Posted on February 12, 2021 by Darren Travers
What are Training Videos?
Training videos are exactly what you think: specialised [sic] videos made to train a specific audience how to perform, achieve or do something. They can cover any topic and have many benefits above real-world training. They can:
- Be replayed and paused to ensure maximum impact on the viewer
- Save time because they can train people whenever suits their particular schedule
- Save money because they remove the need for professional trainers in-person and, in certain cases, the need for a customer service team
- Ensure nothing is left out and avoid human error unlike live training
- Increase your reach if you offer a training service
- Allow you to be as creative as you like with the presentation of your training course
- Entertain and engage an audience so that the experience stays with them – important for training
- Potentially help avoid disastrous situations
- Provide clear instructions for products too large or complex for live-action with animation
In spite of the above, why do we use videos in training programs? If managed properly, they can result in cost savings and deliver information consistently and repeatedly, if necessary. Again, depending on how videos are managed within the training program, creative approaches may also have value.
Marketing for training programs or services can of course help create internal or external demand for training and video can be effective. In addition, using video to present hazardous scenarios that are objectively recognizable may highlight the “problem” effectively. Depending on its use, video can also portray the “solution” – avoid the problem, talk to HR, wear protective gear, etc.
But ultimately, isn’t the metric of value the effectiveness of the training? If the audience is entertained and the training is memorable, my question is which part of the video is most entertaining and memorable? If it’s the “problem” section, you’re in trouble. If it’s the “solution” section, you have a more effective training.
And in the rush to create video, let’s not overlook the rest of our training toolkit, including using multiple channels, active engagement, timing, etc., to reach the real goals, from worker safety to leadership development. -MW-
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