Video tutorials for products and services: Adding value through visual guides
Written by Maren Dinges | 6th Jaunary 2025
Table of Contents
How do I register for online banking? How can I redeem tickets or properly install a product? Many questions arise along the customer journey. Most of these questions cannot be easily explained through traditional FAQ sections in text form, or the explanations become too complicated. On the other hand, visual guides offer a much more practical solution: Video tutorials for products and services guide customers step by step through their queries, explaining even the most technical processes in an easy-to-understand way.
In this article, we’ll explore the value video tutorials can add to your products and services and how you can use them as a service extension to increase customer loyalty.
Reasons Why Video Tutorials Are a Valuable Additional Service for Customers
Nothing is more frustrating than encountering issues with a new product or service you’ve just purchased. The result? Disappointed customers who end up calling customer service. To prevent this, video tutorials act as preventative customer service. Instead of waiting for a frustrated call, simply include a link to a video tutorial with the purchase. This way, questions are addressed before they arise or are quickly resolved.
But why are video tutorials so practical at explaining products and services?
- They simplify complex content: Video tutorials break down technical processes into steps that customers can easily follow. Instead of long text blocks, customers receive a self-explanatory guide.
- They address frequently asked questions: Customers find solutions faster, and companies can allocate their resources more efficiently.
- They promote customer autonomy: Video tutorials empower customers to solve problems independently. Instead of contacting customer service for minor issues, they can find their answers in a video.
- They strengthen customer loyalty: Well-thought-out video tutorials make customers feel cared for and valued, building trust in the brand.
Customer Loyalty Through Tutorials: Tips for Creating Top Video Tutorials
Video tutorials are only helpful if they effectively guide customers to solve their problems independently. To achieve this, viewers need to understand what to do and when to do it clearly.
Here are some tips for creating impactful video tutorials:
Clear Goals
First, determine the specific problem the video is meant to solve. Follow the Rule of One: each product tutorial should address only one issue. For example, you could create one video about the general registration process for online banking, another for two-factor authentication, and a third for device management. This focused approach ensures each tutorial is easy to consume.
A bonus tip: In video marketing, you can place tutorials along the customer journey—in FAQs, on the website, or in an email—to maximize their impact.
Simple Language
Customers watch video tutorials for two reasons: they’re facing a problem or want to familiarize themselves with a solution. In either case, video tutorials should simplify the process for them. Avoid using complicated jargon. Instead, use straightforward, clear language. The goal is for everyone to understand the content of the video tutorial easily.
Step-by-Step Guides
Logical structuring is key to a practical video tutorial. Step-by-step guides act as a roadmap for customers, leading them seamlessly through the process. Each step should be separated, using visual elements like arrows, highlights, and animations to emphasize key points and guide attention.
Interactive Elements
Interactive elements in video tutorials serve two primary purposes:
- Engage users: Clickable areas or quizzes enhance knowledge retention by keeping viewers’ attention.
- Additional information: Links to related tutorials or chapter-based navigation offer supplementary knowledge. For instance, briefly mentioning a topic in one video can link to a more detailed explanation elsewhere.
With simpleshow video maker, you can easily create interactive videos with links or quizzes to make them even more engaging.
How Companies Successfully Use Video Tutorials
For businesses, video tutorials for products and services offer versatile applications. They explain, inform, solve problems, and provide additional insights. It’s no wonder companies across various industries use video tutorials to enhance their services. Sometimes, businesses create multiple tutorials on the same topic: one video might introduce a service before purchase, while another explains the next steps after purchase.
The content of video tutorials varies depending on the channel, stage in the customer journey, and industry:
Integrating Video Tutorials Into a Multichannel Strategy
Video tutorials are ideal for inclusion in multichannel strategies. Depending on the platform, you can tailor the tutorial’s objective to meet customers where they are in their journey:
- YouTube: Use YouTube to provide search engine-optimized video tutorials. Long-form content still performs well, but YouTube Shorts offers additional opportunities to showcase tutorials. Pro tip: Create playlists of related tutorials on YouTube to provide step-by-step comprehensive explanations for a product.
- Instagram: Platforms like Instagram are perfect for integrating tutorials into video marketing. Short and snappy tutorials in Reels engage your community and increase visibility for your products and services.
- Company Website: Use video tutorials to encourage purchases or address immediate post-purchase questions on your website. Embed them in FAQs to answer common questions, include them on product pages to highlight features or benefits, or build a knowledge base with helpful videos.
Another tip: Subtitles are becoming increasingly important for making video tutorials accessible. With simpleshow video maker, you can add optional subtitles that viewers can turn on or off as needed.
Industry Best Practices
The versatility of video tutorials is evident across different industries and platforms. Here are five industry-specific best practices:
- Tech Companies: Tech firms use video tutorials to explain complex processes, such as software installation, device setup, or tips for using specialized features.
- Service Industry: Service providers use tutorials to demonstrate workflows or explain their offerings, such as how a photo shoot is conducted or what to consider when designing a website.
- Healthcare: Healthcare organizations use video tutorials to explain medical devices or provide guidance on medication usage.
- Education: Educational platforms and organizations offer tutorials for digital tools or learning materials to help participants get started, such as videos that guide users through a learning portal.
Conclusion: Video Tutorials Leave No Questions Unanswered
The more tangible your products and services are, the easier it is to explain their benefits and processes. Video tutorials not only make features, workflows, and advantages more comprehensible but also more visible. Customers can immediately see what your offering is capable of and how it works. Video tutorials can boost conversions and/or strengthen customer loyalty, depending on the purpose.
With simpleshow video maker, you can create compelling videos that solve problems, highlight benefits, and engage entire communities. Try the simpleshow video maker now and make your first video tutorial for your product or service!
