‘So geht’s’, ‘How to’ or simply ‘Tutorial’: Learning through videos is booming! What is already established in the private sector is increasingly making its way into corporate training. An up-to-date study shows which aspects are important for good video tutorials. Exciting: Video quality is not crucial!
About the Study: As a developer of video recording and editing software, TechSmith specializes in visual communication. For the 2019 video survey, 924 participants from six countries were questioned, including Germany. The focus was on viewer behavior regarding video tutorials and informational videos. The complete study “Current Video Trends, Statistics, and User Habits” is available for free.
A good tutorial guides your employees step by step through important processes. Prerequisite: Your employees must watch the tutorial attentively and in its entirety. The study reveals three factors that contribute to video tutorials being watched to the end:
Factor 1: The Right Length for Tutorials
More than half (52%) of viewers prefer a length between three and six minutes for video tutorials. In contrast, only 9% of all viewers prefer videos that are 20 minutes or longer.
The preferred length for video tutorials: More than half of viewers favor videos of 3-6 minutes. Source: TechSmith. Own simplified representation.
The challenge for video creators is therefore to include all relevant information in the video – without making it too long with too many details.
Tip: Use a cheat sheet for video shoots to clearly organize your content before shooting and to avoid getting tangled up during the shoot.
Factor 2: Information Content Is More Important Than Quality
Often, HR professionals and trainers worry that the not-so-perfect quality of their training videos might deter employees. The TechSmith study proves once again: Quality is not that important for viewers! Videos are much more often abandoned if they do not contain the expected information (35%) or are simply boring (23%).
Lack of information is a much more common reason to stop watching a video than video quality. Source: TechSmith. Own representation.
So you shouldn’t worry about quality: As long as your employees receive the expected information in the training video, for example, the quality of a smartphone is sufficient for video shooting!
Tip: You can find all tips and instructions for video shooting for online courses on our comprehensive info page.
Factor 3: Proven Video Elements - Sound, Realism, and CTAs
In the course of the survey, participants were asked to submit video tutorials that they personally consider “good tutorials.” In doing so, several elements were found in almost all videos. Here are the top 3 selections:
Place 1: Good sound/voiceover quality
Place 2: Camera video (real content)
Place 3: Hyperlinks or calls to action
This means for your videos: A good sound quality definitely has a positive effect! We have therefore tested 4 microphones for shooting video on a smartphone. To be as realistic as possible, a real product/device or a person, for example, the trainer, should also be visible. Finally, at the end of your tutorial, you should include a call to action: Should the viewer watch another video, complete a task, or participate in a quiz?
Conclusion: How to Create Great Video Tutorials for Your Employees
Choose a length between three and a maximum of six minutes.
Include exactly the information that your employees expect in the tutorial.
Make the content exciting so that there is no boredom.
Ensure good sound quality – video quality is secondary.
Add a clear call to action at the end of the tutorial.
The findings of the study align with our practical experiences. We have summarized our insights, tips, and examples for shooting training videos in a comprehensive guide. Download our free guide for shooting videos with the smartphone now and optimize your employees' learning process through great video tutorials!
