Tips for Effective eLearning Videos

With the advent of technology, learning is no longer limited to textbooks and notes.

From lecture slides to e-workbooks and e-tests, eLearning has completely transformed the way people study. In fact, the global eLearning market size is expected to increase to $370 Billion by 2026.

While eLearning is already popular, there’s one content format that takes the cake.

Yes, we’re talking about eLearning videos!

People love to learn from watching videos. They are way more fun and engaging than just reading words off a sheet of paper. The video format coupled with high-quality eLearning voiceover is truly a winning combination.

However, not all eLearning videos can create the desired result. For effective eLearning, you need to create impactful content.

Here are our top tips for creating powerful eLearning videos that will ensure you meet all your desired learning objectives.

Short and Sweet

Do you remember sitting through long boring lectures in school?

Not only did they feel never-ending, but anything you learned during those classes would never stick.

The same is true for eLearning videos; the shorter your videos, the better. The viewer quickly absorbs the information delivered in small chunks. This is especially useful since people these days have short attention spans.

The ideal length for eLearning videos is 6 minutes, as per a study conducted by MIT. Most people stop watching even before the video exceeds the 9-minute mark. Hence, keep your videos short so that the viewers don’t have to deal with an information overload.

Ease of Access

Not everyone has a high-speed internet connection. If you’re creating extra heavy videos, chances are some people are missing out on your content because of a poor internet connection.

But there’s an easy solution for this problem – compress your videos to make them easily accessible to all viewers. Compressed videos are much quicker to load, even when the network connection speed is slow. It’s also easier to download compressed videos to be viewed later.

Make eLearning Videos Engaging

Want to provide your audience with a thorough learning experience?

Then you have to start making videos strategically to aid knowledge delivery. Instead of making long lessons, supplement text documents with short and snappy videos. You can insert these at the start of the lesson to grasp the attention of your students. You can also drop short videos throughout the lesson to make it more immersive.

Furthermore, you tap into the world of interactive eLearning videos. Your audience can’t only watch but also get involved in the learning process by making their own choices. For instance, you can add questions at the end of your video lesson. Depending on their response, the answer takes the student to an insightful online resource. This will allow people to discover more and learn on their own.

Write Conversational Scripts for eLearning Videos

The first step in creating a compelling eLearning video isn’t filming the video itself. It’s actually coming up with an intelligent and conversational script that hooks your audience right from the get-go.  

Write your script in a friendly and natural way, so the audience doesn’t feel repulsed by the narrator.

The general tone of the script must be warm and engaging, frequently using pronouns like “you” and “we” to make the audience feel included. Of course, you can amplify the conversational tone later on by including a pleasant eLearning voiceover by a professional voiceover artist.

Also, remember to craft most of your sentences in an active voice in the present tense. Once you are done, read your script aloud. This will help out massively in figuring out what does and what doesn’t sound natural in the script. 

Tell a Story for Effective eLearning

No matter if you’re a child or a fully grown adult, everyone enjoys listening to stories. So, why not incorporate one into your eLearning video?

Create the main plot with a few notable characters and use an eLearning voiceover to narrate the story. Next, introduce a problem into the storyline and then show how to solve it through your characters’ actions. Sharing your knowledge with your online learners through this format will make for a much more exciting and memorable video lesson.

Voiceover Artist Matters

There’s no point in having an excellent script if your voiceover artist’s delivery falls completely flat.

Just because you’re hiring a professional voiceover artist doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for the job. As we can appreciate, not all eLearning videos are the same. Therefore, you have to pay attention to the nature of the video at hand to figure out the perfect voiceover artist for your project.

Does it require a male or female voiceover artist? What kind of dialect or accent would best suit the content? What kind of tone should the eLearning voiceover have?

Figure out the answers to these questions before you go out and search for the right voiceover artist. By doing this, you’ll surely find the perfect fit.

Be Strategic with eLearning Voiceovers

There’s no doubt that eLearning voiceovers are vital. However, what’s even more important is knowing how to use them properly. The overpowering tone of the voiceover artist or annoying background music can easily throw off the audience. Rather than paying attention, they will probably want to switch off the video. A good eLearning voiceover should only aid the listener in further understanding the information in the video.

Additionally, you don’t need to fill up your entire video lesson with the sound of your voiceover artist. We’re sure they sound lovely, but you have to be more strategic with your eLearning voiceover. Give your online learners some silence so they can have room to think. Make sure to let your voiceover artist know where they should pause during the eLearning voiceover for emphasis.

Final Words

The future of learning is eLearning videos. Use our tips mentioned above, and you’ll be on top of the eLearning game in no time.

A well-made video with an eLearning voiceover by a professional voiceover artist is a surefire way of accomplishing your goal. So, if you’re searching for a competent voiceover artist, look no further.

Check out Sharna Vine of thebritishfemalevoiceover.com to hire a professional voiceover artist for your eLearning project. Email now to receive a free custom audition!

Primary Keywords:

eLearning voiceover

eLearning Videos

Voiceover artist

Secondary Keywords:

Effective eLearning

Why You Need a Professional On-Hold / IVR / Voicemail Message

As a business manager, you probably believe customers don’t care what your system’s call hold messages or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) sound like. They barely wait a minute or two before someone picks up. Plus, they hang up when they hear a voicemail message anyway, right?

We’re sorry to burst your bubble, but this perception is far from the truth.

Over the phone, we lose 55% of our communication due to a lack of body language. The remaining 38% is transmitted through tone of voice, and only 7% through words. Since your tone makes up a huge chunk of all conversations, getting it wrong can be devastating for your goodwill and business.

Hence, if you’re planning on asking Ben from the I.T department to record your IVR and on-hold messages, think again!

Read ahead to find out why you need professional on-hold marketing messages, IVR, or voicemail messages, instead of generic ones.

Build Your Brand

Your company’s IVR and voicemail messages have a more meaningful purpose than just instructing customers. They are a crucial means of building your brand name and carrying out on-hold marketing. For many customers, this might be their first interaction with your business. And if they are met with an unwelcoming and cold response, I bet you they’re never coming back. 

Creating a professional voice and tone for your on-hold marketing and interactive voice response will give great first impressions to customers. This will instantly boost your credibility and efficiency, as well as inspire customer confidence.

Don’t Go Overboard with IVR

It might seem like a good idea to list down every department on your telephone IVR. You’d think it would help customers with clarity, but really, it does the exact opposite. You’re flooding your client with too much information, and they will most likely hang up if they find the process too confusing.

So, the lesson here is, don’t complicate things. Rather, simplify them as much as you can. Instead of listing down all 10 or 12 of your departments, include only 3 to 5 of the most vital options. By doing this, you’ll ensure your customer gets transferred to the most relevant department without wasting any time. 

Hold The Line

“I love to stay on hold while on call”, said no one ever.

Waiting for a representative to respond at the other end is never a fun process. But since people don’t have a choice, they’ll stay on call anyway. Callers might hang up if this long waiting period consists of no interactive voice response or voicemail messages. They might think your company is ignoring them or that their call was disconnected. 

According to a CNN survey, 70% of callers hang up within 60 seconds of the call if they hear only silence; 35% of these will never call you back.

 Speed Up Call Processing Time

On-hold marketing messages are great for filling in the silence before a call gets answered. But if your business requires specific information from clients, you can use this time to inform them in advance. 

For instance, a bank may need information such as account number, credit or debit card number, I.D. details, etc. You can use a professional on-hold or voicemail message to remind customers to gather their information beforehand. This will effectively cut down the waiting time your representatives have to wait for the customers to fish out their documents and information.

Sell With On-Hold Marketing

While on hold, customers will listen to whatever messages or background music you play. 

This gives you the perfect opportunity for on-hold marketing to promote your services or products, share news of recent events, promotions, or other important features. You can even use well-crafted voicemail messages for the same purpose, leading to new sales opportunities.

That doesn’t mean you should start outright advertising your business. A better approach would be to make your on-hold marketing more captivating and entertaining. Use both voice and music to create on-hold and voicemail messages that sound pleasing to the ear.

Script Ideas for On-Hold Marketing/ IVR/ Voicemail Message

We’ve already covered why you need a professional message on your telephone system. Now it’s time for the fun part. Here are some interesting script ideas for IVR, on-hold, or voicemail messages you can use for your brand!

Don’t Beat Around the Bush 

Using print copy for your on-hold scripts may save you some extra work. However, it won’t fare well for your company. That is because a print copy is wordy and meant to look great on paper, but that doesn’t translate to voice messages.

For on-hold marketing and IVR, you need something that quickly grabs your caller’s attention.

Have a look at this example for an Aesthetician/ Beauty clinic:

“Blackheads; they are such a pain. You can’t remove them, but we can. Press 5 to find out more.”

“Say bye-bye to dry, flaky skin. Get our famous Hydra Facial. Talk to our representative to book an appointment now.” 

Create Trust

Tell your customers more about your products and services, and assure them you offer the highest quality. Educate your clients about product warranties or any money-back guarantees. Ask them to visit in person to try out your products or connect with your experts for further questions.

For an electronics retailer, the script could look like this:

“All our T.V sets carry a standard two-year manufacturer’s warranty. Get the perfect T.V for your home with the help of our experts.” 

Share Reviews

Nothing works better than credible customer reviews in today’s day and age. If you have a huge customer base or fan following online, be sure to let your callers know.

“Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates. Join our community of 50,000 fans to view exciting daily posts and win tons of prizes.”

Entice With Promotional Offers

Who doesn’t love a good bargain?

Including coupon codes in on-hold marketing and voicemail messages is a sure-shot way of getting more people interested in buying your products or services.

“Use code SAVE to get 10% off. Exclusive for online orders only, for a limited time.”

Conclusion 

There is no doubt that for successful on-hold marketing, you need help from professionals. Creating audio messages is not something anyone can do: you need experience and the right skills for making effective on-hold, IVR, and voicemail messages. So, start making voice messages work for you; hire a professional to make your callers’ wait worthwhile.

Primary Keywords:

Voicemail message

IVR

On-hold marketing

Secondary Keywords:

Interactive voice response