How to make good tutorials
How to make good tutorials
Nowadays, with the multiplication of tutorials, everyone can learn new disciplines or obtain several skills at their own pace and in different ways. But with their massive increase and diversification, it’s not always easy to find good tutorials. In itself, doing, making a good tutorial – or tuto – is often more complex than it seems. Thus, we explain here how to make a good tutorial and easily transmit your knowledge on multiple topics.
How to make a good tutorial: the story of tutorials
Overall, it’s about giving you here the good tips to make or write a tutorial understandable and accessible to all. In fact, at least two schools are opposed: those who choose to make video tutorials (filmed, animated) and those who stick to written tutorials (texts). That being said, remember what a tutorial is originally. A tutorial is a practical guide that helps the novice user to train independently to a software, a programming language … However, the use of the tutorial has spread to various activities. For example, photography, DIY, gardening, creative hobbies and more recently personal development disciplines.
Thus, the tutorial is a teaching tool that allows you to learn through text documents, dynamic images … step by step in accordance with instructions. By following a good tutorial, any novice must be able to achieve a concrete result in a discipline of their choice. Indeed, it is not a « simple » course. By extension, a tutorial can be created directly by a brand – to explain to consumers the principles and functionalities of certain products or services – or by an individual.
Make a good tutorial: the tutorials written
For starters, let’s talk about writing tutorials. In this format, the choice of context, words, but also form are important. You can, for example, create a tutorial in PDF format via Word, Powerpoint … but it is not always easy to transmit our knowledge. So, how to write a good tutorial, guide?
First of all, keep the motivation of the learner in the line of sight. It is necessary that the reader, before starting in the tutorial is motivated by what he will learn! Let him know from the start what he will finally be able to achieve on his own thanks to your practical tutorial. Then it’s about being a pedagogue.
For a tutorial, we advise you to start from something that the reader knows to bring gradually to what you want to teach him. So he can always hang on to something familiar. This involves getting to know your audience and the prerequisites required to follow the tutorial. Indeed, the tutorial will not be the same if it is addressed to doctoral students or adults fond of the evening course … This being said, it is to write very good tutorials to always check his information before writing! It must also be legible, simple, clear. Ideally, the goal is that even your grandmother can follow it!
When you have to use technical terms, consider making footnotes or referring to a vocabulary sheet. Also, do not forget to insert images into your written tutorial. This allows your reader to visualize the described action and stay focused on the essentials. The great advantage of writing is that it is easily shared, accessible by all types of audiences.
Make a good tutorial: video tutorials
Now, what is the difference with a video tutorial? According to definitions-marketing.com, a video tutorial is a « video sequence of minutes that offers practical advice on how to use a product type (make-up, game, etc.) or a particular brand ». Video tutorials are usually posted on platforms like YouTube, Dailymotion or social networks. It’s more dynamic and visually impacting. They are particularly popular in the field of beauty, computer and DIY.
When video tutorials are created by brands, they can meet several goals: to position themselves as an expert, to help sales, to give visibility, to improve the user experience, to build loyalty. A video tutorial is aimed specifically at the target audience. The other advantage is the convenience of the video. Indeed, today people are tired, stressed, they want to quickly find a solution and no longer have time to read articles. So, they are watching more and more videos!
We recommend that you make it easier for them by staying human and not to present the different steps of the tutorial like a robot. Behave as a friend who would explain how to use the tool or software presented. Have good catchy titles that bring solutions directly! A tutorial is primarily a help format. For convenience, you can also use titling tags for your videos.
Make a good tutorial: complete expertise
Finally, as you will have noticed, the « how to make a good tutorial” can be supported by certain tools and expertise for an optimal rendering. Indeed, we do not necessarily think about it but for example you can more easily convert your texts into videos and vice-versa to play in particular on the two tables apprehended.
Authôt is the specialist in the automatic transcription of speech into text and video subtitling. Thus, thanks to its automatic speech recognition technology, you can make a .srt export to add to a video tutorial. And you also have the .txt export that allows the user to have the text. Thus, we obtain thanks to the Authôt application, a complete tutorial accessible to all.
In short, doing a good tutorial – text or audio – requires patience and a minimum of expertise! Here we gave you a maximum of advice but the best is still to test. This will certainly not happen in a day and it may be wise to look at tools that will help you create good, complete and interesting tutorials faster.
Authôt. You speak. We write.