where you’ll decide on the topic of your video, the type of video that you want to create and the total desired length of the video.

Instructional videos can take several formats. Consider the following types of instructional videos before you make a final decision:

• Micro videos: these are short videos that typically become part of an instructional video series. They are generally under two minutes long and they immediately get to the point in providing instructions to the audience. These are great for audience members with a very short attention span and even though they’re so short, viewers tend to gain a lot out of them.
• Tutorial videos: these instructional videos are short, step-by-step guides that walk the viewer thorough the process of performing a particular task. Tutorials can be between 2 and 10 minutes long and they’re often referred to as how-to videos.
• Explainer videos: these videos are often used to define or otherwise explain a complex concept using visual illustrations. Explainer videos sometimes involve the use of animated illustrations to bring topics to life.
• Training videos:  these videos are generally used for teaching workplace safety or skills but they can also train on a variety of other topics and skills.
• Presentation videos: often accompanied by PowerPoint slides or similar visuals and a lecture component these types of videos are typically longer and may require re-watching multiple times in order to fully digest all of the details contained within.
• Screencast videos: typically used to teach how to perform various tasks with the computer or with computer software, screencast videos are often used to target a very specific audience that is interested in learning how to utilize the computer or a specific software.

Once you’ve decided on the type of video you’ll create, you’re also going to plan out the following:

• What topic you will cover?
• Who your audience is?
• What your audience’s pain points are?
• How your video will speak to those pain points and relieve them?
• Where you will film your video?
• What the learning goals & objectives of the video are?

Step 2:  Determine Video Budget & Length

As you’re learning how to make instructional videos, the next big step is to play the total length of your video and the appropriate budget. These go hand in hand because the longer your video is the more it will cost. 

Most instructional videos are between 2-5 minutes, but some types of instructional video content are most certainly going to be longer than others. If you’re teaching a very complex topic, consider breaking it into parts so that you can keep your videos short and focused.

As far as budget goes, expect the following:

• Crew costs.
• Equipment rental fees.
• Location fees.
• Post production editing fees.
• Software fees (if you’re consider an interactive video).
• Special effects fees.

Step 3: Writing the Script & Creating the Storyboard

Once you’ve planned everything out, learning how to make instructional videos that your audience will love is all about the script and storyboard. Writing the script should focus on outlining all of the key elements of importance first and then deciding on how you will share the details.  Will you have characters and a story? What types of imagery will you use to help your audience follow the instructions that you provide? Will you incorporate interactive elements? 

Start your script with a basic outline of the important concepts and topics, and from there you can define any visual elements, written dialogue and the tone that will be used throughout. Keep in mind that the script should not be overly wordy as most of your instructions will be best supported with visuals.

Creating the storyboard to accompany the script is where you’re going to outline the visuals and camera movements that represent each shot of your video. This is where you will take the time to plan out each frame, what your visuals will look like, where your cameras and your crew will be, and any other important elements relative to the video.

Step 4:  Shooting the Instructional Video

You’ve planned, you’ve got your script and storyboard, it’s time for production! Learning how to make instructional videos that your audience will love is all about this part.  This is where it all comes together.

During production, a lot of working pieces are going to come together. This is where your camera angles, shots, and scenes must all be perfect for filming. Capture each of your scenes and some additional b-roll footage so that you have plenty to work with in post.

Step 5:  Post-Production Editing

The final step of learning how to make instructional videos is to roll right into post-production editing. This is where any interactive elements are incorporated into your video, each of your scenes and shots are pieced together, and your final cut is produced. Editing can take substantially longer than the production phase, but it’s where everything truly comes together. 

How much editing goes into your instructional video is going to depend on how extensive the finished video product will be. Some instructional videos have very little editing while others include a lot of special features, animated effects, and post production adjustments. This is where you will add any text overlays and branding to your video as well as any visual effects.

As you can see, learning how to make instructional videos that you can use to please your target audience is something that isn’t necessarily hard, but it does require a lot of work. To learn more, give Beverly Boy Productions a call!