Video blogging has taken the blogosphere by storm and rightfully so. It surrounds the reader with a more personal atmosphere and provides a visual, which is always popular. Different from video blogging though, tutorials actually show you a demostration for a particular project. I receive tons of emails daily, many of which start with, “how to” and for this reason, I will be adding more video tutorials to my blog in hopes of helping others easily accomplish their projects.
Video tutorials can be created simply with screen recorder software. This will only record your screen and your voice. I recommend 2 programs to get you started:
Whichever you choose, you will have the option to record the entire screen or partial screen. With Camstudio, it’s as easy as deciding what part of your screen you want to record and then pressing the button. Editing and outputting are just as simple; in fact, if you get stuck, Camstudio provides a video tutorial with step-by-step instructions on how to use their software.
Some things to remember when recording your video:
- Always do a sound check. There’s nothing worse than getting through your tutorial only to realize there is no sound, not to mention the self humiliation from lack of preparation.
- Speak a tick slower than you normally would and be sure to avoid the “erms, uhs, and dead silences”. Keep your distance from the mic and avoid heavy breathing! You’re teaching, not stalking.
- Speak as if you are teaching someone sitting right beside you. By doing this, you are creating a one on one feel with your reader/student.
- 5 frames per second will produce a fine quality video. The default is usually anywhere between 15 to 30 frames but this is not necessary, of course, this is just a personal preference.
UPLOADING YOUR VIDEO
The recommended format when outputting and uploading is SWF (Shockwave Video). You get clear video and smaller file size, which makes for faster uploading time. FLV (Flash video format) can be used as well, however, the file size increases and the picture quality worsens in most instances.
Uploading your video to Youtube is great for the beginner. Your video has the advantage of reaching a wider audience which is a result we all sought after.
Tagging your tutorial is an important step and shouldn’t be ignored. Sometimes placing your video tutorial in a category is not enough so adding tag specifics will help people find it easier.
For example:
My first tutorial was “Organizing Your Inbox“. After browsing the various categories, I chose to place it in education. Education is a very general topic so I needed to classify it with tags. I tagged my tutorial with organization, Outlook Express, how-to, video tutorial, and a couple of others. By doing this, I’m giving my video a better chance at being seen when someone does a search for those specific terms.
In conclusion, video tutorials can be a welcomed attraction to readers, especially those needing their hand held due to lack of experience. It’s also a great way to give your visitor a break from reading and let them sit back, watch and learn.
I’m Lori, a SAHM, who loves to share blog tips and tutorials in hopes of helping others. If you enjoyed this post, please visit my blog and consider subscribing to my feed.
Image by Montrasio International
