Having a good team is like a craftsman armed with a set of the finest instruments he could work with.
But how do you keep your toolbox sharp?
Everything’s constantly changing and it can be hard to keep up.
This is why a culture of regular learning and training is key to keep everyone sharp, whether they’re novices or experienced.
A surprisingly underrated solution to this is employee training videos, especially animated training videos.
Why? Because it’s like a masterclass that you can capture and repeat as many times as you wish, as the team grows and you regularly take on new people.
From cybersecurity training videos to corporate training videos, the format is hard to beat.
They have the advantage of communicating vast amounts of information while staying interesting and captivating.
This is because we are all naturally visual learners. We retain information far better when both video and audio are involved, far more than with mere text.
And with animation, the sky’s the limit. Employee training videos are an invaluable tool for explaining complex concepts simply and clearly.
It’s easy when you know the secrets!
Don’t know how to get started? It can seem a bit overwhelming. But don’t fret, Broadcast2World is here to help!
Start by conducting a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) using tools like surveys, interviews, or focus groups to identify skill gaps in your team.
Pick topics that address these needs. For inspiration, use resources like LinkedIn Learning or industry-specific forums.
Every team is different, so you need to tweak your videos to best address the specific needs of your employees.
We’ve already written several blogs that can help you get started.
Pick the right video format for you (whether animated, screencast, or live-action) using tools like Vyond for animation, Movavi Screen Recorder or Camtasia for screencasts.
Know your audience. You don’t want to make your training videos too simple for experienced employees but also should avoid overwhelming fresh joiners with too much technical information either.
Tools like SurveyMonkey can help gather this data.
Make sure your script is clear and engaging. Tools like Celtx or WriterDuet can help in scripting.
Break down the information into segments so it’s easier for your viewers to understand and remember.
Then, create a storyboard to plan your video. Use tools like Storyboard That or Canva for visually mapping out your video.
Don’t fret if this feels overwhelming and confusing.
There’s no dearth of animation studios dedicated to creating corporate videos of all sorts, and their creative team will help you bring your ideas and vision to life.
Decide if you want to produce your videos in-house, or outsource to a studio.
If you opt to produce your videos in-house, you’ll need to invest in good equipment like a DSLR camera, a quality microphone, and lighting kits for a start.
In the case of animation, you’ll need a creative, skilled animation team to bring your vision to fruition
Outsourcing to a studio might seem more expensive at first, but the advantage is that you can rely on the expertise of a dedicated team to craft your videos for you and offer creative advice too.
Plus, using an employee time tracker app can help ensure efficient collaboration and transparent communication throughout the project.
Before sharing your videos with your team, do an internal review of them with stakeholders.
You can use platforms like Frame.io to collect feedback.
Then pilot-test the video with a sample of your target audience.
Use tools like Google Forms or Typeform for collecting and analyzing feedback.
Finally, make the changes to your videos as needed, before deploying them for training.
There’s no dearth of platforms that can host your videos for your specific needs.
You can choose distribution platforms like a Learning Management System (LMS) like Moodle or TalentLMS, or video hosting platforms like Vimeo or Wistia.
Integrate the videos into your training curriculum, in the way that works best for you and your team.
You can also track their engagement and effectiveness using powerful analytics tools provided by your LMS or most video hosting services.
The best way to draw inspiration is to look at existing training video examples of what you’re trying to create.
So let’s check out some of the best training video examples out there and why they work so well.
Make sure your video connects with your team in a natural way.
Avoid turning your video into one long lecture.
A good video script goes a long way into making that seamless. Here’s how Vyond did it:
You wouldn’t ignore a broken leg and run a marathon on it. So why should mental health be any different?
Mental health care is now a key component of employee training.
So it’s only natural that animated training videos are a popular way to raise employee awareness.
In just over two minutes, this corporate training video does an excellent job of explaining the symptoms, risks and resources available to employees.
The animation style is clean and simple, making it easy to digest and remember.
You may be tempted to throw in everything but the kitchen sink into your videos.
But the key to keeping things interesting and engaging is remembering to keep it light.
This video by Amaze Org threads the needle between covering all the topics, while also not overloading the viewer with too much information.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is a difficult subject to talk about.
But with the help of clever and lively animation, this video handles the topic smoothly.
Notice how a light touch brings balance to an otherwise heavy subject.
We are naturally visual learners, and well-crafted animation and graphics can bring even the most dense and cumbersome topics to life and keep things interesting.
This is another example of the power of animation to break down dense and complex information and make it easy to understand, and even easy to remember.
This video by Nufel Art demonstrates how video is an invaluable tool in spreading awareness regarding sensitive topics like racial harassment in the business world while also aiding in corporate training.
With video, things don’t have to be all serious business all the time.
Humor is a powerful tool to keep your audience engaged and interested, and improve memory recall.
Consider the following example:
Here’s a great example of how you can get really creative and even entertaining with your training videos.
Rather than focus on raising awareness about lightning strikes, this employee training video for the LDS Church took a different approach.
Framed as an interview with a cloud bragging about his lighting-striking skills, the video grabs your attention and draws you in.
While entertaining the viewer, it delivers all the needed facts and information about lightning strikes, how they work, and how to avoid them.
After all, there’s no point in explaining all these facts if the viewer is too bored to pay attention, let alone memorize them.
So remember, creating a video– even a corporate training video– is more art than science.
Customer service is a tough job. Employees have to be the face of the company and tackle angry customers head-on, daily.
This cute little employee training video by Canity addresses this directly, speaking the employee’s language.
But it also offers practical solutions and strategies to defuse these emotionally heated situations.
And the cartoony feel of the animation isn’t just for show– it goes a long way to help lighten the mood and hold the viewer’s attention.
You can offer your employees the best perks, benefits, and pay to match your competitors.
But if your workplace environment tolerates toxic and bullying behavior, it’s all for nothing.
Studies have shown that few factors drive employees to leave like a bad work environment, even when they pay and parks are top-notch for their industry.
Corporate training videos like this one do an excellent job of identifying bullying and harassment in the workplace and explaining solutions and resources available to all employees.
By using simple playful animation, it’s even more effective at holding the audience’s attention and interest.
It’s obvious that images work better than words, and this is especially true when it comes to visual storytelling.
Here’s an example of where 3D animation can be really useful.
When explaining safety procedures in an industrial setting, it’s best to show more than tell.
This employee training video for Gasune depicts real-world situations on the job and highlights risks and dangers, explaining the importance of safety equipment and routines.
It’s highly visual, so employees can really connect with what they’re watching and remember what to do on the job.
It works far better than tedious paragraphs of text or signs on walls ever could.
Effectively produced training videos make your team run like a well-oiled machine.
The problem is that we’re all simply inundated with too much information constantly, so it can be hard to cut through the noise.
This is why animation is such a powerful, underrated tool because it can deliver large amounts of dense information while holding the viewer’s interest and attention easily.
When done right, it can even be entertaining and take your company’s image and reputation to a new level.
That said, it does require patience and a willingness to experiment to find what works best for you and your team.
We hope this guide was helpful in getting you inspired and ready to start creating!
Our passion is creating animated training videos for clients of all kinds worldwide, and we’ve been at it for over a decade.
Drop us a line today to find out what the power of animated storytelling can do for your business!
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