How to make "How to" videos the easy way

November 11, 2021
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How to make "How to" videos the easy way
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

Most of us are guilty of whipping out our smartphones while searching for tutorial videos online. May it be about baking a cake, or about solving a glitch on our laptop, we all search for a how-to video on the internet every once in a while. And if you disagree with us, you must be lying. Because who doesn’t?

Did you know that around 53% of people search for two to three how-to videos every week? That’s only one statistic, but ask yourself, and you will realize that we search for stuff like that every day.

If you are a creator, influencer, marketer, then you know the demand for tutorials. The internet is crawling with tons of how-to stuff. In this article, we will guide you on how to make a how-to video.

What is a "how-to" video?

How-to videos are generally instructional ones or the ones titled “how to.” It may be “how to earn money easily,” or “how to work from home,” etc. There are a variety of instructional videos on the internet. But how-to videos are the ones that deal with a specific problem of the viewers and offer them a solution.

Why should you consider making how-to videos?

It doesn’t matter if you are a one man company, a start-up, or a large business, how-to video can help you reach many viewers. If you think that how-to video is just a waste of time, and you can do well without it, you are wrong. When people search for a solution, chances are 4x people will likely watch a video rather than read a blog. It doesn’t matter if you are providing detailed guide viewers will gravitate towards video. So, here are the reasons you must start making how-to video-

  • Viewers prefer visual content over written content.
  • Written content is hard to figure out; viewers prefer seeing the solution.
  • Viewers want to save time watching a video of 2-3 minutes rather than reading an 11-minute long read blog post.
  • How-to videos are wildly popular, 7/10 millennials watch how-to videos regularly
  • They expand your customer base by increasing your audience.

These are only a handful of reasons why you should start making instructional videos. But if you are here, then you are already on your way to making one, so let us dive straight into it.

What to do for a how-to video?

What to do for a how-to video?
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

Pick a well-performing topic

You can’t create a how-to smokey eye video if you are a gaming channel. That’s just common sense. So, you will have to pick a topic in your niche, whether it is software, educational, cooking, lifestyle, or sports. How can you find topics to create your instructional videos? It is easy-

  • Ask your subscribers or your viewers what they would like to watch next. Viewer input is the holy grail of content creators.
  • Run a search on YouTube, TikTok, and other popular platforms, to see what kind of instructional videos are currently popular. Do your research.
  • Competitive analysis is another way to search for topics. Find what your competitors are doing, and check out their content, and try to provide a better solution for your viewers.

TIP: Always go with topics that you know about, perform in-depth research, and provide authentic and helpful information to your audience. Do not choose issues you have no idea about.

Storyboard the hell out of your video

Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took hundreds of workers and thousands of days to create that Masterpiece. Imagine what would have happened if our ancestors would have gone ahead with half baked plans for our civilization. Everything good needs proper planning. That’s why storyboarding is so crucial while creating a video.

Storyboarding is using a sequence of drawings and dialogues that are planned before creating a video. It is a roughly planned sequence of what your video is going to look like. We understand that not everybody is an artist, so it is okay if your storyboard does not look like something out of a comic book.

Some creators make a sequence of their videos with screenshots, explanations, and stick figures. It is alright to create not so artistic storyboards. Here is how you can create a storyboard for a how-to video:

  • Decide on a sequence; how to begin the video, transition to the topic, steps of the solution, CTA, and outro.
  • Once you decide on a sequence, take notes for every scene – what music or audio to add to it, pictures/ videos to add in the sequence, texts to insert, etc.

Your storyboard should be the hardware for your video. A well thought out storyboard ensures a well-executed video.

Write an engaging script

We have the topic; we have the storyboard, so let us go ahead and record the video, right? Why not? This is what many people follow. It may work for perfect people, but people who make mistakes need a different approach– A SCRIPT.

You may have a well-planned storyboard, but if you do not have a script for your how-to video, it is going to take a lot of time to nail the video. Take your time, but write a crisp and clear but engaging script. Here is how you can write a script for your how-to video-

  • Do not beat around the bush; get straight into the topic. Nobody is interested in how your day was; viewers are ruthless and they want to get straight to business.
  • Use short sentences for giving clear instructions to your viewers
  • Use simple words, so your viewers can understand your instructions easily.
  • Do not try to sound too confident, but adopt a language that is warm, friendly, and helpful.
  • Try to add the short instructions at the foot of your video to be more instructive.

When you are done writing the script, make sure you run it through someone. Do not be afraid to get feedback from people. It can be constructive and improve your output.

Rehearse before Record

You may be the most confident person in the room and still stutter in front of a camera. That happens to a lot of people. Writing a script is not enough. You need to practice it till you perfect it. Or else you will be spending the entire day in front of the camera trying to get the video right.

Do a mock record. Listen to your voice, your words, and look at your expressions. Make sure you speak at the right pace and clearly. When you are confident about yourself, you can go ahead and record.

Must-have Equipment

Equipment is a necessity for videos of every kind. Not everyone can afford high-end camera gear to shoot or have a soundproof room to record audio. So you can make do with whatever you have.

TIP: Even the most inexpensive of mics work better than the inbuilt mic on your laptop. So get a separate mic for recording your audio.

Many creators use screen recorders to record their how-to videos. So you can choose anyone from the bunch of options available.

Other than that, you will need a good quality camera, or you can use your head cam, whatever suits your needs.

Record your “how-to” video

Once everything is in place, you can push the record button and start filming.  Some creators record according to the storyboard and add audio and texts later while editing. But other creators record the audio and video together as they go along. Follow the idea of your video and record the clips you desire.  Recording becomes easy when you have planned it ahead of time, so follow your storyboard, and you will be good to go.

TIP: If you say something or do something you are not supposed to do while recording, then take a deep breath, and start from the bit before you made a mistake. Do not restart recording back from the top. It will take weeks to record if you keep restarting every time you screw up.

Slash and Cut

There are types of videos that need minimal planning and editing, like reaction, live stream, etc. But making videos like instructional ones requires dedication and lots of editing. First of all, you will need to choose a video editing tool you are comfortable using. Then you will have to create a project and import the video file.  Then you will have to cut and slash the footage until you create a smooth video. If you are an amateur, it may take some time. But don’t worry about how to make video have easier transitions. You can use the editing tool to add effects and add audio/ music to your video.

TIP: Do not go overboard and use loud effects that may blind your audience. Less is more.

Share, Share, and Share

When your file is ready, then you can roll it out with confidence. Make sure to optimize and give proper credits to related people. If people are searching for “how to make” videos on the internet, then you need to share your audiovisual content everywhere. And by everywhere we mean, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. You don’t have to share the same video everywhere; you can repurpose the video content, and keep using it on all platforms.

What not to do in a how-to video
Photo by Jesus Loves Austin on Unsplash

What NOT to do in a "how-to" video

Whenever you search for “how I make video,” you may come across many tips on what to and what not to do. Every marketeer, influencer, or freelancer wants to learn the key elements of making a successful video. We are aware that video marketing has become an integral part of marketing strategies. People are clicking more on visual content than on any other. It is a great way to hook in the viewers and reach the maximum audience. How-to videos are instructional videos, which will benefit not only the viewers, but it can boost your video marketing. Take, for example, you own a clothing line, create a great tutorial on “How to style a blazer 5 ways”.  People will watch your content, and you can use a blazer from your new clothing releases to style the video content.

How-to videos are not only instructional but have the potential to be promotional.

  • Do not create long how-to videos; the audience wants to watch shorter ones. Keep it around 2-3 minutes. If you can squeeze it to 30-45 seconds, repurpose it and use it on Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok, it is great.
  • Don’t speak too fast. Keep instructions short and crisp. Speak clearly to help viewers understand what you are saying.
  • Don’t beat around the bush. Get straight to the topic/ solution.
  • Don’t explain and talk in how-to videos, instead SHOW the step by step solution. People prefer visual content because they can see and know better from it.
  • Don’t speak much about the “why” we are here part, talk more about the “how” to find a solution part.
  • Don’t showcase topics you don’t have experience in. The audience doesn’t want to see half baked content.
  • Don’t read the script off like a robot; make it as human as possible, but also straightforward. It will make the audiovisual great, memorable, effective, and enjoyable.

These are the basic tips that a creator must follow to create a great instructional video. If you are looking for ideas to create a how-to video, then we have mentioned some topics below.

Easy "how-to" videos ideas

If you have no idea as to what kind of “how-to” videos you can create, here are some inspirational ideas we have scoured through the internet on behalf of you. Feel free to make use of them.

How to video topics

  1. Make a how-to or tutorial video
  2. Make DIY
  3. Make a product tutorial
  4. Make a process tutorial ( recipe, makeup, earn money, etc.)

For software channels

  1. how to start a Youtube channel
  2. how to make your first video
  3. how to make videos like news channel
  4. how to create educational and innovative videos
  5. how to start a coding youtube channel
  6. how to create your own internet tv station
  7. how to create an intro for youtube channel

For Lifestyle channels

  1. how to start a lifestyle blog
  2. how to lose x kgs in x months
  3. how to make (recipe) in x minutes
  4. how to use (products)
  5. how to save money on (X)
  6. how to fall asleep easily

How-to videos for kids

  1. how to brush your teeth
  2. how to make a video- tips for kids
  3. 5 easy 5 minutes hairstyles for kids
  4. how to bake cookies
  5. DIY Craft
  6. DIY party snacks

Youtube has tons of how-to content for kids, but we have just mentioned the top searches that will benefit you. Kids often use smartphones to search for art and crafts videos so that you can plan your content around it.

Conclusion

Now that we have a teensy bit of idea of making successful tutorial videos, you must know that aesthetics is essential. Even if you are providing an easy way out of the solution, if your video isn’t aesthetically pleasing, say bye-bye to your viewers. Hooking viewers in is easy: Make an attractive thumbnail for the video, show a solution for a much-discussed problem, and voila you will have viewers. But viewers have less patience, the first 10-30 seconds are important. The video must be pleasing to the eyes and ears to do that you need to use an excellent video editing tool.

Find a perfect intro for your How-To videos. Offeo is a free online video maker that has thousands of templates to suit your needs. Just try out Offeo’s free online video maker platform, and you will be spoilt with choices to make perfect videos.

Written By
OFFEO Team

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