YouTube is one of the most influential sources of instructional content, offering a wealth of knowledge on numerous topics. One study showed that more than 70% of YouTube viewers turn to the platform for help solving problems 1 . This staggering number shows how creators and brands benefit from knowing how to make instructional videos to provide engaging, actionable content for their viewers. This type of content is usually viewed with intent, cementing your account or brand as a thought leader and go-to source for dependable information.
Today, we’re discussing how to make an instructional video for YouTube. Learn different ways to plan and execute your media for optimal performance and viewer engagement.
Before getting started on how to make an instructional video, it’s important to understand there are many different types from which to choose. Knowing which will resonate best with your audience in terms of length and style is vital for overall performance.
Some common types of instructional videos for YouTube include:
With so many options for how to make an instructional video, there’s something to resonate with every audience. It’s the creator’s responsibility to understand who their viewers are and generate timely, valuable information.
Making instructional videos for YouTube is an effective method for engaging your viewers while positioning yourself as a leader and source of useful information that keeps viewers coming back to your account. Statistics have shown that 83% of people prefer watching instructional videos to access information over listening to audio or reading text 2 . This makes educational content (and edutainment content) of vital importance to many creators’ YouTube channels.
When learning how to make an instructional video for content, creators need to:
The first step toward how to make an instructional video for YouTube that performs well is to know your audience's pain points. Ask yourself:
By identifying these pain points, you can tailor your instructional content to provide valuable solutions, making it more relevant and appealing to your viewers. You should also consider what kind of content you typically produce for your channel to ensure you’re staying within your brand voice.
When you set out to learn how to make an instructional video for YouTube, you need to decide what you want your viewers to learn by the end. This objective should guide your content creation process, including pre-production tasks like using the right prompts for AI generated scripts to help you maintain a focused throughline throughout the video. This objective should also be immediately clear to viewers so they know exactly what they’re watching.
For the best outcome, make sure your objective is specific, achievable, and measurable.
A pivotal part of how to make an instructional video for YouTube is ensuring the information is communicated clearly. Not only does this mean having a good grasp on how to write a voice over script , but knowing how to record high quality audio so viewers receive the information as you intended.
When recording your voice-over, pay attention to elements such as:
Choosing to add captions when learning how to make an instructional video for YouTube is critical to the overall success of your media and impacts your storytelling.
Some of the reasons to add captions to YouTube video content include:
While you can utilize the platform’s automatic captioning feature, you risk inaccuracies that take more production time to manually edit in the YouTube Creator Studio. Instead, many creators have turned to powerful third-party video caption apps like MixCaptions to generate, style, and add captions while making instructional videos for YouTube.
Creator Tip: Accessibility is vitally important for instructional content. Use our video accessibility checklist to make sure you’re producing accessible content to boost its overall reach and performance.
Increasing engagement and interaction is critically important to the overall performance of your media. To improve these metrics, encourage viewers to participate actively in the learning process as they watch. This can be done by incorporating elements like asking questions throughout the video, encouraging comments and discussions in the video description, or even integrating quizzes or challenges related to the instructional content.
Additionally, actively respond to viewer comments, address questions, and create a sense of community on your channel. By creating a dynamic and interactive learning environment, you not only enhance the educational value of your content but also build a loyal and engaged audience who are more likely to share your content and increase its overall reach.
Viewers often prefer concise, to-the-point information that respects their time and attention span. Focus on delivering the key points and avoiding unnecessary fluff as you plan how to make an instructional video for YouTube.
Plan your content carefully, stick to your learning objectives, and edit with a keen eye to eliminate any redundancies. A clear and concise presentation not only keeps viewers engaged but also enhances their understanding of the subject matter, making your instructional content more effective and viewer-friendly.
Creators know that trends and best practices are constantly evolving across all social media platforms. When planning how to make an instructional video for YouTube, be mindful to present your information in a way that resonates with your audience while standing the test of time. This is even more important for instructional content on evergreen topics where the foundational information won’t change.
A few tips for making instructional videos for YouTube include:
Incorporating these tips for how to make instructional videos into your creation process will help you produce content that educates, engages, and resonates with your audience on YouTube.
Creating instructional videos for YouTube is an effective way to establish your position as a thought leader and engage with your viewers. By understanding your audience, setting clear objectives, choosing the right format, and following best practices for recording and editing, you can produce instructional content that resonates with viewers and provides valuable information. Remember, the key to instructional media performance is to keep learning and adapting as you create more content to meet what your audience wants.