A how-to video is a visual tutorial that shows viewers how to complete a task, understand a process, or use a product step by step. While it may be one of the most popular forms of content, video has also become incredibly important to modern consumers.
According to a Camtasia study, 2/3rds of people watch at least one instructional or informational video per week. And they watched those videos because they wanted to! Only 16% of respondents said they watched a video because they had to.
Instructional videos aren’t just assigned training content — they’re tools most people use every week.
With people always looking for information that’s easy to access and quick to digest, it’s no wonder that video has become the go-to format for finding answers.
Think about it: how many times have you used a search term that starts with “how to” when looking for a YouTube video? Even when you’re searching on Google, there’s a good chance you’ve chosen to watch a recording over reading an article.
As well as educating audiences, these tutorial videos give brands the chance to connect and communicate their values to audiences in a relatable way. Show users the ‘how’ while also introducing them to the ‘who’ behind the product or service.
By using this dynamic medium, you can create content that resonates with your audience and gives them a tutorial of how to use a product, service, or solve a problem. From new technology demos to oil changes, tutorials are a relevant part of everyone’s life.
Key takeaways
- A how-to video helps viewers complete a task by showing the process visually, usually one step at a time.
- Common how-to video examples include explainer videos, software demo videos, and instructional videos.
- A simple creation workflow is to plan the task, record the steps, edit for clarity, add captions, and share the finished video.
- Captions and clear visuals make tutorial videos easier to follow and more accessible for every viewer.
What is a how-to video?
A how-to video is a visual guide that teaches viewers how to complete a specific task, understand a process, use a product, or build a skill. In other words, it’s a tutorial on how to do something. From product demos to tutorials, each type of how-to video boasts its own distinct style, advantages, and best use cases.
For example, if someone needed to concisely break down complex concepts, they might use an explainer to do just that. These are typically short clips that are used to demystify convoluted ideas. If, on the other hand, you needed to provide meticulous, step-by-step guidance in a ‘follow-me’ format, you’d want to use an instructional video.
We’ll be taking a closer look at some different how-to tutorial examples in this post, but first, let’s explore the distinct advantages of this medium.
What are the advantages of creating how-to videos?
How-to videos help audiences learn faster, understand products or processes, and build confidence in the brand or team providing the guidance. Any brand that truly understands the power and purpose of a dynamic tutorial knows that it’s not just about creating content for the sake of it; it’s about proving its commitment to an audience and showing that there’s more to business than just transactions.
These guides do more than explain steps — they help brands connect with their audience. If that’s not reason enough to start using them, here are a few more:
How do how-to videos boost awareness?
How-to videos boost awareness by giving viewers a useful reason to discover your brand, product, or process. How-to videos provide a stage where brands can showcase their expertise and ethos. Every time a viewer clicks play, they learn something new while discovering your brand. The discovery is not just about the “how-to”—it’s also about the “who” behind it.
How do how-to videos help convert prospects?
How-to videos can help a viewer move from evaluation to action by making a product or service easier to understand. While the primary function of these videos is to educate, they can also be persuasive. Understanding can be the difference between browsing and buying. This means that anyone who understands a product or service is more likely to become a customer.
How do how-to videos engage users?
How-to videos engage users by combining visual and audio instruction in a way that can make a process easier to follow. Most viewers respond well to a clear story. The visual and auditory nature of videos caters to our innate preference for storytelling. By offering a clear and engaging narrative, you’re not just informing but also building a rapport with your customers.
How do how-to videos add value?
How-to videos add value by giving viewers practical instruction in return for their time and attention. The best way to earn that attention is to consistently deliver value your audience can actually use. By showcasing a dedication to customer success, good how-to videos are a testament to a brand’s commitment to its customers, not just sales.
How do how-to videos build credibility?
How-to videos build credibility when you consistently share useful instruction that demonstrates real expertise. Consistently delivering valuable content is a great way for a brand to position itself as an expert in its field. Content is not just about marketing; it’s about educating users and helping them make the most of a product.
Now that you know what a how-to video is and the benefits of using them, let’s look at the creation process.
How-to video examples
Use the table below to choose the right type of how-to video for your audience and goal. These examples use the same categories covered in this guide.
| Example type | Best use | Typical production method | What it helps viewers do |
| Explainer video | Introducing why a product, service, or internal process matters. | Short screen recording, simple visuals, webcam, or picture-in-picture video. | Understand the purpose behind a topic before learning the steps. |
| Software demo video | Showing a product feature or workflow in action. | Screen recording with narration and focused edits. | See how a product works and why it solves a problem. |
| Instructional video | Teaching a step-by-step task or repeatable process. | Screen recording, shot footage, captions, callouts, and edits. | Follow along and complete the task at their own pace. |
| Microvideo | Answering one narrow question quickly. | Short recording focused on one task or tip. | Get a fast answer without watching a longer lesson. |
| Training content | Onboarding employees or teaching a larger topic. | Recorded lesson, screen capture, presentation recording, or edited training module. | Learn a process that can be reused across a team or organization. |
| Screencast | Demonstrating what happens on screen. | Screen recording with optional microphone, system audio, and webcam. | Watch the exact clicks, settings, or workflow needed to complete a task. |
| Presentation recording | Turning a lecture, webinar, or slide deck into a reusable video. | Recorded slides with narration, webcam, or screen capture. | Review information after a live session or learn asynchronously. |
How do you make a how-to video?
You make a how-to video by recording the steps, then editing the content for clarity. These videos can be made through screen recordings or shot footage and then edited with a video editing tool. From step-by-step instructions to lectures, a good tutorial video is essential for creating standout video content.
What is an explainer video?
An explainer video helps viewers understand why a product, service, or process matters, along with how it works.
Go from screen recording to polished video
A screen recording is just the start. Camtasia’s editor helps you add the callouts, animations, and edits you need to create a truly professional video.
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This context helps viewers see the bigger picture behind a process, not just the steps involved.
In a nutshell, an explainer video is a short description (usually under two minutes) that showcases a company’s brand, product, or service. While these are often used as external marketing videos, businesses can also create internal explainers to share something within a team.
Creating an explainer video is a great way to share information and help your viewers understand how you can help solve their problems.
For example, you could create a short screencast for a colleague to not only demonstrate how to do something but also explain why it’s important. A little context can go a long way in helping people to see the bigger picture.
You don’t need a huge budget, an extensive cast, or even fancy animation software to pull together a standout how-to video. Creating a high-quality video is as simple as recording your screen and making a few small edits. In fact, with Camtasia Editor, you can create a picture-in-picture video that will have a similar effect.
Go from screen recording to polished video
A screen recording is just the start. Camtasia Editor helps you add the callouts, animations, and edits you need to create a polished video.
What is a software demo video?
A software demo video shows product features in action so viewers can understand how the product works.
According to Wyzowl, 77% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy or download software or an app after watching a brand’s video.
So, if you’re selling a product or service, then you need a good product demo video—especially if it’s powered by software. Because once people understand the ‘why’ they need to know the ‘how’, and providing that information is key to turning prospects into customers.
A software demo (or product demo) demonstrates the features of a particular product.
Because a demo should take as much time as you need to effectively show your product, its total runtime doesn’t matter too much. What is important, however, is to ensure you don’t waste any time on giving your audience unnecessary information.
While it may only take a few minutes to effectively demonstrate some products, others could take up to half an hour—it all depends on the product. Just be sure to focus on nothing other than the essentials.
A compelling product demo can be a great sales and marketing tool that helps to inform and educate your audience. Similar to explainer videos, the best demos showcase the value of your offering and convince your viewers why they can’t live without it.
When people can see how your product works for themselves, they’ll be more likely to see the benefits of using it. This means your content will be much more memorable than a load of text or a static presentation.
Remember, every demo video should answer the following questions:
- Why would someone want to use your product?
- What are they trying to achieve, or what pain point are they trying to solve?
- How does your product make your customer’s life easier?
What is an instructional video?
An instructional video walks viewers through a process step by step so they can complete a task or learn a skill. No matter what your job is, you’ve probably been asked questions plenty of times that could have been answered with a simple screen recording.
Whether you’re trying to demonstrate a product feature or onboard a new employee, instructional videos are effective in walking users through a process, no matter your target audience.
You can make several types of instructional videos, including:
- Microvideos
- Tutorials
- Training content
- Screencasts
- Presentation recordings
While some people might call them a ‘how-to video’, a ‘tutorial’, or even a ‘training video’, instructional videos come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever you call them, the power of a good instructional video can’t be understated.
A Camtasia study found that 83% of people prefer to consume instructional or informational content by watching a video, so video is worth the investment.
At their core, these videos help answer questions and instruct people on how to do something they didn’t know. By showing each step, you make the task easier to understand and repeat.
In other words, showing what you’re trying to explain will have a greater impact than simply telling it (hence the saying ‘show don’t tell’).
We have a whole post on how to use visual communication and why it matters. But if you’re a bit pushed for time, you might prefer to check out our infographic that explains why effective visual communication is more important than ever.
Making great instructional videos allows you to give the best answers to your users’ questions, but that doesn’t mean they should only be used to help customers.
A video is a great way to train teams and share information throughout an organization. Creating a tutorial that can be used again and again will save time, effort, and resources in the long run—but they’re also much more engaging than traditional instruction methods.
Use these tips to create instructional videos that are clear and useful for your audience.
How do you create an instructional video?
To create an instructional video, choose what to teach, record the steps, edit for clarity, add captions, and share the finished content. Creating video tutorials does not have to be complicated, especially with Camtasia’s screen recording software.
To create an instructional tutorial, you need to focus on the content you want to teach your target audience while you record your video. By creating an evergreen video for your audience, they will be able to learn at their own pace while you focus on something else.
Now let’s look at how to create a tutorial with just your computer. For this example, we’ll focus on screen recordings and other content you can create with just your computer; no fancy extra equipment is needed.
Choose the best screen recorder for you
Start recording with a high-quality screen recorder. We recommend Camtasia because of its powerful recording options and editing features. The screen recording method you use may not seem important, but it makes all the difference in the long run. It’s important you create high-quality content, and that applies to your video footage and audio quality alike.
With Camtasia, you can capture your screen, camera, microphone, and system audio to create comprehensive tutorials and instructional content.
Start recording your screen by clicking the red record button. Then, go through your tutorial on screen while explaining your steps along the way.
Don’t worry about mishaps or stumbles; you can easily edit footage later. For now, just focus on recording with confidence. You’ve got this!
Edit your screen recordings
Unless you’re a well-seasoned professional, you’ll probably need to edit your footage and get rid of any mistakes. Camtasia makes it easy to splice and cut your footage and add effects and transitions.
Do you find that the recording of your face didn’t turn out exactly like you wanted? You can easily resize, move, or even delete your camera footage to fit your needs.
Plus, you can add closed captions to meet accessibility standards or dynamic captions to add an eye-catching effect to your content.
Once your video is clear, captioned, and trimmed, you’re ready to share it.
Share your content with your audience
To share your content with your team, you have a few options.
The easiest way to share your new content is with Camtasia’s Screencast integration. Just click the Share Link button, and a unique link will be copied to your clipboard. From there, paste the link into an email, messaging platform, or other virtual communication method of your choice.
This choice is simple for internal communication with your team. Screencast makes internal collaboration easy because users can leave real-time comments and reactions to content.
For example, if someone is confused about a statement in the video, they can leave a comment on the exact moment. This makes feedback quick and convenient while making it easy for people to ask questions on specific topics within the video. This makes it easier to get quick answers without leaving the video.
For external communication, you may want to export your video and then upload it to another platform. With Camtasia, you can export your file in multiple file formats or directly upload it to different platforms like Google Drive.
For the social media content creators out there, Camtasia has a direct to YouTube exporting option, which makes uploading videos straightforward.
Make great tutorial videos
Camtasia makes it ridiculously easy to make tutorial videos that keep your viewers engaged.
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Make great how-to videos
The best how-to videos make one task easier to understand, whether you are explaining a concept, demonstrating software, or walking through a process. Keep the goal narrow, show the important steps, edit out distractions, and add captions so more people can follow along.
Try Camtasia for free and start turning your next process into a clear tutorial video.
Frequently asked questions
What are examples of how-to videos?
Examples of how-to videos include explainer videos, software demo videos, instructional videos, microvideos, training content, screencasts, and presentation recordings. Each format helps viewers learn in a slightly different way. A quick screencast might answer one software question, while a training video may teach a full process to a team.
How do you make a how-to video?
To make how-to content, start by choosing one task or process to teach. Capture the steps in order, using screen recording, screen captures, or shot footage depending on what viewers need to see. Then edit the video for clarity, add captions, and share it where your audience can easily access it.
What is the difference between a how-to video, tutorial, explainer, and demo?
A how-to video is the broad category for video content that shows viewers how to do something. A tutorial usually gives step-by-step instruction, while an explainer focuses more on why a concept, product, or process matters. A demo shows a product or feature in action so viewers can understand how it works before they try it themselves.
What should a how-to video include?
A how-to video should include a clear goal, the required steps, and visuals that show exactly what the viewer needs to do. Good tutorials also include clean audio, focused edits, and captions so the content is easier to follow. If the video covers software, use callouts or zooms to draw attention to important clicks, settings, and results.
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