Building video tutorials for customer self-service

Key pointers for building product videos for customer self-service portal

• Suitability of topic: Before you start building  product videos, fundamental question to answer is the if the topic is suitable, and which part of your knowledge base will the video tutorial add value to. For instance, a video tutorial on installation of your product can go in the “Getting started” category, which also has content on setting up the account, understanding user roles, etc.
• Length of the video: Though product videos are much easier to consume than text, the length of the video tutorial is critical. It is advisable to keep the length of your video tutorial under 5 minutes. If your product video is going to be longer, it makes more sense to break it into parts and make it a series.
• Simplicity of language: Simplicity is key to a successful video tutorial. You need to make sure that the audio script is  crisp and simple.
• Quality of visuals and audio: It is not necessary to have professional video equipments to make meaningful product videos, but at the same time it is important that you use a decent microphone to ensure audio quality. So, try to record in a quiet background. Make sure that the visuals are easy on the eye. For instance, if it’s a product demo video, then you need to ensure that your mouse cursor movements are smooth and easy to follow.
• Write descriptions thoughtfully: A great product video is not only  about how it engages the end user, but it is also about discoverability for search engines. Thoughtful descriptions can make your product videos easily discoverable in search. Clearly state, what is the user likely to learn from the video tutorial and how its content might benefit them.

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