Drawing, putting on make-up, playing a musical instrument—you name it, tutorial video makers have it.
If you want to expand your brand through your YouTube channel—or any other video streaming platform—posting a tutorial video is an excellent idea. It does not matter what your niche is. You can teach your target audience anything related to your topic and, by doing that, attract more subscribers.
If you’re still wondering whether you can pull off a gorgeous-looking and cost-effective tutorial video because you lack experience or expensive equipment, you can stop worrying. We’ll show you how to edit a video your viewers will fawn over, in no more than 10 minutes.
Even if you make a video using your phone camera in standard definition, a feature-rich and low-budget editing software can give you excellent results.
Credit: KOBU Agency
How To Make a Tutorial Video?—Decide Which Type of Tutorial You Want
A tutorial video is a subcategory of instructional videos. Even so, tutorials can be further broken down into different types. Before you make your own, you should familiarize yourself with the most common of these types.
The three common ways to create a how-to video—another term for a tutorial—are:
- Screencasting
- Recording yourself
- Using animation
Screencast Tutorials
Whenever you struggle with completing any function on your laptop, your first instinct is to find a tutorial video that will show you how you can do that. Without exception, a tutorial video you click on in this scenario is the creator’s screen recording, backed up by the narration that guides you through the process. We call this type of how-to videos screencasts.
Screencasts are useful because they give your viewer an exact demonstration of the process you want to teach them. You can record your cursor’s movements to show them how you solve any issues they might have—whether it’s installing software or making a PowerPoint presentation.
Self-Recorded Tutorials
Branding Tutorial with Anna Brand
The opposite of screencast tutorials is the video for which you record yourself. You can teach your audience any type of skill through a self-recorded tutorial, using explanations and demonstrations. This tutorial method is a great way to interact with your viewers and share your knowledge with them.
The form and duration of self-recorded how-to videos can vary depending on the type of your tutorial:
- Presentations. If you are a teacher or college professor, the chances are you are familiar with presentation videos. This type of tutorial can be based on a large number of topics. It can last one or two hours, which means that its target audience is usually learners and people who are deeply invested in the topic. These videos can last shorter than a full lecture, though. For example, TED Talks videos fall under this category.
- Niche videos. Short, 10–15 minute tutorials on a wide variety of topics—such as how to mix a perfect old-fashioned cocktail—can be termed niche videos. Makers of these videos are content creators who usually have one niche and film videos related to it. Some of the popular niches include food and cooking, traveling, and language learning.
- Training videos. Companies usually use training videos to teach their candidates the skills they need to perform better at work. These can be videos on how to use specific software for the job position or how to develop strong communication skills.
Animated Tutorial Videos
Even though you can use animation elements in all the above-mentioned categories, there is one tutorial video type that is made through animation only.
Explainer videos are tutorials that help your target audience learn about your business. They are short and use animation to appeal to the viewers’ visual senses. You can create an explainer video that demonstrates how your clients can use your product, or you can present your brand in an explainer video to introduce yourself to potential buyers.
In any case, explainers can be amazing because you don’t need to spend much time making them. The shorter they are, the better, but a sensible duration for explainers is two minutes.
How To Create Screencast and Other Video Tutorials?
Screencast videos are not difficult to make, but you do have to have a strategy and follow certain guidelines. Keep in mind that most of the tips we will give you on how to make a screencast tutorial can relate to any other type of videos mentioned.
Here are the steps you should take to create a screencast or other type of tutorial video for any industry or type of content:
- Outline your video’s content
- Write a script
- Practice the script
- Record your screen
- Record your narration
- Edit your video
- Get feedback and upload your video
Outlining Your Content
At first, it may seem that one advantage of screencast tutorials over other how-tos is that you don’t need to have an outline for your video.
You might think that, as you are showing an onscreen process to someone, you can jump right in, record your screen, upload your video, and be done with the entire creation process in 15 minutes.
Unfortunately, if you are not tech-savvy or a highly experienced creator of this type of tutorial, this speedy method won’t get the job done. You might end up with a video that has long moments of awkward silence, or you might breeze through a few steps without realizing that your audience will have trouble keeping up.
When you have your topic—which onscreen function you will teach in your tutorial, for example—you want to outline what your video will look like. This can include making:
- Lists
- Tables
- Drawings
- Scatches
Writing a Script
Credit: Jess Bailey
Regardless of the chronological order, you need to create both the outline and the script of your video before you get to the actual recording stage. Knowing what you want out of your project visually and what you will say once you turn on your microphone recorder will help result in a smoother tutorial with fewer mistakes to edit out later.
You should also rehearse the script a few times before you start filming. Saying the words out loud will clarify if there are any points you included that can distract your viewer or complicate the learning process for them. You can then cut them from your script right away.
Even when you are satisfied with and have perfected your prepared speech, you should find someone to look over your script before you transform it into a tutorial. Make sure you get an unbiased opinion and see if you can improve your instruction according to it.
Recording Your Screen
Now that you have done away with the preparation part, it’s time, to begin with, the creation process. The biggest piece of advice to heed when recording your screen is to try out the process you will be teaching in your tutorial several times before you turn on your screen recorder. This will result in flawless cursor movement once the camera is rolling.
Another important step to take before you start recording your screen is to clear your desktop of any unnecessary files on it and turn off your email and social media notifications. A messy and cluttered desktop can distract your viewer, and notifications that pop up during a tutorial video are awkward.
If you want to, you can include a small display of your webcam recording in your tutorial by attaching it to the video during the editing process. This can make your audience feel like they know you better than if they were only listening to the sound of your voice.
Keep in mind that the webcam as an addition to your screen recording is only a suggestion, and your screencast tutorial can be effective without it too.
Recording Your Voice
Half the job is done already! Now it’s time you moved on to recording your narration. Make sure you are in a quiet room without a chance of background noise creeping in on your recording. A traffic buzz or a dog barking in the background might cause the viewers to lose focus, forcing them to replay a part of the video.
A bonus tip for recording both your voice and your screen is that you shouldn’t start over from the beginning if you make a mistake. If you slip up during a certain part of the onscreen function you’re teaching, repeat it, and move on to the next one right away. You can trim away all the errors during the next step of your video creation process.
Editing Your Video
InVideo Blank Template
Most people will shy away from making any video in the first place because they don’t know how to edit it properly. You don’t have to be among them!
The only trick is to use the right software, and that is where we step in. You can create a free account on InVideo today to polish up your tutorial video in fewer than five minutes! Our simple and user-friendly editing features were created to help you have stunning videos, even without any previous experience.
Here’s what you want to do:
- Sign up or log in to your InVideo account
- Choose the blank template option to start editing
- Upload your screen recording once you are inside the InVideo editor page
- Upload your voice recording or choose our voice-over feature to record yourself directly from the software
- Use the playhead to catch any mistakes in the video
- Trim any parts of your recordings during which you have made mistakes
- Align the pace of the screen recording with your voice-over or pre-recorded narration
The InVideo editing software also allows you to add scenes during this step if you wish to include a title slide or your video intro in the tutorial.
Getting Feedback and Uploading Your Video
With InVideo by your side, you should have your screencast or any other tutorial video type ready by now. We bet you have never dreamed it would be that quick!
You can preview the individual scenes or the entire video before you export it, which allows you to get feedback on your project right away.
If you can’t share your tutorial video with someone who will give you honest feedback at this stage, don’t worry! Our Intelligent Video Assistant (IVA) is at your disposal. IVA uses AI to provide suggestions as you are editing, so you always know if you’re making the right choice.
You can also export your video and make any necessary improvements later. InVideo allows you to export up to 60 videos a month for free! If you want this number to be unlimited, you can choose to sign up for our paid plan any time you like.
How To Make Video Tutorials?—General Tips and Guidelines
Video tutorials may be more appealing to your audience than blog posts because the visuals give them the tools to learn the skill you are teaching right on the spot.
Here are some of the general tips and tricks to help you create engaging video tutorials your audience will love:
- Buy a quality microphone
- Present yourself as you are
- Research your audience
Investing in a Good Microphone Pays Off
Perhaps it’s time to think about buying a quality microphone if you don’t have one. Especially if you plan to create tutorials or any kind of videos often, your investment will pay off. Your viewers will expect a clear sound when they click on the tutorial you posted, and not getting it can make them exit your video quickly.
You don’t have to opt for the most expensive option. A budget-friendly microphone can still perform better than a built-in mic on your laptop. Here are some options:
|
Microphone |
Features |
Price |
|
Small, easily portable tripod Cardioid pick-up that eliminates background noise |
$31.50 |
|
|
Cardioid polar pattern 20-20,000 Hz frequency response |
$149.00 |
|
|
Automatic power function that turns the microphone off for you when you stop recording with your camera Digital switching |
$262.91 |
Creating an Authentic Video Tutorial
If you are a beginner in making videos, you might be tempted to copy the style of successful YouTubers or other content creators. While other people’s content can teach you many tricks, it can also lead to using the phrases, voice intonation, and body language you are not comfortable with. For example, you might think that over-the-top enthusiasm in your speech is the key recipe to gaining as many viewers as possible, but if that isn’t how you normally speak, your audience will be able to sense it.
You should find your own conversational style and use it in your videos. Act in front of the camera like you would act on a coffee date with your friends. Your viewers will appreciate your authenticity.
Based on everything said so far, here is a quick overview of tutorial videos dos and don’ts:
|
Do’s |
Don’ts |
|
Make an outline and write a script for your video Try out the onscreen function you will teach in the screencast tutorial Get honest feedback before uploading your project Invest in a quality microphone Get to know your audience and choose the topic they will thank you for Speak in a way that is natural to you |
Start recording before you have a visual plan Jump into the onscreen tutorial relying on your memory Post your video without feedback Rely on your laptop’s built-in microphone if you’ll film regular videos Film a video on a topic only you are interested in Copy someone else’s speaking style if it doesn’t match your own |
Getting Familiar With Your Audience
The best way to prevent your audience from unsubscribing is to keep “feeding” them content they enjoy. You should research your audience thoroughly and find out what they would like a tutorial on.
A pro tip is to tell your viewers to drop a comment and let you know what they would want to learn next.
Another way you can get to know your target audience’s demographic is by looking up the websites or social media platforms they spend time on. This way, you can get familiar with what their problems are, which platforms they visit frequently, and what they want to learn. It will lead you to an idea for the next tutorial video without question.
Why Start From Scratch? InVideo Has Premade Tutorial Templates You Can Use To Save Time
If you don’t have the time that video making requires, you can use the InVideo library of thousands of pre-made templates to have your tutorial video in minutes.
InVideo Tutorial Templates
Our templates are made to fit all use cases and match different tutorial styles, such as:
- Website tutorial
- DIY makeup tutorial
- Digital art tutorial
- Vlogging hacks tutorial
- Photography tips tutorial
Sign up right away to use these and many more templates whenever you need a video for your personal or your company’s website!
