10 Great Tutorial Video Examples to Help You Get Started

Making a tutorial video is a great way to walk someone through a process and maybe even make a dent in those tedious in-person training sessions. 

But maybe you aren’t experienced with video creation, or you just aren’t sure where to start.

With so much content out there and so many different formats, deciding exactly how you want to make your tutorial video is no easy task. Or, maybe you have no idea where to even start. 

Don’t worry — we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of 10 great examples of tutorial videos to help give you some ideas to help show off any product or service.

1. Add a personal touch (PremiumBeat)

Notice how this video uses the narrator’s personality to set an informal tone early. It’s an inviting style. He even begins with a few bloopers to “break the ice” with viewers and then goes on to give clear, concise directions with great examples.

The video gets into some really helpful specifics, going so far as to suggest the equipment that people of any experience or budget levels might be able to access. Offering suggestions and options is a great way to make things feel accessible to your entire audience. Of course, you should always keep in mind that any budget is a luxury not everyone has, and including free options whenever possible is great. 

Key takeaways:

• Let your personality shine through. Sometimes, goofy is great!
• Provide different options for varying budgets and equipment availability.

2. Teach a technique or concept (Backlinko)

The creator of this tutorial does a fantastic job of letting his audience know exactly what they’re about to learn in the first 10-20 seconds of the video. 

First, Brian Dean, the founder of Backlinko, establishes his credentials. Then, he walks viewers through his tried-and-true keyword research blueprint in a clear, engaging way by watching his pace, breaking things down, and simplifying elements. This makes him and his company appear reliable and knowledgeable.

One of my favorite aspects of this video is the use of images and other motion graphics to keep the audience engaged. Motion is an important tool — viewers will get bored and won’t want to watch your video if they’re staring at stationary slides or images for too long.

A high production value like this one is important if your tutorial is meant to drive new leads to your product or website. If your video seems cheap, users probably will assume your products are as well. However, if your content is really engaging and informative, viewers are more likely to overlook production flaws.

Key takeaways:

• Clearly state what the tutorial video will cover.
• Depending on the video’s goal or audience, consider investing in a higher-quality production.

3. Make a casual, informal walkthrough (Rachel Ballinger)

Sometimes, a casual, informal type of video can be exactly what you need to make viewers comfortable, especially if you’re walking them through a process that can be intimidating.

This creator’s living room-style setup with a simple whiteboard is very welcoming to viewers who are coming to her video for help writing a resume (a very challenging task for those entering the job market for the first time!).

She does a great job of summarizing what a resume is in easily digestible terms and emphasizes an important concept.It also proves that a video does not have to be fancy to be effective.

Know your audience and your platform, and from there decide what style (formal vs informal) will be most helpful to your viewers.

Key takeaways:

• Make your viewers comfortable, and match your background and setup to the audience’s expectations.
• You don’t need fancy equipment to make an effective tutorial video.

4. Lean into approachability (Baker Bettie)

For those creating craftier tutorial videos, aesthetics might be of higher importance. Baking educator Kristin Hoffman (a.k.a “Baker Bettie”) uses eye-catching shots of her cake baking and decorating process to really wow and inspire viewers.

If her goal is to make audience members believe that cake frosting is easy enough for each of them to do on their own, higher-quality shots help make her seem like an expert they can turn to. 

Her production isn’t perfect or necessarily up to TV-like standards, but they’re clear and free of clutter and other distractions that could take away from the video’s focus. Ultra-expensive cameras or editing software aren’t essential to achieve this. Just make sure to clean up your background and have a decent quality camera.

Key takeaways:

• Consider what levels of aesthetics your audience will expect or respond to.
• Keep your background tidy and free of distractions. 

5. Make it short and to the point (Dropbox)

At TechSmith, we always recommend making your video as long as needed to cover required material, but not any longer. Cut any extra or unnecessary content. This tutorial video does a great job of that — it’s under 2 minutes, but quickly demonstrates exactly what the title describes and nothing more.

Making a video that is too long or goes off on tangents is one of the fastest ways to lose your audience. Keep it concise. When you’re showing a discrete task or process in a piece of software or technology, the audience usually wants the info as quickly as possible. No need to spend time on extra frills or chatter in this case.

Key takeaways:

• Make your video as long as it needs to be while keeping it as short as possible.
• Cut out any unnecessary content.

6. Address multiple platforms (Snagit)

Sometimes, your tutorial video will need to address different interfaces or platforms, such as users on Windows vs users on Mac. This video ensures that both of these are demonstrated and that the tutorial is accessible to all users regardless of platform. This is done by cutting away to show the other platform when it defers and then returning to the main narrative. This makes it so one video can do the work of what otherwise would be two.

Another thing I notice here is the speed of the narration. It’s a nice, steady pace, which is helpful for viewers of all language levels and abilities.

Key takeaways:

• Consider if viewers will be on more than one interface and adjust accordingly.
• Talk at a steady pace that doesn’t rush or drag through content.

7. Present with a subject matter expert (Whittard of Chelsea)

Bringing in a subject matter expert, or SME, to narrate or appear in your tutorial video can help boost credibility. For this walkthrough, the resident tea expert of the company was chosen to appear. It’s always reassuring when your information is coming from the best of the best in a field.

If you aren’t the SME at your company or organization on the topic your tutorial addresses, consider asking that individual or individuals to help you out and appear in the video. This will help viewers feel like you really are providing them with the best possible information. 

Key takeaways:

• If you aren’t the SME, include that person or people in your tutorial.

8. Consider alternatives or other options (TechSmith)

It’s always important to give your viewers multiple ways to achieve a certain goal, whether that means listing options for different budgets, different locations, and more. This video provides viewers with several different ways to get great webcam lighting without breaking the bank and regardless of where they are working from.

Not only does the narrator tell viewers what they should do, he tells them what they should avoid. This can be equally as important to set viewers up for success. Don’t be overly negative or critical, but make sure to discourage your audience from making key mistakes.

Key takeaways:

• Provide different options for varying budgets and equipment availability.
• Inform viewers of possible pitfalls and things to avoid while they go through the process.

9. Use a narrator your audience relates to (The Kidsplainer)

Video host “The Kidsplainer” matches perfectly with his audience — kids! We are more likely to listen to those who we feel understand our needs, so who better to demonstrate a process meant for kids than a kid himself?

Despite his younger age, the host still walks through the steps required to fold a paper airplane in a clear way with detailed visuals. The pace is a bit slower than the average tutorial video, but since this content is targeted towards children, this is actually a smart decision.

Key takeaways:

• Choose a narrator that the audience will respect or relate to.
• Consider your audience when setting the pace of your video. 

10. The professional treatment (Babish Culinary Universe)

Here is a great example of a high-quality video with amazing camera footage and production. While these aren’t essential factors, they certainly make a video engaging and enjoyable to watch. 

Narrator Andrew Douglas Rea (a.k.a. “Babish”), a professional chef, gives great equipment recommendations and makes his processes accessible by providing several options based on budget and tool availability. The crisp footage and aesthetics of the video coupled with clear narration make for an instructional video that inspires anyone who watches it to immediately try their hand at making their own ice cream.

Key takeaways:

• High-quality footage and production are always a plus.
• Provide different options for varying budgets and equipment availability.

Bonus! Watch us break down our own tutorial

Watch as we cover the format and structure of a good tutorial video by breaking down one of our own.

In this episode of Video Workflow, Matt Pierce, Andy Owen, and Justin Simon go through the basic elements of a good tutorial video. They break down a tutorial for TechSmith Audiate so you can see exactly how to level up your next tutorial video.

Last thoughts

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to approach creating a tutorial video. 

There isn’t just one style that works for any particular topic. It’s all about what you like and are comfortable creating. You can even mix and match between styles. So, with these ideas in hand, the best thing to do is get started!

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