January 29, 2025 - Oleksii Sribnyi
Need help deciding between step-by-step guides and video tutorials? Here's a quick breakdown to help you choose the right format:
| Feature | Step-by-Step Guides | Video Tutorials |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Style | Self-paced, text-based | Visual and auditory |
| Accessibility | Works with screen readers, easy to translate | Limited customization, higher bandwidth needed |
| Creation Effort | Easy to create and update | Time-intensive, requires editing tools |
| Consumption Time | Moderate | Shorter for simple tasks |
| Tools Needed | Text editors, screen capture tools | Recording, editing, and audio tools |
For searchable, detailed instructions, use step-by-step guides. For engaging, visual explanations, go with video tutorials. Combining both formats can cater to different learning preferences and improve user understanding.
Step-by-step guides are instructional materials that break tasks into clear, sequential steps. They often include visuals like screenshots or diagrams to make the process easier to follow. Jakob Nielsen from Nielsen Norman Group explains: "The best step-by-step guides are those that are clear, concise, and visually engaging."
These guides are incredibly helpful for both creators and users. Here's a quick breakdown of their key advantages:
| Advantage | What It Means | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Paced Learning | Users can go through tasks at their own speed | Makes learning less stressful and easier to retain |
| Accessibility | Works with screen readers and can be translated | Ensures inclusivity for a broader audience |
| Quick Reference | Easy to skim for specific steps or details | Saves time when completing tasks |
| Precision | Provides detailed, accurate instructions | Reduces mistakes in complicated tasks |
Research from Nielsen Norman Group highlights that well-structured guides can lower mental effort during tasks. This makes them especially valuable for technical documentation or software instructions, where accuracy is essential.
Creating these guides is simpler with the right tools. For example, Folge offers features like automatic screen capture, smart annotations, customizable layouts, and multiple export options (PDF, HTML, Word). Pricing starts at €75 for a personal license and €130 for a business license.
When crafting your guide, focus on clarity and usability. Testing with different users can help identify and fix any issues before you publish. This ensures the guide is practical and easy to follow for everyone.
Video tutorials combine visuals and audio to explain processes or ideas in an engaging way. They typically fall into three categories:
| Format | Best For |
|---|---|
| Screencasts | Demonstrating software tutorials or workflows with real-time actions like clicks and cursor movements |
| Talking-head Videos | Explaining concepts or offering coaching with a presenter speaking directly to the audience |
| Animations | Breaking down complex processes or abstract ideas using visual storytelling |
A Wyzowl report shows that 96% of people watch explainer videos, with 98% saying they understand topics better and 85% feeling more engaged [1]. The advantages of video tutorials are hard to ignore:
| Benefit | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer Support Queries | 47% drop in customer assistance requests | TechSmith, 2022 [2] |
| Better Understanding | 98% of users report improved comprehension | Wyzowl, 2023 [1] |
"Video tutorials can increase learner engagement and retention compared to text-based guides, with 69% of consumers preferring to learn about products or services through video format." - Wyzowl Study
Key Recording Tools:
Other Helpful Tools:
| Tool Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Video Editing | Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro |
| Audio Recording | Blue Yeti microphones, Audacity |
| Graphics and Effects | Adobe After Effects, Canva |
Pick tools that align with your expertise, budget, and audience preferences. Many modern tools also include features like captions and analytics to boost engagement.
While written guides are great for clarity and accessibility, video tutorials offer a more immersive way to learn - especially for visual learners. Next, we'll dive into a comparison of these formats to help you decide which works best for your goals.
Each format caters to different accessibility needs, offering unique strengths and challenges:
| Feature | Step-by-Step Guides | Video Tutorials |
|---|---|---|
| Text Customization | Fully adjustable, works with screen readers | Limited to video player settings |
| Ease of Translation | Simple text edits | Requires re-recording or dubbing |
| Offline Access | Low bandwidth required | High bandwidth needed |
| Content Navigation | Easy to search | Relies on timestamps for navigation |
Accessibility focuses on ensuring usability for diverse audiences, while learning preferences determine how effectively users engage with the material.
How well each format works often depends on the user's preferred learning style. Research from the Social Science Research Network (2019) shows that 65% of people learn best visually [1].
A great example is IBM's documentation team. They combine step-by-step guides for detailed technical details with video tutorials to showcase visual workflows. This approach boosted user understanding by 40% compared to using just one format.
Time is another key factor when deciding between these formats, both for creators and users:
| Aspect | Step-by-Step Guides | Video Tutorials |
|---|---|---|
| Creation Effort | Lower effort | Higher effort |
| Consumption Time | Moderate | Shorter |
| Update Effort | Easy to revise | More complicated |
| Translation Effort | Straightforward | Requires significant work |
The tools and resources needed for each format can help you decide what works best for your project:
| Tool Category | Step-by-Step Guides | Video Tutorials |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Tools | Text editors, screen capture tools | Screen recording software |
| Professional Tools | Documentation platforms | Advanced video editing software |
| Hardware Needs | Standard computer | Computer with recording equipment |
| File Size Requirements | Small files | Larger files |
Text-based tools often focus on automation and exporting options, while video tools emphasize editing and visual effects. According to TechSmith's 2022 research, video tutorials reduced support queries by 47% [2]. While they require more upfront effort, they can deliver better long-term results for complex topics.
Choosing between step-by-step guides and video tutorials can greatly influence how users engage with and learn from your content. While many prefer visual learning, practical limitations like accessibility and resources often call for a more balanced approach.
Here are three factors to consider when deciding on the format:
Adobe's Creative Cloud is a great example of blending text guides with video tutorials. This approach gives users flexibility, catering to different learning preferences.
To make this work effectively:
Using both formats together can address a wider range of user needs and make complex topics easier to understand. By evaluating your resources, audience, and the material's complexity, you can create documentation that serves users well while staying manageable for your team.
Get started with Folge today for free.
