More and more trainers are expanding their training offerings with online content. This online content is made available during the online support of the training and includes, for example, presentation slides for the course date, exercise reminders via email, or knowledge assessments with feedback. (Another advantage of online support is the exchange with participants.) Videos can be a valuable addition to online support. How can videos be used in further education and coaching? With a video, for example, you convey information or motivate your participants to practice and take action.
Isn't it time-consuming and complicated to create videos?
Independent trainers and coaches always face the choice: “do it myself” or “have it produced.” Professional video recordings with many perspectives and scenes are time-consuming and expensive. With the choice of “do it myself,” many trainers are unsure of the necessary steps. Perhaps you have also thought about creating a video yourself but have not taken action. In discussions with our clients, we have found that videos with “minimal-best quality” are ideally suited for the online support of courses - that means with minimal effort at the best possible quality. Thanks to the widespread availability of smartphones with high-quality cameras, you can create such videos right in your own four walls.
How can you enhance your training with videos?
Videos in the online support can achieve various effects:
Personal messages to draw attention to the course offerings.
Personal greetings before the start of the course to set the mood for the participants.
Accompanying messages and information between course dates.
Briefly repeat course content.
Motivate participants to practice through a personal address, for example, with a specific call to action.
These videos that you create yourself will be short and concise. A video message should not last longer than 2-5 minutes; otherwise, you risk losing the audience's attention. More extensive content is best divided into individual small sequences. You can also capture your impact as a trainer in front of your group on video. Your message and the authentic “look” of your video can even be an advantage for you. A study on the perception of learning videos has shown that participants perceive high-gloss productions as less engaging (Link to study). Participants see that you care about their learning success, and in this way, you encourage them to practice. Ultimately, it is not necessarily learning but action that is crucial for practical transfer.
What steps are necessary for minimal-best quality?
Choose a good scene: A white wall provides a good background for filming. A medium shot or portrait setting should be chosen. A good place is a wall next to a window, as natural light beautifully illuminates the background.
Set up your equipment:
You will need a smartphone, tablet, or digital camera for video recording.
On the tripod, attach the camera mount and lighting.
For audio recording, use a lavalier microphone. Attach it to your collar and plug the microphone into your smartphone.
Film your recordings: Write down some bullet points on an index card. This way, you will automatically remember what you want to say. The better you prepare the content of your video in advance, the faster you will finish your recordings, saving you time during editing.
Edit your recordings: A simple editing program is sufficient for editing. The editing process includes, for example, inserting a logo at the beginning, cutting individual sequences, and possibly overlaying a graphic. Then, you export your video.
Prepare videos for online support: Either upload your videos to a video hosting platform (Wistia, Vimeo, or YouTube) or use the blink.it app for your entire online support. On blink.it, your videos are automatically optimized for streaming and are accessible on all devices. Additionally, you do not have to worry about administrating multiple providers.
Do you want to create your first videos with our support? We have already helped dozens of trainers create professional videos on their own. To this end, we offer our one-day workshop “Studio quality in your own four walls.” This workshop has been developed in collaboration with trainers and coaches. We guide you through the entire process, and after the workshop, you will master the points mentioned above.
We believe in the philosophy: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
Of course, there is also online support for this workshop with additional resources. Curious? Get in touch with us, or leave us a comment. If the workshop is not right for you, we also have an online course available.
What do you think about this topic? We are always interested in exchange! Where do you see the biggest hurdles regarding video production?
