Here’s how to make highly bingeable educational videos

People are working remotely, networking remotely, and now more than ever people are also learning remotely. This has created high demand for educators to learn how to make educational videos that can demonstrate and communicate lessons effectively. 

In fact, the e-learning market is expected to double in the next four years and is already worth over $250 billion. This means that it’s a great time for teachers to hone their craft and learn how to make lessons fun and engaging to keep viewers coming back for more. If you are wondering how to make online educational videos that people want to watch, then you’re in the right place. 

What are the main types of educational videos? 

Before we get into how to make educational videos even better, here are some examples of how to make learning videos according to the type of video your audience is looking for. 

1. Tutorials 

The purpose of a video tutorial is to give a short, step by step lesson on how to perform an activity. Tutorials are interactive and are usually made to follow along for a hands-on learning experience.

Like this easy makeup tutorial, which doubles as a call-to-action to encourage viewers to explore your YouTube channel for the full video. You can tease part of a lesson or how-to in a short clip, leaving viewers wanting more. You can apply the tutorial concept to everything from long division to DIY gardening.

2. Instructional videos

Instructional videos are similar to tutorials only they typically are a little bit longer and go into more details. Instructional videos typically feature a professional on the topic whereas tutorials are more geared towards peer to peer sharing. 

Instructional vids are informational and easy-to-understand. Avoid flashy marketing in your instructional videos. If you’re selling a product, think about where in the buyer funnel someone would be consuming instructional content.

If you’re learning how to put together a table, would you watch that video before you’ve purchased said table? Probably not.

3. Explainer videos 

Explainer videos are often posted on home pages or in a product listing to explain how a product or service works. They are often used for marketing purposes, but they are useful in an educational setting as well. 

Here’s an example of an explainer video that positions a brand as an answer to a user’s problem. For educators, you might customize this to explain a concept or share a new tool that’ll make students lives’ easier.

4. Animated learning videos

Animation learning videos are a wonderful tool to keep students entertained and tuned in. This video style makes for engaging training videos and can help your students to retain the lesson in the video. 

Take, for instance, this animated explainer for a financial app. Cute, playful visuals can help explain complex topics more easily than intense charts and graphs. Even with educational content, it’s important to delight your audience.

5. Presentation videos

Presentation videos combine text, video and images to present an idea or relay a message to students or colleagues. They are composed of slides that when played in succession explain a topic or idea in great detail.

These could be morning updates played during your school assembly, or an easier-to-digest version of a corporate monthly report. Why send an email when you could send a video?

These are only a few of the countless e-learning platforms that are available. Some e-learning sites also allow teachers to create their own channels where people can subscribe to your content and be notified every time you post a new video. 

To make things even easier, you can use a platform like Vimeo OTT that takes all of the logistics out of the equation so that teachers and educators can focus on creating great content. You might also consider using an email marketing campaign platform to help get the word out when you post. 

How to make educational videos people actually want to watch

It’s not enough to have the credentials, the info, record a video, and post it online. There are a few key factors to get people to want to watch your videos and keep up with your future content. 

Figuring out how to make a e-learning video that is shareable and accessible is much easier when you consider the following tips: 

Flock to where your audience is

Know where your audience is looking for helpful content outside of the classroom or conference room. Specifically, use apps like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram to your advantage as a teacher. 

Teachers have been taking advantage of the TikTok craze to create short videos that students can rewatch over and over again.

This is ingenious, considering that studies emphasize that the use of repetition aids in learning and information retention over time.

Go mobile (and think mobile)

In today’s environment, busy educators need to be able to make video content in minutes. You can create videos effortlessly on mobile with Vimeo Create. The same goes for whoever you’re teaching. Kids and adults alike in e-learning environments need to be able to consume educational content from anywhere.

Hire a freelance writer to write a script 

When you have a great idea for an educational video it can be tough to put into words what you want to say in a way that will keep the interest of your students and teach them a valuable lesson. You can expect to pay around $45 per hour to hire a freelancer to write a script to help you captivate your audience. This is a great investment and will take your videos to the next level. 

Always give your educational content a job to do 

If you don’t know the “why” behind your video, neither will the audience you’re teaching. Consistently provide your students with useful information without all the fluff and watch your viewership grow. 

Spark their curiosity at the beginning of the video

You have about eight seconds to hook your viewer, so start off with interesting visuals, music, and let them know exactly what they’ll learn by watching your video. There is a feeling associated with the psychological gap between what we don’t know and what we want to know that can be used to hook your audience into watching your video from start to finish. 

How to make educational videos with Vimeo Create

Whether you have been making videos for awhile or you are just beginning to discover how to create learning videos, Vimeo Create can help you capture the attention of your audience. 

Step 1: Choose a template (or start from scratch)

Start by choosing a template that fits your communication style, or creating one from scratch by uploading your own media. If you’re not sure how to create animated videos for teaching, we have specific templates designed for e-learning and training videos, which you can customize in minutes. 

Step 2: Customize your video

Choose from our library of colors, fonts, stock media, and overlays to complement your lesson. You will also have the option to adjust the ratio so that it is optimized for the platform you will be using to share your video. 

Step 3: Save and preview

You can preview and tweak your video by selecting “save and preview.” Feel free to make as many adjustments as you need until your video is complete. Simply go back to the edit page and continue where you left off.

Step 4: Share your video

After you’ve previewed your video and you’re happy with the result, hit “save and share” to see your downloading, sending and sharing options. You can share your video directly by linking your accounts in the “distribution” section. 

That’s it! Whether you’re a chef teaching cooking classes or an elementary school, the basics of creating engaging videos are the same. 

Educational video templates we love 

Professional Intros

Draw your students into the lesson from the very beginning with engaging animations.

Promote your online classes

Advertise your classes and coursework on popular social channels to increase your reach, like TikTok and Instagram.

Or, let your students know about new classes and features as they become available with attractive high-contrast text.

Quick tutorials

Choose interesting colors and animations and ask questions to get feedback from your students. Create introductory videos that students can refer and rewatch to get a sense of the material you’re teaching.

Or, keep it short and sweet with step-by-step instructional videos. 

News and Reminders

Catch your students up to speed with informational newsletters.

Make sure everyone is on the same page and remind students about important due dates and activities. 

5 ways to make lessons fun and engaging 

Break them up into snackable content series rather than long lessons

It has been found that chunking up a long form lesson into a shorter video improves the focus of your students. It also has been proven to increase retained learning so that your students can easily recall important information when they need it most. 

Use a well thought-out script or outline

And stick to it! Use a plan or script to guide the discussion, so you don’t go off on tangents or lose track of the larger picture of your content. Not only will this help you stay on track, but it also makes it easy for your students to follow and understand, too. 

Record yourself teaching an IRL lesson, then make it available to your students to reference

There are many tools available that allow you to record while you teach and then post after the fact. Hybrid remote and in-person lessons are a good way to create as much opportunity as possible for your students to keep up even when they can’t physically be in class, or if they need a refresher in their off-time. 

Be consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to remote learning, especially when it comes to the format for the videos that you use. When you find a communication style and imagery that works for you and your students or customers, continue with that foundation and adapt from there. 

Create a sense of community

When it comes to remote learning it can be hard for students to stay accountable to keep up with lessons. Creating a community such as a facebook group gives your students a space where they can ask questions, make connections, and feel like they are a part of the classroom even when they are far away. 

Tips for making engaging training videos

Make human-centered content

There’s a reason why 94% of marketers today say that they use videos to help increase customer or user understanding of their products or services. Beyond visually demonstrating concepts that could otherwise be hard-to-explain, videos can show personality and that they were created with actual human beings in mind. 

The same applies for educational videos as well. Encourage breaks and pauses within your video series or day of video training. For example, include a bit of text on screen that signifies a stretch break, to go get water, etc. Training videos are often dry and humorless, not showcasing the humanity of the folks they’re training.

Keep it evergreen

Nothing is cheesier than an outdated training video, so steer clear of topical memes, bad jokes, and things “the kids are doing these days.” They’ll instantly date your educational content and make it irrelevant in a year (especially if your educational content markets to a digitally savvy audience). 

Plus, creating evergreen video training makes your content creation efforts go further, costing you less overall because you won’t have to periodically throw part of your budget into brand new video content. 

Encourage interactivity

No one wants to be talked at for four hours. Allow for exchange and interplay with others in your e-learning videos. For example, break up the monotony of training by inserting buttons to reveal more information on a topic, or an interactive activity to give them an opportunity to put what they are learning into practice right there in the video. 

For a virtual classroom create a form where students can actively participate in lectures by answering and asking questions. Including polls and other forms is another way you can get your audience to interact with your videos. 

Wrapping up 

By using these tools and tips you will be on your way to increasing your enrollment, increasing your test scores, or increasing your profitability no matter what your teaching goals are. By learning how to make online educational videos in a manner that is accessible and easy to understand, you will see an improvement in your student’s retention. 

Focus on the needs of your audience and how you can help them achieve their goals through your lessons and use templates and tools that can help you optimize your online educational videos. Creating content like engaging training videos, informative tutorials, and other essential educational videos requires a little resourcefulness and a lot of ingenuity.

Make the most of these tips and your students, trainees and colleagues will thank you. 

Make an educational video in minutes.