Video is a great way to enhance your knowledge base and improve employee training. By following the steps in this comprehensive post, you can share knowledge and deliver training in a visual and auditory way that appeals to employees and helps them achieve their workplace goals.
What is a Knowledge Base?
A knowledge base is a collection of information and resources that can help your employees and customers find answers to their questions, learn new skills, and solve problems. A knowledge base can include articles, FAQs, guides, manuals, tutorials, and more.
But did you know that you can also use video in your knowledge base to make it more engaging, actionable, and memorable?
Why Video?
Video is a powerful medium for delivering knowledge, training, and education. It can capture complex concepts, demonstrate processes, and showcase best practices in visual and auditory ways. Video can also appeal to different learning styles and preferences, and increase retention and recall.
According to a study by Forrester Research, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than read a document, email, or web article. And according to a survey by Wyzowl, 94% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
So how can you use video in your knowledge base to improve employee training? Below are some tips and best practices to help you get started.
4 Ways to Use Video in your Knowledge Base to Improve Employee Training
1. Define Learning Objectives and Audience
Before any video content is created, training content creators need to have a clear idea of what is to be achieved and who is being reached.
By defining your learning objectives and audience, you can tailor your video content to suit their specific requirements and preferences. You can also measure the effectiveness of your videos based on the desired results.
Some questions training video creators can ask beforehand are:
- What are the main goals and outcomes of this training?
- Who are the target learners?
- What are their needs, challenges, and expectations?
- How will they access and use this video?
2. Choose the Right Type and Format of Video Tutorial
Depending on your learning objectives and audience, you may want to use different types and formats of how-to videos in your knowledge base. For example:
- If you want to introduce a new product or feature, you can use an explainer video that summarizes its benefits and how it works.
- If you want to teach a specific skill or task, you can use a tutorial video that shows step-by-step instructions and tips.
- If you want to share best practices or insights from experts, you can collaborate on an interview video that features questions and answers from subject matter experts or thought leaders.
- If you want to showcase real-life examples or scenarios, you can share your screen in a case study video that demonstrates how your product or service helped solve a problem or achieve a goal.
The format of your video can also vary depending on the length, style, tone, and quality of your content. For example:
- If you want to create a short and simple video that covers one topic or question, you can use a microlearning video that lasts no more than 5 minutes.
- If you want to create a longer and more comprehensive video that covers multiple topics or questions, you can create a webinar released in smaller, digestible chunks.
- If you already have a polished and professional video, you can upload a pre-recorded video file as part of your training video tutorial.
3. Use the Right Tools and Equipment
To create high-quality videos for your knowledge base, you need to have the right tools and equipment. These include:
- A camera or webcam that can record clear videos.
- A microphone or headset that can capture crisp audio.
- A lighting kit or natural light source that can illuminate your subject and avoid shadows or glare.
- The ability to record your device screen if you are demonstrating software or apps.
- Video editing software with options to trim, add subtitles and chapters, and edit video thumbnails.
- A video tutorial hosting platform that can store, stream, share, embed, track, etc. your videos online.
There are many tools and equipment available in the market that cater to different budgets and needs. You can choose the ones that suit your goals and resources best.
4. Create Engaging Videos
Once you have the right tools and equipment, you need to follow some best practices for creating engaging videos for your knowledge base. These include:
Focus on quality first
Make sure your video has clear audio and video quality, good lighting and sound, and minimal background noise and distractions. Use a tool with video background noise remover, and use a tripod or stabilizer to avoid shaky or blurry videos. Edit your video to remove any errors, pauses, or filler words. Add subtitles, comments, slides, etc. to enhance your video and make it more appealing.
Create a compelling introduction
The first few seconds of your video are crucial to capture your viewers' attention and interest. Start with a hook that summarizes the main benefit of your training video. Use a question, a statistic, a quote, a story, or a teaser to spark curiosity and entice your viewers to watch more.
Ask a question
One way to engage your viewers and encourage interaction is to ask them a question related to your video topic. You can ask them to share their opinion, experience, feedback, or suggestion in the comments section or on social media.
You can also link to polls, quizzes, surveys, or forms to collect employees' responses and measure learning outcomes.
Evoke emotions
Another way to engage your viewers and make them remember your video is to evoke emotions. You can use humor, drama, suspense, surprise, or inspiration to connect with your viewers on an emotional level.
You can also use stories, testimonials, case studies, or scenarios to show how your product or service helped solve a problem or achieve a goal for real people.
Include annotations, visual cues, and CTAs
- Annotations are clickable elements that you can add to your video to provide additional information, links, resources, or actions.
- Visual cues are elements that you can use to highlight important points, draw attention, or guide your viewers through your video.
- CTAs are calls to action that you can use to tell your viewers what you want them to do next after watching your video.
You can use annotations, visual cues, and CTAs to enhance your video content and drive engagement and retention.
Keep it short
According to a study by Wistia, the optimal length for an engaging video is between 2 and 3 minutes. After that point, the engagement rate drops significantly.
Therefore, you should try to keep your video as short and concise as possible without compromising on quality or clarity. Cut out any unnecessary or redundant information and focus on the most essential and relevant points.
Structure longer videos appropriately
Sometimes you may need to create longer videos that cover more complex or comprehensive topics. In that case, you should structure your video appropriately to maintain engagement and avoid boredom or confusion. Do this by splitting the larger video into smaller, more digestible videos.
You can use an outline or agenda in the first video to preview what you will cover and how long it will take. You can also use sections and chapters to break down your videos into smaller chunks that are easier to digest and navigate.
Summary
Video is a great way to enhance your knowledge base and improve employee training. To create effective video content for your knowledge base, you need to follow four steps: define your learning objectives and audience, choose the right type and format of video tutorial, use the right tools and equipment, and create engaging videos.
By following these steps, you can share knowledge and train employees in a way that appeals to them and helps them add value as more efficient employees.