Knowing how to document procedures quickly using video can have a huge impact on your business and your time.
Not having these procedures in place can be a barrier to delegating those tasks you shouldn’t be spending your time doing. Procedures are the foundation on which you can scale your business, without the headaches.
We cover the benefits of SOPs (standard operating procedures) in our article “how to write a good SOP” but the main two we’ll focus on in this article are:
- You’ll save time by simply turning on record the next (last!) time you do this task
- Video instructions are often easier to follow than a lengthy written procedure.
Best practice when screen recording your procedures
- First of all, “done” is better than perfect. Your goal is to move a task off your desk, not to become an expert in documenting procedures.
If you’ve already downloaded our ebook on how to reduce your admin with our 5-step process you’ll have identified those tasks that aren’t the best use of your time.
The next time you perform a repeatable task you’ve identified as one to delegate, simply hit “record”!
- Keep your videos short. We suggest a separate video for each step of your task. It’s much easier to keep your procedures current if you’re only updating part of the process. And you will! Tools and automation mean your procedures are constantly changing (improving).
- Record in a quiet environment. There’s nothing more distracting than getting five minutes into a recording only to be interrupted by a slamming door or a barking dog. Also consider eliminating loud fans, road or train noise, or humming that can sometimes results from florescent lighting.
- Close all other apps and tabs. This will do two things: (1) free up your computer’s processing power so that your screen recording software can run more smoothly and 2) eliminate the possibility of distracting notifications.
- Speak slowly. Rehearse once while consciously speaking more slowly than you regularly do. Then when you record, slow it down even more. We’re all naturally inclined to speak more quickly when we’re giving a presentation. Plus, a viewer can always speed up playback in the player if they prefer.
Once you’ve finished recording simply send the video links to your VA or the person on your team you’re delegating to and get them to write the instructions in your SOP template.
If you’re using a project management tool your videos can be added to relevant tasks within your process template with the written instructions included. Attach the complete procedure to your template.
It can be helpful if the person writing up the process time-stamps the video in the written instructions for quick reference.
Three free video recording tools we recommend
Step 1. Have your Zoom APP prepared for Zoom screen recording, sign into your account, start a Zoom meeting.
Step 2. After you start the meeting, you will find the “Record” button with a white “camera” icon. You can select to store the record video meeting file stored on cloud (Paid service) or on local (Free feature). Following tips will be based on the store on local resolve.
Step 3. You can control the recording process by clicking on the “Pause” or “Stop” buttons. To stop your recording will not terminate the meeting itself (in case you need to start again).
Step 4. Your Zoom screen recording files will be stored in the following folder:
- Windows: C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Zoom
- Mac: /Users/[Username]/Documents/Zoom
The folder will pop up immediately after your Zoom meeting ends.
Then it’s simply a matter of sharing the link to the recording (if stored in the cloud) or the recording itself with your VA or team member who will turn this into a documented procedure.
To Note: Loom’s free version has a limit of 25 videos. A workaround is to download the videos and store in your own system so you can delete them from Loom. Loom also has a time limit on their free plan of 5 minutes, another reason to break your task into short videos!
Loom also has a Chrome extension so you can quickly record from your browser and if you scroll towards the bottom of this page they also share how to record from IOS and Android phones. You can also record from their App or website.
Step 1. Open the Loom Chrome extension. Please keep in mind the Loom Chrome extension does not have the draw tool, virtual backgrounds, or HD recording. Those features are only available on the Loom desktop app.
Step 2. Choose what to capture. Select “Screen Only” to record just your screen, or “Screen and Camera” to record your screen and camera.
Step 3. Start recording. Once you’re set, click “Start Recording”. After a 3 second countdown, your recording will begin. You can pause, stop or delete your recording from the menu that will appear on your screen.
Step 4. Stop recording. To end the recording, click the square red button on the menu in the lower-left corner of your screen.
Step 5. Edit and share. A link to your video will be copied to your clipboard and your video will open in your browser where you can view, edit, and share. Learn more about recording with the Loom Chrome extension.5
If you already have a Vimeo free plan we suggest you use this. However for new accounts they have changed their limits to creating up to only two videos per month, allowing up to 25 videos in total. This makes it a less than ideal solution!
Like Loom, Vimeo has a Chrome extension making it easy to record quickly. Also like Loom the steps to recording are simple and intuitive, a shareable link appears once you stop recording for ease of use.
In summary
These three tools are just a few of the many screen recording tools available. We didn’t want to overwhelm you!
The objective of this article is for you to easily document the tasks that aren’t the best use of your time. Tasks that won’t improve your profitability because they’re pulling you away from your zone of genius.
One action you can take right now 💥
What task will you be doing today that you shouldn’t be?
Chose one of the options above to record your screen while you do the task.
Then delegate it.
Even if it’s a five minute task you do daily, that’s almost an hour a week. Four hours a month!
