So you want to make videos? | Write the Docs Prague 2018

I started my career in technology, working in Customer Support for a small start up in little old New Zealand. To help our Support team scale as the business quickly grew, we needed to invest in a fool-proof self-service strategy.

To help our users get up and running with our product quickly we needed friendly, accessible and engaging product education.

Video was one of the first things we identified as being a crucial part of our product education strategy. In this talk, I'll share my experience with using, producing and managing videos, as part of documenting an ever-changing and evolving product.

If you're looking to start your adventure in video, this talk will give you insight into how to develop and deliver a video strategy, with some helpful insights and lessons learned along the way.

A recorded version of the talk can be found here: https://youtu.be/PyGJiUIMGpw

Transcript

1. So you want to make Videos @sarahleyh
2. @sarahleyh
3. ! @sarahleyh
4. A round plane figure whose boundary (the circumference) consists of points equidistant from a fixed point (the centre). @sarahleyh
5. FRIENDLY . ACCESSIBLE . ENGAGING . @sarahleyh
6. Product + feature releases Release note round-ups “Getting started with” videos Best practice vids (Whiteboard Fri) Advanced or in- depth videos Navigating change in the product HELP VIDEOS
7. Document internal systems and processes Share product changes Give insight into what teams are working on Celebrate wins, achievements and milestones INTERNAL VIDEOS 1. Webinars Increase product usage or feature uptake with SUPPORT 2. Social Get users excited about new features, or MARKETIN 3. Onboarding Help leads get familiar with your product quickly and convert SUCCESS OTHER VIDEOS
8. Research 1 Script 2 Record 3 Edit 4 Share 5 Review 6
9. Research 1
10. Identify • Nuanced or complex functionality • Long, overly detailed or set up intensive process • Conceptual product knowledge • Working with third-parties • Keep track of videos you identify @sarahleyh
11. Dive deep • Talk to your front-line teams • Support conversations are rich with valuable insight • Tag conversations for further context: Reliability Usability Functionality @sarahleyh
12. Prioritise • Focus on making an impact • Factor in your product roadmap • Plan like waterfall, adapt like agile • Forget the shelf-life • Videos can be always be edited @sarahleyh
13. Consolidate • Define the learning outcome • Is this a single video, or a series? • Where will the video live? • Get feedback @sarahleyh
14. Script 2
15. Format: Title: | | | Length: Level: Music: How to add bookable staff How to / in guide 2m 45s Beginner N • Set expectations by making the title as clear as possible. • Different platforms have their own limitations. • 2 -5 minutes is the optimal length, closer to 2 is better. • Target your video to a specific set of users. • Music is great for videos without narration. Think about tone, pace, source and attention. https://goo.gl/9bPTtv
16. Title Screencast Still Live Outro VIDEO AUDIO On the right-side, I write the script for exactly what I plan to say on the final video. [Presentation] Hover: Video Click: Left-hand side Type: “Click: Left-hand side” Click: Next slide I break this into paragraphs, so I know where to add pauses when recording, and add formatting for emphasis. There are likely to be viewers with visual impairments, so make the verbal instructions stand in their own right. https://goo.gl/9bPTtv
17. Review • Divide actions into sections • Build rapport with your audience • Read your script aloud • Do a table read with the voice artist • Get feedback early @sarahleyh
18. Record 3
19. • 16:9 • HD • Retina • Earpods • No wireless • Pop filter • Audio • Screen • Edit • Quiet space • No echoes • Consistent • Webcam • Neutral • Professional Tools @sarahleyh
20. Audio • Familiarise yourself with the timing • Break it into sections if you need • Record any changes to the script • Speak clearly and not too quickly • Smile while recording • Watch your P’s B’s and T’s • Leave breaks for easier editing @sarahleyh
21. Harry Potter Luna Lovegood Parvati Patil Inspect
22. Visual • Start the audio once recording • Perform actions in time with audio • Break into sections • Move the cursor deliberately @sarahleyh
23. Edit 4
24. @sarahleyh
25. Titles, chapters and outros (Like this!) @sarahleyh
26. @sarahleyh
27. Edit 1. Trim clips 2. Add transitions 3. Add intros, outro and titles 4. Get feedback 5. Make any final changes @sarahleyh
28. Share 5
29. Consider 1. Purpose: Community vs Hosting 2. What is your budget? 3. Is it white-label/neutral? 4. Is there advertising? 5. Lead gen, annotation, interaction 6. Captioning and translation 7. Analytics @sarahleyh
30. Share 1. Link relevant information 2. Provide captions/transcripts 3. Most editing tools support captioning: https://goo.gl/9bPTtv @sarahleyh
31. Review 6
32. Reach 1. Views 2. Plays vs. impressions 3. GA: Bounce rate, click- through, time on page 4. Are your call to actions used? @sarahleyh
33. 1. Average % or time watched 2. What % of viewers complete 3. Likes, share & comments 4. Engagement graphs Engagement @sarahleyh
34. 1. Tag Support conversations 2. Track tag use month-to-month 3. Ask your Support/Customer teams 4. Review any feedback 5. Track ticket deflection Return 0 @sarahleyh
35. @sarahleyh
36. So you want to make Videos @sarahleyh