Too long, too impersonal, too poor in audio quality – there is plenty that can go wrong with an educational video. We present 7 typical mistakes in the creation of educational videos and give you tips on how to easily avoid them.
Whether it is a "selfie" video, a screencast, or recording a scene – you can make several mistakes when filming educational videos. But don't worry! Most mistakes are very easy to avoid. Today, we present 7 typical mistakes that can happen to you with educational videos – and how you can easily avoid them:
7 typical mistakes when creating educational videos
You are too perfectionistic.
Your video is too impersonal.
Your video is too long.
You don't engage your viewer from the start.
The audio of your video is too poor.
You use too many special effects.
Your video has no call to action.
Mistakes when creating educational videos are no reason to panic! We provide you with tips to easily avoid 7 typical mistakes.
How to avoid the typical mistakes
Mistake 1: You are too perfectionistic.
Stumbled over your words? Just keep speaking! You can always delete the recording later. Perhaps the minor slip of the tongue won't even be noticed in the entire video – and will seem authentic rather than unprofessional.
You can also spend an endless amount of time planning your video. Focus on the important things to save time and avoid falling into perfectionism! A quiet background, a stable camera position, and good audio are truly important – everything else often eats up unnecessary time.
Tip to avoid this: Create a very brief concept before your shoot – we have designed a template for you to download for free. And allow for minor mistakes that make you and your video relatable!
Mistake 2: Your video is too impersonal.
This mistake is especially to be avoided by coaches and trainers for whom personal contact is otherwise important in training. If this applies to you, your educational video should also show your own personal touch.
Tip to avoid this: Speak as naturally as possible, dress as you would for your training sessions or coachings, and work with your normal facial expressions and gestures. And: Simply show your video to a friend or a good colleague at the end – they will be best able to tell you if you come across as natural as always.
Mistake 3: Your video is too long.
If you research "good length for educational videos", you will find pages recommending 5-10 minutes, among others. But that is already too long! The ideal length is 2 minutes. The reason is simple: after 3-4 minutes at the latest, most viewers lose their attention. And you can convey content shortly and crisply even in a 2-minute video.
Tip to avoid this: Limit yourself to one central statement per video. Your participants cannot process more than that in the long run anyway. To stay "on track", a cheat sheet in A5 format helps. Whatever doesn't fit on it is too much! We have also created a template for you to download for free.
By the way: our name also comes from the brevity of the content – blink.it! Each content piece ("blink") should be completeable in two minutes, so as not to overwhelm or bore the viewer.
Mistake 4: You don't engage your viewer from the start.
Starting right in the middle of the topic can occasionally be a good stylistic device. But usually, you should briefly "onboard" your viewer at the beginning. That means: say in one or two sentences why they should watch your video right now.
Tip to avoid this: If your video is part of an online course, you can briefly reference the previous content. In addition, state the goal of the video, for example:
“In the last video, I explained why time management is so important for managers. Now you will get three tips on how you can start managing your time better today.”
Mistake 5: The audio of your video is too poor.
Your viewers will forgive a slightly blurry image – but never bad audio! If you cannot be heard well or if your video has annoying background noise, participants will likely switch off quickly.
Tip to avoid this: Good audio quality does not have to be expensive or complicated – we recommend the Rode SmartLav Lavalier Microphone for about 50 Euros.
Mistake 6: You use too many special effects.
This mistake often arises in combination with mistake 1 – excessive perfectionism. Most of the time, a very simple video in which you speak to your participants is sufficient. Too many overlays and effects distract from the content, so use them sparingly.
Tip to avoid this: Think in advance about what you want to convey – and which effects actually make sense for it. For example, overlaying a model can help visually support your words. As a rule of thumb, you should try to use only one type of effect per educational video.
Mistake 7: Your video has no call to action.
If you have already read a few of our articles, this point will look familiar. The Call-to-Action is a prompt from you to your participant to take action. It is an essential part of any learning content and tells the participant what to do next with the new knowledge to reinforce what they have learned. However, the Call-to-Action is easily forgotten in videos, because especially inexperienced speakers focus on many things at once.
Tip to avoid this: What a Call-to-Action looks like and what you should avoid in turn is explained by blink.it founder Konstantin in this blog post: Increase the value of your training in 4 steps – formulate clear calls to action!
Conclusion
A good educational video needs neither perfection nor elaborate effects: A clear message, understandable audio, and a concrete call to action are crucial.
One final, extremely important tip: Just like with everything else, practice is the key to success. You will certainly make a few mistakes with your first educational video, but with some time, practice – and patience, you will soon become a "video pro"!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an educational video be?
Educational videos should be as short as possible and focused on a single central statement. Instead of bundling a lot of content in one long video, it is more sensible to split complex topics into several short videos.
What is important regarding the audio quality of an educational video?
The speech should be clear and understandable without distracting background noise. Good audio quality is particularly important because poor audio makes it harder to absorb learning content and can quickly prompt participants to stop watching.
How personal should an educational video be designed?
An educational video can come across as authentic and personal. Natural language, familiar facial expressions and gestures, as well as addressing the audience directly can help build digital closeness with the participants.
How much content should an educational video cover?
An educational video should focus as much as possible on a central statement or a clearly defined topic. This makes it easier for participants to process and helps the creator keep the video short and structured.
Why does an educational video need a call to action?
A call to action shows participants what they should do with the new knowledge after watching the video. This turns the simple transfer of information into a concrete impulse to apply and reinforce what has been learned.
