More and more trainers are expanding their training offerings to include online content. This online content is provided in the online support of the training and includes, for example, presentation slides for the course date, exercise reminders via email, and knowledge checks 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 can convey information or motivate your participants to practice and take action.
Isn't it time-consuming and complicated to create videos?
Self-employed trainers and coaches always face the choice: "do it yourself" or "have it produced". Professional video recordings with many perspectives and scenes are time-consuming and expensive. When choosing to "do it yourself", many trainers are unsure of what steps are necessary. Perhaps you have also thought about creating a video yourself but haven't taken action. In discussions with our clients, we have found that videos with "minimal-best quality" are ideally suited for online support of courses - this means minimal effort with the best possible quality. Thanks to the widespread availability of smartphones with high-quality cameras, you can create such videos right in your own home.
How can you enhance your training with videos?
Videos in online support can achieve various effects:
Personal messages to draw attention to the course offerings.
Personal greeting before the start of the course to get participants in the mood.
Accompanying messages and information between course dates.
Briefly recap course content.
Motivate participants to practice through a personal address, for example with a specific call to action.
These videos, which you create yourself, will be short and snappy. A video message should not last longer than 2-5 minutes; otherwise, you will lose the attention of your viewers. It is best to break down more extensive content 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 is even 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 the study). Participants see that you care about their learning success, and in this way, you encourage them to practice. Ultimately, it is not learning but taking action that is crucial for practical transfer.
What steps are necessary for minimal-best quality?
Select a good scene: A white wall provides a good background for filming. A mid-shot or portrait setting should be chosen. A good location is a wall next to a window, as daylight beautifully illuminates the background.
Set up your equipment:
You need a smartphone, tablet, or digital camera for video recording.
Attach the camera mount and lights to the tripod.
For audio recording, use a lavalier microphone. Clip this to your collar and plug the microphone into your smartphone.
Film your recordings: Write down a few 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 quicker you will finish your recordings and save time during editing.
Edit your recordings: A simple editing program is sufficient for editing work. Editing includes, for example, adding a logo at the beginning, cutting the individual sequences, and perhaps adding a graphic. Then you export your video.
Provide 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 complete online support. With blink.it, your videos are automatically optimized for streaming and are accessible on all devices. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about managing various providers.
Do you want to create your first videos with our support? We have already helped dozens of trainers to create professional videos on their own. For this, we offer our Day Workshop “Studio Quality in Your Own Four Walls.” This workshop was 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 an online support with additional resources for this workshop. Curious? Get in touch with us, or leave us a comment. If the workshop isn’t right for you, we also have an online course available.
What do you think about this topic? We are always interested in exchanging ideas. What do you see as the biggest hurdles regarding video production?
