We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: short-form video is a powerful format for promoting a business on social media.
TikTok’s unprecedented rise over the past several years has pushed other popular platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, to prioritize video content when making platform updates and designing the algorithms that serve up content to users.
Once you’ve created a top-notch intro video for your social profiles, it’s time to brainstorm other types of videos to capture your target audience’s attention and spark interest in your Outschool business.
The fast video tutorial is a popular format for TikToks, Instagram Reels, or Pinterest, and this style pretty perfectly suited for online educators creating social content. Think: a recipe in under a minute, a quick history lesson, or a rapid science experiment step-by-step.
You may have scrolled by a few of these on social media—did you stop and watch to learn something new?
As an educator, you’ve already spent years practicing how to deliver engaging instruction that’s concise and entertaining for learners. Now it’s time to show off your stuff on your social profiles!
Why make a short-form video tutorial for social media?
1. Entertain and inform your audience
These snappy video tutorials should be brief (30-90 seconds) and move quickly through whatever information you share.
2. Demonstrate your expertise
As creator Thea Wayne shared with educators on Outschool: never be afraid to give away information. Showing what you know helps build trust with prospective families.
3. Promote your classes
If you’re recording videos for your business social profiles, make sure they’re aligned with your Outschool class topics and other social content. This helps both your audience and the social media algorithms understand what you do and who your classes are for.
Examples of video tutorials for social media
What kind of video tutorial you make will depend on your teaching subject and personal style. Regardless of how you design your mini-lesson, remember that it should be short at about 30-90 seconds or less, shot vertically (typically) with good lighting, and to the point (avoid long intros—you’ll lose interest from scrollers quickly).
Take a look at the following examples for inspiration on how you could format a mini-lesson on any topic. It’s okay to reuse common video formats or jump on trends, but don’t forget to add your own flair and branding to make it personal!
Special effects makeup tutorial
Tips for leveling up your graphic design
Science experiment demo
Step-by-step storywriting
Quick cooking demo
Note: To protect learner privacy, you should never feature a video or voice recording of Outschool learners in your personal social media content.
Okay entrepreneurs—time to hit record and start uploading that video gold! Learn more about how to get started on social media as a small business, or head to the Educator Hub to get feedback on your latest posts.
