monkey see monkey do: using video to support your documentation

@allieproff #LavaCon

Monkey See, Monkey DoUsing Video to Support Your

Documentation

Allie Proff

Enduring Understanding

• Go for it! Even if you’re intimidated, video

is worth doing and you can do it. • (p.s. The first video is the most difficult.)

Actionable Knowledge

Statistics why

Setup

Best Practices

Metrics

Metrics Tools Recommendations Discussion

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Average person watches

32.2 videos per month

You have 3 seconds

to grab user’s attention

Video is Growing by Leaps and Bounds

90%shoppers use video to make a decision

100,000,000users watch video every day

45.4% internet users watch video

75%executives watch business-related video at least once a week

1 minute of video =

1.8 million words

Our brains process images

60,000times faster than text

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Device Share of Video Starts Adobe U.S. Digital Video Benchmark Q1 2013 vs. Q1 2014

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Digital “Content” vs Analog “Relationship”

Quote copyright unavailable for slide share.

Read notes for the reason behind this slide,

and see the further reading for the link to the

BombBomb blog post that started me on this

path.

Joshua Meyrowitz

No Sense of Place: The Impact of

Electronic Media on Social Behavior

Tools

Metrics Tools Recommendations Discussion

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Tools - Hardware

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Tools - Software

Camtasia Snag-It Captivate

Movie Maker iMovie FinalCut Pro

Premier Avid Media Composer

Recommendations

Metrics Tools Recommendations Discussion

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Have a Purpose

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Write a Script or Storyboard

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Legal Stuff

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Details Matter

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Keep it Short

Analysis by Philip Guo for edX

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Immediately Engage

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Shooting the Video

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Editing the Video

View Screen

Tray

Tools

Tracks

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Video File Extensions Explained

Codecs

• DivX/XviD

• MPEG

• X264

Containers

• AVI

• FLV/SWF

• MKV

• MP4

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Publishing the Video

+ Great features, linking capabilities, popular.

- User may have to click through the ad, can’t control

video recommendations at end (unless embedding)

+ No ads, ability to brand your player, cleaner interface,

higher resolution, more video format options.

- Paid subscription, less native traffic, nothing viral (yet?)

+ More comments and interaction, Like Page button, tag

people, Pages gallery, granular advertising

- Not as easy to share outside of FB, split analytics

+ Easy to use, forces you to be concise.

- May not be the best medium for help, might not be right

for your brand or your audience.

Facebook

Discussion

Metrics Tools Recommendations Discussion

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Video Styles and Types

Demonstrations

Training

Testimonials

Leadership

Teasers

Storytelling

Live Action

Screencasts

Motion Graphics

Slideshows

Live Streaming

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Enduring Understanding

Go for it! Even if you’re intimidated, video is worth doing and you can do it. (p.s. The first video is the most difficult.)

Actionable Knowledge

Statistics why

Setup

Best Practices

lavacon.org/mobile

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Resources

technicallyeclectic.wordpress.com

@allieproff

Video companies

• Vidyard – Personal recommendation

• VideoBrewery

• Simple Story Video

• BombBomb

• Video Explainers

• Matt Sullivan

• Audience suggestions…

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About Allie

Allie has been communicating technical knowledge for over fifteen years, whether it be in the U.S. Navy, as a high school math teacher, or a writer/editor at The Boeing Company.

She helps engineers and analysts write and produce their process instructions and user help in a variety of formats, including video demonstration.

allieproff@gmail.com, @allieproff, TechnicallyEclectic.wordpress.com, Linked In