Tutorial video
Also called how-to video, walkthrough video, video tutorial
What is a tutorial video?
A tutorial video teaches the viewer how to complete a specific task, one step at a time. It might show how to set up a product, use a feature, fix a problem or make something. Tutorials are also called how-to videos or walkthrough videos, and they are among the most searched kinds of video on YouTube and Google.
Tutorials can be filmed, recorded as a screen recording, built from screenshots, or presented as a talking head video with demonstrations. The best ones state the result up front, list what you need, then show each step in order with a clear voiceover or captions.
Tutorials differ from product demo videos in audience. A demo sells to people deciding whether to buy; a tutorial helps people who already have the product, or who are searching for how to do something your business can help with.
Why a tutorial video matters
Tutorials reduce support work and help customers succeed with what they bought, which makes them more likely to stay and recommend you. A getting-started video can answer the same question a support team would otherwise answer hundreds of times.
They also bring in new people. Many searches are "how to" questions, and a helpful tutorial on YouTube or your site can introduce your business to people who did not know it existed. This makes tutorials a staple of content marketing.
How to make a tutorial video
- Pick one task and name it clearly in the title, the way people search for it.
- Show the end result first, then list anything the viewer needs.
- Break the task into short, numbered steps, one per scene.
- Narrate what to do and why, in plain words, and add captions.
- Keep each step on screen long enough to follow along, and zoom in on small details.
- End with the next step: a related tutorial, support page or sign-up link.
Tutorial video FAQ
How long should a tutorial video be?
As long as the task needs and no longer. Simple tasks fit in under two minutes; complex ones can run ten minutes or more, ideally with chapters so viewers can jump to the step they need.
What is the difference between a tutorial and a walkthrough?
They overlap. A tutorial teaches a specific task. A walkthrough usually tours a product or process from start to finish. Both are step by step.
Related terms
A product demo video shows a product being used to explain its main features and how it solves a problem, so buyers can see it before they buy.
A screen recording is a video capture of what happens on a computer or phone screen, often with a voiceover, used for demos and tutorials.
An explainer video is a short video that explains what a product, service or idea is, the problem it solves and how it works.
A voiceover is narration recorded separately from the picture and laid over a video to explain, tell a story or guide the viewer.
Content marketing is attracting and keeping customers by publishing useful posts, videos, articles and guides instead of only running ads.
Subtitles are on-screen text of the spoken words in a video, often translated, for viewers who can hear the audio but need or prefer to read it.