Rise in Online Video & How This Benefits You

Online learning through video is growing rapidly.

It’s no secret that online learning through video content is taking the world by storm. With the increase in educational, course and video launching every day as well as an advancement of tools becoming available to create and leverage video learning, never has there been a better time to get in front of a camera.

The trend won’t be slowing down anytime soon either, with a recent study by Cisco suggesting that information consumption through video is going to increase to a hearty 82% by 2020. So the majority of everything we do will be done through some form of video media.

Video content provides enormous benefits and opportunities for individuals, organizations, and entrepreneurs and increasingly the tools and technology becoming available for video creation has made this as accessible and useful as ever.

As the video online learning space continues to blow up, so do the many formats in which we consume content. This includes video streaming, webinars, Facebook and Instagram lives or stories, screen shares, screen recordings, live streams and pre-produced videos, to name but a few.

I mean, right now, you may even be wondering to yourself why this article is not in the form of a 30 second Instagram story. And hey, you’re probably right.

#NoPressure.

So why does video work so well?

It builds trust

Video is the second best thing to face-to-face interaction. If you can’t be there in person, communicating through video helps you build a relationship and rapport with someone a lot better than a simple email introduction or voice call. It also help you build authority on a certain topic by simply showing up on video, or presenting certain content.   

It’s effective

Video allows for complex concepts or ideas to be translated in a way that is visual and auditory, and thus provides a richer learning experience than text alone. It can also convey complex messages quicker in a way that can be retained easier making this a highly effective medium.

It builds engagement

As video grows, so do the tools and methods for engagement through video. There’s a shift from the traditional presenter approach to more two-way forms of communication which can be seen through webinar class forums, live polls or engagement through comment feeds and emojis, like we see through video streams on Facebook Live.

It saves time and money

Video learning and communication opens up a world of information and education that was previously unaffordable or expensive to most. More and more are younger generations rejecting expensive university fees in favor of more cost-effective and specialized online courses. Similarly, businesses are headed towards more of network model with training, communicating or meeting staff via online video channels becoming more prevalent. This saves companies a lot of money, bypassing many of the hard costs associated with running a company as well as saves time involved in commuting for employees.

It suits millennials’ needs

The world is becoming more globalized, with flexibility and mobility being at the center of millennials’ needs and values. Video communication, education, training and meetings are making it easier to meet wherever you are in the world allowing companies to adapt to the needs of their increasingly digital-first employees.

It makes generating online streams of income a lot easier

According to the Freelancing in America 2017 report the majority of Americans will be freelance workers by 2027. With the increase in online video platforms, tools and opportunities, generating income via video channels is becoming easier every day. From creating and launching courses in different niche markets, producing great video content that gets paid for impressions, promoting affiliate links, or even simply taking your day-job online, the opportunities are growing rapidly.

So video is key, but where do I post these?

There are host of shared marketplace video platforms out there such as YouTube, Udemy and Vimeo to publish your videos and content to benefit from traffic. But you might want to reserve the juicy content for your website platform or blog, or perhaps even in a paid membership site such as Patreon or a closed Facebook community. Hosting products on your own platforms call for a more solid digital marketing strategy to drive traffic, but will mean you do not need to compete and lower your prices like you do on shared course platforms such as Udemy.

What are some basic tips to get started?

Don't overcomplicate things 

Keep your videos very simple and try to break down coursework or concepts into small video bite-size chunks of around 1-4 minutes. Also do not worry about needing fancy video equipment or video effects. People will excuse you for basic video quality if your content is good. Simply put, your videos do not need to resemble a Spielberg movie, if your content and offering is good, or if you can help people solve a problem or learn new skill, you are already headed in the right direction.  

Make content valuable, digestible and memorable 

Content is king. Get to the point quickly without waffling too much and saying ‘um’ fifteen times.

With attention spans shrinking and more expectancy on interactivity, so too, are we seeing an increase in video formats such as Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat stories offering up bite sized morsels of content in a way that is fun, interactive and engaging and will probably set the tone for many more kinds of video formats we are likely to see in the educational space.

Use awesome video recording and editing tools

There are so many great tools available to edit footage easily into professional looking videos. If you want to record video on your phone you may want to grab a phone tri-pod or stand and a basic plug-in mic. For screen recording, screen sharing, capture and editing Collaaj provides a great online video tool for online learning, training, meetings and general video communication. And although simplicity is key, if you do want to spice your videos up with some fun effects you could do so with film editing software such as Fimora or Lightworks.

Make sure you have good sound

Unfortunately even if your content and video editing is of really high quality, if your audio isn’t up to scratch this often paints a negative first-impression. Now, I wouldn’t say break the bank on mic equipment here, but I would suggest that you spend a bit of time and money finding a mic that records well and has minimal static in the background. And hey, you could even try padding your room with pillows and mattresses to make the sound quality warmer (hey it works ok!).

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Get in front of the camera if you can

As mentioned before getting some face time on the camera helps you build a relationship with the customer. But if this elicits terror, then don’t worry, a valuable video with a screen recorded presentation and clear narration should put you in good stead.

Include a call-to-action 

Make sure people know what to do after watching your videos. Whether it’s for them to subscribe to your page, post a comment, click an affiliate link or sign-up to buy a course, be sure to be clear about this!

The future is in rich interactive video

As the adoption of video e-learning and communication increases, so will the demands for more and more interactive features. This will see an increase in engagement tools such as interactive comment feeds, live polls and quizzes, gamification and augmented reality. We will continue to see a rise in multiple devices and screens being used in tandem to enrich the learning experience. Additionally personalization of experience and content will become increasingly important to adapt to learners pace, style, needs and preferences.

Overwhelmed much?

Although the landscape of video is quickly evolving, so too is the technology which is making video creation, capture, editing and delivery as easy and accessible as it has ever been.

So be sure to keep up to date on trends and the great tools that become available, and prepare for a whole new wave of online moving media headed your way.

And remember, when in doubt, always video.