How-to videos can establish your expertise, promote your products, and entertain and inspire viewers.
Here is a list of how-to videos from brands and merchants. All of these videos provide helpful demonstrations. Some focus on conveying information, while others are mainly about fun. Video lengths range from six seconds to ten minutes. Distribution tools include YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Vine, and more.
Birchbox
Birchbox is a beauty product subscription service. It combines monthly deliveries of personalized samples with original editorial and an ecommerce shop. Birchbox produces a variety of how-to videos on YouTube to help customers with cosmetics. In How to Contour, celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo shows how to define facial features without going overboard.
Lowes
In six seconds, this Lowes video on Vine shows how to build a fire pit in ten steps. With each step numbered, viewers can watch the loop once, then tap through to learn the steps. The post includes the hashtags #howto and #DIY. The video is a good example of how to convey a multi-step process in a very short time.
Oreo
This Oreo video on Instagram shows how to decorate Oreo cookie balls for the winter holidays. The short video is more about inspirational fun than cooking instruction. Nonetheless, it does provide useful images for Oreo fans. The video is part of a #oreocookieballs series.
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market produces YouTube videos mainly to teach its shoppers how to cook delicious food. The videos are in a variety of categories, including seasonal cooking, recipes, and cooking techniques. How To Chop An Onion teaches the right technique for prepping the popular ingredient. Most videos are under five minutes; this video is under a minute.
GE
This GE video on Vine shows what happens when you combine milk, food coloring, and dish soap. It is part of GE’s Imagination at Work series, which shows how to create inspiring science with everyday ingredients. The post includes the hashtags #howto and #6secondscience.
Moz
Whiteboard Friday is a weekly how-to video blog series created by Moz co-founder Rand Fishkin. Whiteboard Friday videos are approximately ten-minutes each and explain fairly sophisticated marketing techniques. The title of the series lets followers know simply to show up on Friday to learn. In this Whiteboard Friday how-to, Fishkin covers four steps to set things up correctly for branded search terms.
Lululemon
This Lululemon video on Instagram shows how to transition winter run gear straight into spring. The quick and inspirational how-to video is consistent with Lululemon’s mission, creating components for people to live long, healthy, and fun lives.
Groupon
In thirty seconds, this Groupon video on Vimeo quickly explains what the discount shopping platform is and how to use it. The video is a good example of how an online business can create a how-to video to explain its service and promote itself.
Airbnb
How To Airbnb is a short video from Airbnb that explains how to use the online marketplace to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world. This is another good example of a how-to video explaining an online service in a quick and visually compelling way. The video has nearly two million views on YouTube.
Advance Auto Parts
Easy Oil Change is a how-to video from Advance Auto Parts, a do-it-yourself auto repair retailer. Advance Auto Parts has produced an extensive library of how-to videos on its website to help its customers repair their cars while promoting its products. This video has 65,000 views.