Creative Ways to Use eLearning Explainer Videos in Your Online Training Course

Creative Ways to Use eLearning Explainer Videos in Your Online Training Course
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Summary: You may already produce explainer videos to promote products and bring new customers on board. Why not use the same approach for internal training to share your company vision and hone employee skills?

How To Use eLearning Explainer Videos In Your L&D Program

A big block of text immediately shuts off the brain. Alright, that may not be a scientifically proven fact, but the human mind does prefer visuals. We need to see how things are done in order to replicate them on the job. And explainer videos help us understand complex ideas in a fraction of the time. Your employees are busy, stressed, and overwhelmed with their workload. Clips that sum up the topic are just what they need to achieve their goals and get on with their job duties.

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5 Innovative Ways To Use Explainer Videos

1. Sum Up The Company Vision And Mission

Create training explainer videos that highlight all the things that set your company apart from the rest. Include your mission statement and why it’s so important to uphold company values. Tell employees all about the vision you have for your brand and what you stand for. This is a great way to instill a sense of belonging and to bring new employees on board. It reminds long-time staffers why they joined the company in the first place and how to best serve your brand image. While prospective employees can familiarize themselves with your organization and see if they’re a good fit for the team. If their values align with yours and whether they mesh with the company culture. Thus, it’s a valuable recruiting tool to find candidates who fill current gaps and understand your objectives.

2. Highlight The Evolution Of Your Brand

Show employees how you started and how far you’ve come. Explainer videos in online training can track the evolution of your brand so trainees understand the reasoning behind company policies. For example, why you prioritize the customer experience and how that ties into the history of your organization. They can also see how hard your founders worked to achieve the current level of success and why it’s so crucial to carry on that professional legacy. Don’t forget to include a timeline of your evolution to put things into perspective. You can also use this same format to track an industry trend. For instance, explain how a device or sales technique became so popular and what the future holds for the niche.

3. Launch A Skill Showcase

This is more like a series of explainer videos. Each episode covers a new skill that employees need to know for work-related tasks. For example, the first features communication skills and how to apply them in different departments. Show customer service employees what active listening ‘looks’ like and how to read non-verbal cues. Keep the skill-based training explainer videos under 5 minutes for quick consumption. Employees disclose a skill gap through assessments or real-world situations, then choose a targeted clip from the library. They don’t have to sit through a course to zero in on the problem and address it autonomously.

4. Develop New Hire Intros

New employees usually dread online training icebreakers. They must gather around in a circle or video conferencing screen and give a brief intro. Why not use explainer videos in online training to turn the tables and introduce your brand? These onboarding tools give new recruits a warm welcome and showcase your work practices. The intros can even extend to members of your staff. For instance, invite your department manager to talk about themselves, their professional background, and how they plan to support the team. Of course, you should probably leave out personal details, but anecdotes are a great addition. Especially if they highlight struggles new employees might face and emphasize they’re not on their own. Last, but not least, include follow-up resource links so that trainees know where to find more info or JIT support.

5. Share The Why Behind Tasks

Employees aren’t mindless robots who repeat the same task every day without ever questioning the purpose. Explainer videos in online training can help them explore the ‘why’ behind work processes so that they assign meaning. For instance, why it’s so important for them to put on safety gear or log off from the sales terminal when they end their shift. Videos should also illustrate every step so that trainees can follow along. If the task is arduous, use animations for reenacting the procedure and showing employees the right/wrong approach.

Top Tip To Develop Explainer Videos In Online Training

The first step is to find an authoring tool you can rely on for multimedia assets, templates, and video editing. One that allows you to add cut-out characters to your product or background audio to draw employees in. Once that’s in place, it’s time to develop the storyboard and see how existing resources come into play. For example, can you reuse images or sound clips from your training library? Finally, record the voiceover (using a well-written script) and ensure the timestamps match up with the visuals. Launch your eLearning explainer videos during a live event to create some fanfare or give top performers an advanced screening.

Conclusion

Explainer videos in online training can still have the panache and entertainment value of their marketing counterparts. The secret is in the delivery. Does your video have aesthetic appeal without bombarding employees with irrelevant graphics? Does it sum up the key points concisely so that employees can move on with their work day? Are you merely recapping the policies are showing trainees how to apply them on the job? The beauty of eLearning explainer videos is that they offer a visual example AND basic background info. So, make sure your clips deliver the total package.

Don’t have time to create your own explainer videos from scratch? Have no fear because our eLearning content provider directory can help you find the perfect outsourcing partner. Select the best video producer in your price bracket to tap into the online training expertise.

Originally published on December 30, 2022