Creating A Video Tutorial: Six Steps To Success

Author: David Mario Smith                                                Date: November 13, 2014
Topic: Knowledge                                                       Research Note Number: 2014-45i

Issue: What technologies will be used to harness and deliver knowledge?

Summary: The video tutorial will be one of the most sought-after types of content. Here we review six key steps needed to create a great video tutorial.

Video 1: Overview of How To Create Video Tutorials

Capturing and transferring knowledge is always a major concern for enterprises. A lot of enterprise knowledge is lost due to retiring workers and normal employee turnover. One good way to capture and share enterprise knowledge is to interview departing workers on video. When workers describe or demonstrate the skills they have gained from experience, the enterprise retains valuable tacit knowledge that may not have been codified before.

Due to the ubiquity of video-enabled mobile devices, workers with no special training can not only consume but also create video tutorials. However, with the ever-increasing amount of video tutorial content, quality has been inconsistent across the board. That said, once a minimum level of technical quality is met (clear sound, adequate lighting, a steady camera) viewers will engage with content that is compelling and relevant. This makes the scripting process (described below) a very important step, since it is there that the quality of the content is established.

Note 1: Six Steps to Create a Video Tutorial

  • Conceptualizing
  • Storyboarding and Scripting
  • Instructional Language and ScreenShots
  • Filming, Video and Voice Capture
  • Editing
  • Publishing and Video Portals

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