Video Tutorials Vs Ebooks?

I think the perceived value of a video course is much higher than a written eBook.

However, some topics are better suited to an eBook rather than a video course, and vice versa. I definitely think video tutorials are more geared towards a more 'how-to' mindset, where people are learning something.

eBooks are perfect for giving information, lists, etc.

I find the best overall courses are the ones that compromise many mediums. An eBook with video demonstration, sample templates, private support & discussion forums, and so forth make for the best packages I've purchased.

I have thought about this a while ago, i.e. what kinds of media should my product be presented in. Here are some facts about both media:

1. Video takes more of user's concentration and time, really have to concentrate when viewing, rarely will user view it and pause in the middle, he will try to avail some free time and learn as much as possible in 1 go.
2. Ebooks is neat to keep and can be quickly referred to, I am certain entering the pages number or search for a term is much easier than searching through a video.
3. If you provide video tutorials, you have to think about investing in a reasonably large hosting webspace and probably bandwidth too, each month.
4. Videos will probably be more difficult to pirate and distribute, especially with users who are on slow internet connection, ebooks piracy is rampant.
5. If you can make your videos viewable only on your site and cannot be downloaded, you basically safeguarded your product. Yet, consider high bandwidth usage if you have many users streaming of your hosting.
6. Videos will take more time to produce and edit. Other investments may be required too, software, hardware, mic, webcam, video editing software etc.

I think that's all that I may think of at this moment. Hope those points above are useful.

Hey Scott-

I've given this a good bit of thought also, as a large part of my audience is "newbie" online marketers.

Bottom line, everyone learns through different modalities... some reading, some watching, some listening, some doing.

The more you offer, the more needs you'll cover. May take extra time, but it's worth it in the long run.

And there are some really great products that can knock this stuff out quickly and inexpensively.

For example, audacity is a free program that allows you to record mp3s simply.

Pamela for skype allows you to record phone interviews and instantly converts them to mp3.

Jing allows you to do screen capture video even easier than Camtasia... the pro version ($15/year) makes recording/uploading a snap.

Hope this helps.

Dave

I wud surely opt for the video tutorial. Every bit is explained right from the scratch but ebooks are comparatively gud but not as much as the former.

I think the value of Video Courses appears higher than an ebook. However, I like ebooks with picture guided tours over videos.

I move at a quick pace, and sometimes videos take to long to get to the point. you cant fast forward because you dont know what you are missing. Plus with books, I can make notes of page number and paragraph for future reference.

With that being said, my mind automatically perceives video courses as having more value...even though I do not like them.

Video tutorials are much much better than any text. I have a lot of video on my site and thats what brings people.

Since I learned a lot in the past about how the learning process works, then from this point of view, the best choice would be the combination of video audio and written material.

As others pointed out before me, you can also charge more for a course like that. Plus the customer is going to have the option to bring the audios with him, because most people have portable mp3 players, often build in their cell phones.
This way they can use time for example while they are travelling to learn IM or any other stuff you would like to sell.

In this case you should offer your product in a physical and a digital form also. So people will be able to choose which one is the best for them. It is very likely that they will want to view the course on different devices, so some optimization should take place if you really care about the satisfaction of the customers.

Hope that helps!

Best Wishes,
Allanon

hey Scott,

I think video tutorial are the new age
of instructional content but there is a
negative aspect to it.

Video tutorials take much more time
then reading an ebook or following a
written instruction.

~Igor

I'm on a slow connection (along with much of the world) so I'd never pay money to get a video tutorial it would take me a week to download and watch

plus, I've never read an ebook before, I scan them to save time and pick out the good stuff, with videos I have to sit through the entire thing, I also can't go back and "search and find" for the important stuff

ebooks for the win!

or offer both

If I am considering creating a product for sale, I first try to think about what my customer would want. What kind of computer connection they might have and their skill set.

If I'm buying a product for myself I like having both print, audio and video. I listen to audio in the car while driving but like to read and add notes in the margin in many of the ebooks I buy. If it's a how to, videos help but I like them to be kept under 5-10 minutes.

PW

Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, but I think it is best when they are used together. For particularly complicated processes, you can include two videos. The first can be a general overview and then end it with, "for a more in-depth look at this process check out our more extensive video when you have the time".

The general concensus would seem to be a mixture but an aspect of video and audio that has not been addressed is the need for a neutral accent.

Many people who live surrounded by the 'romantic' languages find the American accent used in some videos to be harsh and most unpleasant to listen to.

It would also be helpful if the videos and audios were not packed with irrelevancy before the 'lesson' gets started. If I am trying to learn something I really don't want to know the family history of the narator or what happened to his granny when she tripped over the dachshund. Many video and audio lessons could be significantly shorter if they stuck to the point.

Oh, yes, and whatever happened to scripts? Err, well er, . . . . . .

Hi.

I general impression I get is that videos are far more powerful than E Books and appeal to a much wider audience.
I recently heard (on a video presentation) that videos are certainly the way ahead.

Video that actually involves the viewer sticks more easily in the brain than just the printed word. Also, people tend to just scan eBooks whereas they'll sit and pay attention to a video - in my experience anyway.

I believe video and audio tutorials to
far better then ebooks, but there are
some things which can't be put in
a video.
Also video is far more time consuming then
the ebook. Especialy the online video, where you
have to wait for it to load.

~Igor

Video tutorials if well documented is easier than e-book. I prefer videos since I hate reading long and tiring text.

I am working on about 3 hours worth of short video's ( 5 - 8 min's each ) to create a product in a very limited niche. I sure hope video is as valuable as I think it is, this has been alot of work !

Enterpryzman

1st choice: a combination of ebook and 'no fluff' videos. When the ebook has short video tutorial spread throughout, it is definitely the most helpful.

2nd choice: video only. I seem to get more out of videos when they show diagrams, outlines, and other visual aids. It holds my attention better.

3rd choice: ebook only. I have read a lot of well written ebooks in the past, but when video started to become more mainstream, it seemed I started comprehending the information quicker and more clearly.

Everybody is different so using a combination of the two is by far the best choice.

Video marketing materials are harder to keep up to date.
We develop constantly new features into our products and it was very hard to keep features and video tutorials up to date.
We left finally just some marketing videos on our site and other videos we replaced with knowledgebase.
Next disadvantage of videos is, that you can't search content easily.