Getting to the Point: Video Best Practices from Techsmith’s Customer Education Manager

We've all been there, clicking on an instructional video only to sit through minutes of backstory when all we wanted was the solution. In a world where attention spans are shrinking, viewers want one thing: get to the point.

For this episode, we're revisiting a fantastic conversation with Doug Brunner, Customer Education Manager at TechSmith. Doug knows firsthand what makes instructional content work (and what makes viewers click away). He shares why leading with the 'how' beats starting with the 'why,' and reveals the secret to keeping audiences engaged from the first second.

You'll hear Doug's biggest pet peeves about instructional videos, his take on the webinar vs. video debate, and some insider tips on using Camtasia and Snagit features that can transform your content.

Learning points from the episode include:

• 00:00 - 05:06 Introduction
• 05:06 - 10:01 Maximizing impact and the power of saying "no" to requests
• 10:01 - 14:03 Webinars vs videos: Pros, cons, and when to use each
• 14:03 - 17:31 Why defining your goals first changes everything about your content
• 17:31 - 21:58 Doug's biggest instructional video pet peeve
• 21:58 - 25:15 The truth about attention spans, how long do you really have?
• 25:15 - 31:09 Three go-to features in Camtasia you should be using
• 31:09 - 32:18 Why the viewer is the hero of your story, not the cursor
• 32:18 - 37:30 Doug's three go-to tools in Snagit for better visuals
• 37:30 - 42:32 Opinions on human avatars and generated voices in educational content
• 42:32 - 43:34 How to determine the perfect video length
• 43:34 - 46:36 What really counts as "bad video" and "bad audio"
• 46:36 - 48:06 Using rounded corners in Snagit and Camtasia
• 48:06 - 49:05 Outro and final thoughts

Important links and mentions:

• Connect with Doug on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-brunner-b193abb
• Explore our Tutorials and Training: www.techsmith.com/learn
• Check out our Webinars: www.techsmith.com/webinars
• Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/  
• Snagit: https://www.techsmith.com/snagit/