Want to create super engaging instructional videos? Here’s how!

How can you create your own instructional videos?

Instructional videos or educational videos are everywhere these days. We are bombarded with them on social media, we’re all Netflix subscribers, and we’ve all taken an online course that uses videos to explain the subject matter.

Instructional videos are an incredibly valuable tool for sharing knowledge, provided they meet a few key criteria. In this blog, we’ll give you 8 tips for creating super engaging instructional videos.

Tip 1 - Get to know your audience

You might have a general topic in mind, but you’re not sure which specific parts are worth covering in your video. Find the right angle by interviewing your target audience about the subject. Determine what they already know and where the "gaps" in their knowledge and skills lie—those are the most useful, relevant topics for your instructional video.

Choose one learning objective for each video.

Tip 2 - Choose the right format for your educational video

Different topics call for different instructional video formats:

• A screen-sharing video. This is the best choice if, for example, you want to explain a specific piece of software. It allows the learner to follow your steps and imitate them in real-time.
• An action video or demo clip. This is the best choice if you want to demonstrate something, such as a role-play or a specific skill. In this format, you (or an actor) are on camera.
• An animation video. This is the best choice if you want to illustrate drier concepts like specific theories, regulations, or future visions.

Tip 3 - Choose the right language and perspective

Research shows that learners learn best from videos that use a “first-person perspective.” This means the viewer sees things through the eyes of the person performing the action in the video. This perspective differs from a "third-person perspective," where the viewer observes the situation as if they are standing outside of it.

Additionally, it is important to consider whether every word contributes to the video's learning objective. Limit jargon as much as possible to avoid misunderstandings or confusion.

Use the learners' own words: what language do they use? What descriptions? Is the company culture more formal or informal? These are all things to keep in mind.

Tip 4 - Choose a relatable presenter

Educational videos that feature the speaker alongside slides are more engaging than slides alone.

The presence of the teacher/trainer is engaging for learners, so try to combine visual content such as slides, images, and screencasts with a video in which the teacher talks, is on screen, and “connects” with the learners. Choose a main character who fits your video’s audience (age, clothing style, way of speaking, etc.). 

Tip 5 - Use storytelling

You quickly lose your viewer’s attention if you present them with a long list of facts and figures. When you use storytelling, the message comes across much more clearly and strongly, and it is also remembered far better. An HR training video about recognizing negative behavior in the workplace, for example, can be illustrated with a video in which a character experiences discrimination, the impact it has on them, and what they would recommend to prevent discrimination in the workplace.

Emotion in videos is allowed and even desirable: it lets viewers put themselves in the main character’s shoes even more easily.

Tip 6 - Use “gaze cues” effectively

Is it useful to use gestures and visual elements to direct the viewer’s focus? That depends on the topic. If you want to illustrate something, you can have the “presenter” point to the different steps or parts you are discussing. It turns out that when the main character actively points to different elements on the screen, the viewer’s attention goes mainly there. You can also use arrows and highlighting in the image for this.

When you want viewers to really pay attention to the story and not wander off, it is better to have the main character speak directly into the camera without too many gestures and distractions.

Tip 7 - Keep it short

Make your instructional videos 3-4 minutes long at most. This fits the principle of microlearning. Microlearning consists of small, digestible pieces of information aimed at achieving a specific learning objective. As a result, the information is easy and quick to access from different devices such as a laptop, tablet, and phone, and learning can happen in no time, in just a few minutes.

Tip 8 - Add interactive elements

Just watching a video is not enough. It is important to put what you have learned into practice during and after watching. With interactive videos, viewers can click, drag, and perform other digital actions to truly engage with the content of the video. Adding these interaction options increases engagement because the viewer is encouraged to pause for a moment and actively demonstrate their knowledge. 

Adding your instructional video to Pluvo

Video finished? In Pluvo, you can quickly place it in your lesson module, with a quiz or assignment below it. If you get stuck, ask your question via the chat.