How and why to make "how to" videos

Did you know that "how to" is the most used search phrase on YouTube? How to videos are, simply put, films that teach you how to do something. Now we are going to show you how to create your very own how to video in a simple and effective way.

Why make "how to" videos

What exactly are "how to" videos? These are videos that guide, advise and educate your target audience on the challenges they face. They can cover anything from "how to do a pedicure" to "how to set up your new printer". What is great about this type of video – and why you should make one – is that there are an enormous number of potential uses. One of these uses is making them visible on YouTube and Google with relevant keywords. This way, you can deliver quality content and guide your customers through the questions and challenges they have. Classic, tried-and-tested inbound marketing.

You can also use these videos actively in customer service – to reduce capacity issues, answer every question concisely and ensure a well-guided, consistent experience each time a question is answered.

How to videos can also be fantastic tools for your sales team, allowing them to use the videos actively throughout the sales process to reassure customers that you have the right expertise to solve their problem.

Beyond classic inbound marketing through search visibility, you can also use these videos in active marketing – on social media, at trade fairs and stands, you name it. Adapting formats and lengths to suit the channel and the stage of the customer journey is always a good idea.

Step 1: Thorough Research

The first thing you need to do when creating great how to videos is thorough research. You need to know what your target audience cares about, what problems and challenges they face, and where you can deliver the most value. There are many good sources available for this research. One important principle is to use more than one reference point – that way you can be confident you are actually addressing what your audience wants to know.

Some very good and commonly used sources are search engine analysis (SEO), market research, conversations with your own customers, and input from your own marketing, sales and customer service teams. This gives you a broad spread of questions, and hopefully many of the same questions will appear across multiple sources – these are most likely the most important ones to address.

Bonustips

A small bonus tip that is not always used for this type of research: the website quora.com. Quora is built around questions people are wondering about – and you may find some gold there that your competitors are not addressing, putting you in an even stronger and more relevant position.

Step 2: Film production – visuals matter

Here are some quick tips for making a successful how to video. The first tip is to use simple, accessible language and avoid complex jargon that your audience may not understand.

Tip number two: the video should follow a step-by-step process. Sticking to simple, clear steps and illustrating them with graphics makes it very easy and intuitive for the viewer to follow along.

Tip number three: make the most of the visual medium. There is a reason your audience has chosen to watch a video rather than read about it. Do not over-explain things you can simply show.

One final takeaway: do not underestimate YouTube. Build quality content on what is the world's – and Norway's – second largest search engine, and you will simply win.

Sjekk ut vår Youtube kanal for flere tips!