20 Examples of Effective Training Videos

There aren’t many slam dunks in business. Usually, it’s a choice between cost or effectiveness. Thankfully, you don’t have compromise either if you want to create training videos. You can save money and give people want they want in one fell swoop.

Companies like Microsoft have used video to slash their classroom training costs. Training costs were cut from $320 per person to just $17 per person with video — a saving of $303 per person. Other brands, like IBM, Dow Chemical and Caterpillar Inc., have all generated a return on their investment with video learning compared to traditional in-person training. IBM saved $579 million in the first two years of its video learning program, with 40 percent of those costs saved from travel and lodging expenses.

And we haven’t even mentioned that people like video better than other marketing methods. According to Forrester Research, 75 percent of employees prefer to watch a video than read an article, document or email. Moreover, video increases retention by 35 percent.

Interestingly, video can also improve your organisation’s ability to recruit millennials. Eighty-seven percent of young executives prefer to work for companies that are video-savvy.

It seems, then, that video works great for all these reasons and more. But let’s stop talking and start watching, so you can see this powerful marketing method in action.

Animated Safety Training (Sterno)

Who says that health and safety videos have to be all doom and gloom? This Sterno vid shows safety can be fun. The effects of equipment overheating are real, but watching real-life re-enactments is a little intense and could get distracting. Sterno, however, gets their safety message across quickly and effectively by not shaking their finger at people (which never works anyway).

Super-Empowering People (Tesco)

When a tomato falls on the floor of a Tesco supermarket and gets squished, it’s no biggie, right? Not to the Tesco employee who spots the smashed remains, anyway. He springs into action like a superhero. An apple that’s about to fall off a crate? It’s no match for the lightning-fast reflexes of this Tesco employee. He even helps a couple out with menu planning for a romantic dinner. Crisis averted on Aisle 4! With comic book graphics and style, Tesco shows that it’s pretty badass to help people. All in less than four minutes.

Motivate Without Missing Any Details (Nikwax)

In this nifty animated training video, Nikwax brings up important points about how their product performs. But they don’t stop there. They talk about how to sell, not just what to sell. With Nikwax, they’re not about a tacky up-sell. It’s about giving customers the ultimate in service. This video is a great example of touching on the big picture in your training video, which adds meaning and depth to the process.

Train With a Total Pro (Sage Appliances)

While it can feel like videos are getting shorter and shorter, there’s always a demand for longer content. This video, for example, is on the longer side of training videos at just over 26 minutes. It’s basically a guy in a kitchen with a whiteboard. Although he’s clearly prepared content on brewing a great cup of coffee, it’s pretty free-flowing and conversational. It’s sort of like getting to spend a half-hour chatting with a barista. Pros: Videos like these are less expensive to produce. Cons: More carefully constructed content will eventually save money by taking up less employee time.

Interactive Training That Immerses You (Lifesaver)

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Lifesaver is an interactive training video that teaches CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. Through a series of immersive experiences, the viewer is put into the role of a lifesaver for people who are in life-or-death situations, such as cardiac arrest or choking. When someone’s choking, you have to decide what to do. During CPR, your chest compressions (hitting the keyboard) are being timed. If there’s any doubt about the potential effectiveness of video, experience it for yourself. (And if you haven’t brushed up on your CPR training, then don’t even hesitate to do this.)

Visually Engaging Company Statistics (University of Colorado)

Have a department that does loads of important work but isn’t getting the attention it deserves? The University of Colorado has an Employee Services department that does all kinds of important stuff that may have gone unseen — if it wasn’t for this video. Even though the content is what you’d expect from a ho-hum PowerPoint deck, the result is anything but snooze-worthy, with crisp graphics and peppy music to keep things rolling.

Watch Masterful Techniques Up-Close (Pagliacci Pizza)

Wondering how best to use video to train employees? If you own pizza restaurants, teaching new hires how to hand-toss pizza dough is very necessary. This video clocks in at less than two minutes, but it gives you a close-up look at the technique of a pizza dough master. It’s a great example of a high-level pro who wouldn’t necessarily be able to personally go around training everyone. Without this video, many trainees would miss the chance to spend time at the feet of a dough master. (And if you didn’t know how tossing pizza dough is a lot like shooting a basketball, check this video out.)

Non-Boring Checklists (CitySprint)

CitySprint is the leading same-day delivery network in all of the United Kingdom. If you want to send items securely with them, you gotta have some serious skills when it comes to packaging. In this fun, upbeat video, we get quick tips for making sure packages arrive safely. If someone was explaining all this to you verbally, or worse yet — reading these points off a list — it wouldn’t be as fun!

Live Action Dramatic Reenactment (Breathing Underwater)

People love legal dramas; there’s no such thing as a TV viewing season without them. This innovative training video is a live action scripted drama based on a real-life company employee who had to deal with the effects of a brutal lawsuit. Why recreate this harrowing time in the company’s history? To make the impact real for employees who weren’t around to deal with the lawsuit first-hand so that it never happens again.

Employee Training Safety Video (HSE Batna)

Short of a Tom Cruise-sized movie budget, gas pipeline explosions are a tad difficult to re-create in a video. Therefore, this video from HSE Batna uses animation to show dangerous and downright explosive situations that you definitely want to avoid. From unsafe driving practices to the dangers of electrical protection equipment, this video shows the harsh reality of the risky on-the-job situations that you won’t find in a manual.

Motion Design and Animation Training Video (Iversity)

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If you want to know how to make an effective corporate training video, a good tactic is to start by tackling a complex topic. Iversity, a Germany-based online training company, used a combination of motion design and animation to explain their advanced method of creating training content. Taking you step-by-step through their highly technical method is more engaging with strong visuals, an upbeat voiceover and music.

One Secret to Really Good Training Videos? (Kenra)

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Want to know how to make a really good training video? Do what Kenra did. Created for stylists, the Kenra hair care line requires expert training, so the company created interactive videos that allow stylists to learn at their own pace. Giving people some control over the training process is an amazingly effective approach that encourages engagement. See how it works.

Live Action With Animation (Nottingham CityCare)

Nottingham CityCare decided the best approach for their back care training video was to combine live action video with animation in the form of a teeny-tiny expert. No bigger than a coffee cup, this little guy makes a huge impact. Without him, the video would be narrated by a faceless entity — it would feel more like an expert preaching to you. This friendly little animation is a valuable reminder that an authoritative tone isn’t always the most persuasive. Sometimes, you just want a friendly person to help you, even if they’re only 6 inches tall.

Lightning Safety (Interview With a Cloud)

Ever wonder what a cloud is thinking when it shoots out a bolt of lightning? Great news! This hilarious video gives you insights into the thought process with a slightly chubby cloud who offers some good tips for avoiding lightning. This is one of the best examples we’ve ever seen of flipping the script. Instead of droning on and on about “lightning safety,” this video shows how easy it is for lightning to strike you down when you’re doing dumb things like running into an open field or standing next to a metal pole. If you do, this cranky cloud is gonna get you!

Encouraging Compliance With Understanding (Metro Email Service)

There are a lot of things about emails that aren’t safe, so Metro Email Service showcased some common internet security issues to their employees. The only thing is, these email issues are difficult to visualise. So how do you make them feel real? Their ingenious solution was to make the risks tangible by personifying the email delivery system with a human delivery guy who “attaches” the exec’s email with a giant paperclip. After sneezing repeatedly on her emails, it’s easy to see that some virus protection is in order.

Getting Precisely to the Problem (Canity)

How long does an effective training video have to be? This video from Canity does the job in less than 90 seconds. It tackles how to deal with an angry customer with surgical precision, which might be hard to repeat in precise detail over and over. (And where do you get a screaming customer at a moment’s notice?) Thankfully, all you have to do is push play to enjoy this little nugget again and again.

Friendly Animated Technical Training Video (Western Power Distribution)

Everyone wants to train their employees, but have you ever thought about training your customers? This sleek little animated training video from Western Power Distribution teaches customers what to do if the power goes out. Spoiler alert: It might be faulty wiring, not a full-blown power outage. (You can imagine how many emergency trips to customers’ homes this saves the power company.)

Training Employees on Workplace Bullying (Reach Out)

People can be annoying and aggravating… but is it bullying? This video gives us a definition and provides additional guidelines for identifying bullying in the workplace. By giving animated glimpses of situations where bullying takes place, it helps people to first understand the issue, then how to deal with it. The friendly but authoritative voiceover also helps get the message across effectively.

Add Star Power to Your Employee Training Video (Burger King)

You have to hand it to a company who cares enough about their employees to bring in a top dog like Snoop Dogg to train them on hot dogs. Burger King really went all out with this training video for grilled hot dogs by enlisting the rap legend as their special ambassador. Wouldn’t it be so much better to watch a video like this with Snoop than one just going through the motions? Fo’ shizzle it would.

Beautifully Interactive Training (Maybelline New York)

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In this sleek stunner from Maybelline New York, we’re given two cool interactive options: Day or night makeup looks. This is a beautiful example of how interactive video shines in the realm of training. By giving your audience options, they’re able to participate more fully in the learning process and not just be a bystander. Lesson learned.

Bonus Video!

You’ve just seen the best examples of corporate training videos ever. Now, let’s look at what not to do. Step into our training video time machine by watching this…

Still Craving More on How to Make a Good Training Video?

If you’re hungry to learn even more about effective training videos, be sure to pick up our guide: How To Use Video To Train Your Team.

Read more:

• 10 Educational, Funny & Thought-Provoking Customer Service Training Videos You Won’t Have Seen Before
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