If you run a modern customer education program, chances are you use video content.
And it makes sense. As Matthew Tidwell recently shared with us, “Videos provide a format for us to inform, entertain, and build a relationship with learners in a way that’s difficult to achieve in other mediums.”
But videos can be expensive to produce and maintain—which means it’s critically important we get it right when we create video content for customer education.
In this blog, we’re sharing five common mistakes when creating video content, along with tips to avoid these pitfalls.
Mistake #1: Putting Too Many Concepts Into a Single Video
We’re all busy, and customers only have so much time—even for a well-done how-to video.
Matthew suggests focusing videos on one specific outcome, with the steps to get it done.
Not only does this keep your video more focused for the customer—it also allows you to repurpose training content for different audiences.
Matt’s pro tip: Video bloat tends to happen as a result of “decision by committee.” Rather than have a number of stakeholders review the final video, agree first on the specific outcome you want the viewer to achieve.
Mistake #2: Creating Boring Video Content
It doesn’t matter what your education team’s output is if no one is watching the videos!
Even if it’s mandatory training, you can still make education content entertaining and interesting. This goes a long way not only in engaging our audiences, but also with knowledge retention. (Check out these research-backed principles for designing video learning content!)
Mistake #3: Using Industry Jargon
For customers to understand your education content, they need to know what you mean. The best way to ensure this happens is by removing jargon from your content.
When in doubt, ask someone outside of your industry or company for their feedback. If they don’t get it, try again.
Mistake #4: Assuming Video is the Answer
Video is a great medium for learning, but it’s not a universal solution. Not everything is right for video—and you don’t need to create a video for everything people ask for. For example, you might not need a video on how to log into your app.
Matt’s pro tip: Think in terms of “mental calories.” Our job is to deliver the information that folks need to be successful with the fewest number of calories possible. If videos are the fastest way to deliver processes, complex information, or deliver the value that’s needed, great.
Mistake #5: Not Thinking About Future Updates
Working in SaaS? Then you’re probably used to regular product changes—and requests to update your video content. 😩
Instead of waiting for the product to change, here are some ways to think ahead (based on community insights!):
Make modular content.
“The more modular the curriculum, the better,” shared Crossman Wilkins, Lead Curriculum Developer at Amperity. This keeps you from having to update longer videos. Crossman suggests ensuring videos don’t reference other videos for the same reason. (Learn more about modular content in this blog.)
Invest in a tagging system.
Crossman also suggests having a well-organized archive of content. “This makes it easy to pull things in and out of storage,” Crossman shared in the Customer Education Slack. If you tag your content with keywords (or include transcripts of video content), you can more easily search for videos that need to be updated as products and features change.
Leverage AI-powered platforms.
No, AI isn’t taking our jobs (today). But it can help us speed up content creation, including video content! Tools like Clueso and Videate allow you to create (and update) video content in a fraction of the time it would manually take to record and edit a video.
Video, But Better
Video is a great medium for customer education—when done right. Keep these common mistakes in mind to save yourself time and hassle down the road. By focusing on clear outcomes, engaging and accessible content, and strategic planning for updates, you can ensure your videos are impactful and maintain their value over time. Remember, the goal isn’t just to create videos—it’s to create learning experiences that resonate with your audience, help them succeed, and ultimately drive business results. With the right approach, your video content can become a cornerstone of your customer education program, building stronger relationships and delivering measurable outcomes.
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