How to create effective educational videos?

Why are educational videos so important?

Educational videos are a central element of an innovative marketing approach that companies are increasingly using in their customer relationships. It’s an approach that focuses on consumer education rather than other types of messages that are primarily promotional.

What are the main characteristics of video marketing when it comes to consumer education? Why are more marketers integrating educational videos into their strategies? What are the essential steps to take in creating effective educational videos? We’ll provide the answers to all these questions in our post!

What are educational videos? 

Educational videos are a type of content that aims to inform, instruct, or teach viewers about a particular topic, concept, or skill. Educational videos are designed to provide valuable information, solve problems, answer questions, or transfer knowledge in a way that is engaging and easily digestible. They can take various forms, including tutorials, how-to guides, webinars, explainers, product demonstrations, and more. They are successful  with both companies and customers because they are in keeping with the paradigm shift in marketing and business communication that tends to focus much more on creating value for the consumer and less on glorifying the product for its own sake.

Educational marketing: why it pays to educate customers   

In recent years, changing consumer habits have posed a challenge for many companies. As a result, the ability to leverage the latest technologies to educate customers has become a critical capability for both companies and marketers. The dizzying change in customer behavior, the abundance of information available online, and the pervasiveness of online interactions have made customer education a priority for companies, marketers, and content creators. By providing valuable and informative content—and here the place of honor, as we shall see, undoubtedly belongs to educational videos—you can strengthen the company’s reputation, build customer loyalty, and establish valuable relationships. 

The role of videos in educational marketing   

Within an educational approach to marketing, we cannot underestimate the importance of video.
Videos are a dynamic and engaging medium that can simplify complex explanations, enabling customers to more easily understand and remember information that is useful for understanding a product or service. They provide an experience that is both visual and auditory, and in this sense, they are exceptional means of visual storytelling. Through a medium that can mobilize many different types of expressions, video makes it possible to present educational content in a more compelling way. Their ease of sharing on social media and the ability to be embedded on websites make videos accessible to a wide audience. In addition, video monitoring and analysis capabilities provide insights into how customers interact with the content, enabling marketers to refine their strategies in a timely manner.

Use video to focus on product education and create new customers  

Educational videos are a strategic resource within an educational marketing program and therefore, a popular choice for marketers. For further confirmation, let’s take a look at some data:

• In its 2023 State of Video Report, Wistia asked customers to define their video goals and prioritize the outcomes they would like to achieve through video. Although the responses indicated that brands use video in many areas of their business, for 52% of companies, “product education” is the main goal of video.
• Wyzowl also comes to the same conclusion, introducing an additional dimension: profitability. In a study, 33.6% of marketers surveyed said that educational videos produce higher ROI than other types of videos. Educational videos rank second after product videos (36%), with webinars (28.4%) in third place.

In general, companies are already using educational videos strategically, focusing on product education and using videos to create new consumers.

Why include educational videos in your video marketing strategy?   

You can see why marketing professionals and companies are using educational videos. To understand why, let’s look at some of the main reasons for choosing video. 

• Value and utility. Educational videos provide real value to audiences. They address specific needs, offer solutions, or teach something new. Creating useful and relevant content reinforces a sense of trust and loyalty among viewers, which can translate into a richer and more authentic relationship with the brand.
• Engagement. In general, videos are very engaging, and educational videos are no exception. They can attract and hold the viewer’s attention longer, increasing the chances that the message will be absorbed, understood, and memorized.
• Storytelling. Marketers can use educational videos to tell the story of a product or service in a compelling way. By structuring the content according to a narrative arc and using characters within a recognizable framework (e.g., according to the travel pattern) marketers can tell a story that resonates with the target audience, one that is both adventurous and familiar. 
• SEO Benefits. Educational videos can improve the search engine rankings of your website. If properly optimized, they can attract organic traffic and keep visitors on your site longer.
• Authority and Expertise. When marketers share their knowledge through educational videos, they position themselves as experts in their field. Brand authority and credibility improve and increase the likelihood of convincing customers, leads, or prospects of the quality and usefulness of products or services.
• Lead Generation. Educational videos can act as lead magnets. Marketers can use gated content strategies, convincing viewers to provide their contact information to access the video. In this way, the company can build a list of potential contacts to use for subsequent marketing efforts.
• Content Repurposing. Content from educational videos can be repurposed into other formats, such as blog articles, social media posts, infographics, or podcasts, maximizing their use and increasing their reach.
• Social Media Sharing. People often share educational content within their network. This can amplify the reach of your videos: this increases brand visibility and sends more traffic to your website or social media channels.
• Improved Understanding. Educational videos are the perfect solution when you have complex concepts or products. They can help consumers understand the benefits and features, reducing their hesitation and improving decision making.
• Broad Access to Digital Channels. With so many channels dedicated to video communication, e.g., YouTube or Vimeo, and social media, such as Instagram, it’s easy to distribute and promote educational videos to a large audience—and perhaps one that is already partly qualified.
• Measurable Results. Marketers have a variety of data analysis tools at their disposal that they can use to monitor the performance of educational videos and measure engagement, conversion rates, and ROI. This data-driven approach allows you to optimize your videos over time.
• Adaptability. Educational videos can be adapted to ensure the best performance at different stages of the customer journey. They can introduce a problem, explain a solution, demonstrate product benefits, or provide post-purchase support.

Educational videos are a versatile and powerful tool that cannot be missed in the contemporary marketer’s toolbox. Their increasing use is a response to changing consumer preferences and the need for brands to continuously provide valuable informational content.

Now that we know how educational videos can be used, let’s discover how to create them.

14 steps for creating effective educational videos

Do you want to make engaging, useful, and effective educational videos? Here is a brief guide to help you get started.

1. Define your audience.
   Start by understanding the characteristics of your target audience. Who are your ideal audiences, what are their weaknesses, and what information or skills do they need? Tailor your content to meet their specific needs and interests.
2. Establish clear goals
   Determine the goals of your video. Are you trying to increase brand awareness, generate leads, boost sales, or establish thought leadership? Your goals will drive the content and style of your videos.
3. Choose topics and content
   Select training topics that resonate with your audience and align with your marketing goals. Make a list of the key points or concepts you want to cover in each video. Your content should provide value, solve problems, or answer questions.
4. Prepare script and storyboard
   Write a script outlining the structure and content of the video. Create a storyboard to plan the visual elements: scenes, graphics, animation, possible voice overs. A well-structured script is essential for keeping your video organized and engaging. Develop a clear narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Use recognizable examples, case studies, or personal stories to illustrate your points. Avoid jargon and technical language. Try to explain concepts, especially the most complex ones, in the simplest way possible. Use visual aids, metaphors, and animations to simplify ideas that could be difficult to understand.
5. Choose a graphic concept that fits your message
   Always use high-quality images that are able to support your objectives for communication and engagement: animation, graphic elements, infographics, live-action footage, and combinations of different techniques.
6. Choose the right video format
   Depending on your content and audience, you can use different types of video communication, such as, explainer clips, tutorials, webinars, interviews, and product demonstrations. Select the format that best suits your message, your audience, and the channels where you want to distribute your video.
7. Optimize video length
   Keep your videos concise and relevant. Although the ideal video length may vary, shorter videos (about 2-5 minutes) tend to hold viewers’ attention longer. If your content takes longer, consider breaking it up into a series.
8. Add calls to action (CTAs).
   Encourage viewer engagement by including relevant CTAs. For example, you can invite viewers to visit your website, download resources, ask questions in the comments, or sign up for an educational program.
9. Pay attention to audio and voice overs
   Make sure the audio quality is clear and the voiceover (if used) is engaging and easy to understand. Background music can also enhance the viewing experience.
10. Test and repeat
    Before publishing your videos, test them on a small group to gather feedback. Then, make improvements based on the feedback you receive. Continuous improvement is essential to creating more effective videos.
11. Optimize for SEO
    If your videos will be hosted on an external platform, such as YouTube, or your website, make sure to optimize them for search engines by using relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags.
12. Promote your videos
    Once your educational videos are ready, promote them through your marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, and your website. Encourage sharing to reach a wider audience.
13. Measure and analyze
    Use analytics tools to monitor video performance. Monitor views, engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to refine your video strategy.
14. Adopt the right video platform for you
    Collecting and organizing data, automating production processes, and personalizing content are increasingly essential for creating truly effective educational videos. Technology can make your life easier: Babelee’s video platform can enhance your data and scale millions of personalized one-to-one communications in just a few clicks.

In conclusion, educational videos are a valuable resource for your marketing campaign. Now that you have all the information you need, all you have to do is start making them! 

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