The Best Practices for Creating Educational Video Content

Educational video content can boost your marketing strategies and give you more control over your brand's narrative. These videos let you spotlight specific products, services, success stories, and industry trends in unique ways. While your target audience may have no interest in explicit ads, they're more likely to be happy to learn something new, especially if your video communicates it in a relevant way.

What Counts as Educational Video Content?

Educational video content consists of virtually any visual content that educates your audience, whether you're informing customers about a new product or simply discussing your industry. This content can include product demos, training videos, webinars, podcasts, commercials, case studies, and any other video that teaches viewers something new.

Common educational video formats:

• Product demos and walkthroughs
• Tutorials, how-tos, and onboarding videos
• Webinars and virtual workshops
• Case studies and customer stories
• Expert interviews and panel discussions
• Internal training (compliance, safety, leadership)
• Podcasts and short knowledge bites

All instructional videos are educational, but not all educational videos are instructional.

Educational vs. Instructional Videos: The Difference

Instructional videos take viewers through specific steps to complete tasks, such as setting up an account, using equipment, or talking to clients. These types of educational videos are often essential for internal and external operations because they lay out exact guidelines and expectations.

Educational video content, on the other hand, can take many different forms. While this content can include instructional videos, many educational videos, such as demos and case studies, don't follow instructional or guideline formats at all. Rather than focusing on specific operations, they teach about different topics, such as success stories or industry trends.

To put it simply, all instructional videos are educational, but not all educational videos are instructional.

Types of Educational Video Content & Best Use Cases

Educational videos range from short-form demos to long-form knowledge-sharing discussions. Understand your available options to identify the best way to deliver educational content in video.

1. Customer Education Videos

These types of educational videos play directly to your primary consumer base in various ways. Product demos and customer success stories benefit your marketing strategy by informing current and potential customers about exactly what you offer. Such content can spread the word about your brand and combat misconceptions.

Great for acquisition and retention.

• Product demos / feature spotlights: Clarify value and reduce support tickets.
• Customer success stories: Social proof that your solution works.
• In-app micro-animations: Explain features at the point of need.
• Onboarding series: Short, progressive lessons to first value.

2. E-Learning & Training (Internal + External)

E-learning videos can benefit both your internal and external training. Internally, educational video content can provide new hires and current employees with various types of essential training, including:

• Onboarding
• Technical
• Leadership development
• Safety and compliance
• Scenario-based practices

Externally, corporate e-learning and training videos can benefit your business-to-business (B2B) operations. For example, if you sell business software, you could develop training videos for companies that adopt your tools. Business leaders can then use those videos to train their staff rather than doing all the training themselves.

• Internal: Onboarding, technical skills, leadership, safety/compliance, scenario practice.
• External (B2B): Training libraries for customers adopting your software or tools—reduces time-to-value and scales support.

3. Knowledge-Sharing Content

Educational videos outside of your typical operations and marketing strategies can boost your brand's reach and credibility. Examples include:

• Webinars: These online events act similarly to conferences and online courses for discussing your industry and your company's latest developments. While webinars are usually hosted live, you can always post them later on YouTube, as a podcast, or across your social media platforms.
• Expert interviews: Expert interviews with people in your company, your client's team, or your industry give you a unique chance to discuss relevant issues and spotlight your business's solutions.
• Case studies: Case study videos demonstrate specific developments and positive customer interactions, such as showing the success a particular business achieved by adopting your software.

5 Steps To Create Engaging Educational Video Content

Creating educational videos to increase viewer engagement and boost retention requires considering many variables, such as your audience and your precise messaging. Follow these steps to give your educational video content strategy everything it needs.

1. Define Audience & Learning Goals

Consider who you want your educational video content ideas to reach, whether that's employees, current clients, or potential customers. Understand your target audience to assemble an appropriate production strategy, including the types of videos you'll need to make.

For example, a B2B video marketing strategy will benefit from professional, landscape-style videos you can share on LinkedIn and your website. On the other hand, if you're marketing to young adults or general customers, you could have more luck with a short-form, portrait-style video for social media.

In addition to your audience, you must also define your learning goals. Write down the exact message you want viewers to take away, and consider other key points you want to discuss, too. This can help you identify your most beneficial video format, whether that's a short product demo or a webinar you can repost later.

Ask Yourself:

• Who is this for (employees, prospects, customers)?
• What should they know/do/feel after watching?
• Match format to channel: LinkedIn landscape vs. TikTok/Reels portrait.

2. Plan With Scripts & Storyboards

Scripts, storyboards, and other pre-production tools let you plan and visualize every aspect of your video. An effective production plan ensures you’ll have everything ready when filming begins.

• Treatments and scripts: A treatment summarizes everything your video needs to capture, while a script dictates dialogue and action.
• Storyboards: Let you visualize your video and balance different types of scenes.
• Props list: Identify the props, costumes, and set dressing that you'll need.

3. Align With Brand & Business Objectives

Verify that your script and production plan align with your brand identity and goals.

• Clear messaging: Viewers should grasp your main message within the first few seconds.
• Avoid tangents: Stay focused and concise to keep your audience engaged.
• Visual branding: Use your brand’s color palette, logo, and font in subtle ways to strengthen recognition.

4. Increase Engagement With Interactivity & CTAs

End with a clear call to action (CTA) that encourages viewers to apply what they’ve learned. Examples include:

• Putting lessons into action: Encourage viewers to practice skills immediately.
• Learning more: Direct them to related videos, blogs, or case studies.
• Social media engagement: Ask for comments, shares, or feedback to spark discussion.

5. Scale Quality With the Right Partner

A professional video production company such as Charter & Co can help create educational video content that engages viewers. With years of experience, the right team ensures top-quality production through expert lighting, framing, color grading, and editing.

What Are the Common Mistakes in Creating Educational Video Content?

Avoid these mistakes when developing educational video content:

• Assuming prior knowledge: Define terms and provide context.
• Brand pitch overload: Focus on teaching; keep branding subtle.
• No clear takeaway: Every video needs a defined learning objective and CTA.
• Weak audio/captions: Poor sound kills retention; captions improve accessibility.
• Too long without structure: Use chapters, pattern breaks, and visual anchors.

Create High-Impact Educational Videos at Scale

Whether you need a product demo or a brand video, Charter & Co knows how to produce educational video content that keeps viewers engaged. Our team will guide you through every stage of production—from storyboarding through editing—to maximize your message. Get in touch now to get started.

FAQs: Educational Video Content Strategy

What is educational video content?

Educational video content teaches your audience something new. It can include product demos, customer tutorials, onboarding guides, case studies, expert interviews, and webinars—anything that informs, instructs, or deepens understanding.

How is educational video content different from instructional video content?

Instructional videos walk viewers through specific step-by-step tasks, while educational videos can be broader—like success stories, webinars, or thought leadership. All instructional videos are educational, but not all educational videos are instructional.

What are the best platforms for sharing educational video content?

It depends on your audience. For B2B content, platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube work well. For B2C or younger audiences, TikTok, Instagram Reels, or in-app tutorials may be better. Repurposing content across platforms is also effective.

How long should an educational video be?

It varies. Demos and how-tos should be concise (1–3 minutes), while webinars and training modules may range from 10–45+ minutes. The key is clarity and pacing.

How can I make educational videos more engaging?

Use storytelling, visuals, captions, and strong CTAs. Maintain good lighting and audio, and keep pacing tight. Add interactive elements like quizzes or follow-up actions when appropriate.

Do I need a script for educational video content?

Yes, especially for complex videos. A script ensures clarity, consistency, and brand alignment. For informal videos, an outline works, but plan your message and CTA.

Can educational video content be used in marketing?

Absolutely. Educational videos build trust, reduce churn, and highlight product value. They’re especially effective for top- and mid-funnel engagement and often outperform pure promotional content.