Whiteboard presentations are animated presentations in the form of cartoons or storyboards. They can be used for a wide variety of applications, including marketing, educational purposes, and even quick tutorials.

The purpose of the whiteboard is to present information visually, making it easier for people to understand concepts than if they were simply spoken. You can make use of this visual media by creating your own whiteboard presentations. These presentations can make it much easier to explain certain concepts to your viewers than traditional videos.

Here are some helpful tips to make it easier to create effective and entertaining whiteboard videos. Some of these tips apply to talking head videos, and others apply to screencast style videos, but many will apply to both.

  1. Use Great Lighting – Don’t attempt to film a whiteboard video in a dimly lit room. Use quality lighting to ensure the subject and whiteboard are clearly visible, and make sure the lighting isn’t casting any glares that might hurt viewers’ eyes or cause bright spots where the whiteboard is not visible.
  2. Don’t Block the Whiteboard – Too many people create whiteboard presentations and then stand directly in front of the board for the majority of the presentation, making it difficult for viewers to see what’s going on. As you film your presentation, stand to the side of the area in which you’re currently drawing/writing to allow viewers to watch as you’re doing it. No one wants to see three minutes of the back of your head while waiting to see what you’ve written or drawn.
  3. Use Sound – Sound is a critical element in whiteboard presentations because it makes them less dull. A video that has no sound at all will often make the viewer question whether or not something is wrong with their sound device. Narration, or a combination of narration and music, is ideal, but even a great music clip that matches the feel of your presentation will make a difference. If you are afraid to narrate your own video because you hate your voice, have a thick accent, you’re using a pseudonym in your business, or another reason, you can hire someone off of a freelance site or Fiverr to narrate for you. Just provide a script, and then create the video based on their narration.
  4. Use Quality Equipment – Make sure you’re using the best camera and microphone possible. If the sound or video quality is poor, the viewer’s experience will be poor.
  5. Don’t Talk Down to the Audience – While it’s important to assume that viewers won’t have a complex grasp of your subject in order to make sure you explain things well enough for beginners, never talk down to your audience by saying things such as “you probably won’t understand this, but…” or “this is a really complex subject that I won’t get into…”. Just explain things thoroughly and never state that you think people wouldn’t understand something or accidentally insult their intelligence.
  6. Use a Graphics Tablet – If you’re using a screencast program to create your whiteboard presentation, consider using a graphics tablet instead of a mouse or trackpad to draw and write. A simple graphics tablet is only around $50 to $100, and if you intend to do more than a handful of videos will really make a difference. You can also buy an older model on eBay for very little money. A graphics tablet will make your drawings and writing look much more fluid, natural and legible.
  7. Plan Carefully – It’s a good idea to plan your presentation thoroughly before you begin. You don’t want to have a lot of pauses while you think of what to say next. This will bore your audience and potentially even make them doubt your credibility. Plan your presentation step-by-step before you start filming, and perhaps even do a few run-throughs before you actually film.
  8. Study Other Presentations – View a number of different whiteboard presentations in a genre similar to yours in order to find out what makes them successful. Take note of what you like and don’t like about each one as you watch and make sure to keep those things in mind as you create your own.
    Don’t Include Too Much – It’s a common mistake to want to include too much in your presentation. After all, more is better, right? Not always. In the case of a presentation, it should be concise, succinct, and include only as much pertinent information as it necessary to deliver your message. Including more information will only confuse and/or bore your audience.
  9. Don’t Focus Purely on Data – If you focus on data such as statistics, facts, and figures, your presentation will be boring. Include some interesting information, too, rather than making a stuffy piece that will put people to sleep.