How to Convert Your Boring Training Materials into Engaging Training Videos

Training manuals are important, but they’re rarely enjoyable. Most are long, text-heavy, and hard to get through. Still, they remain a key part of onboarding and employee training for every company I've ever worked at.

The problem is that if employees aren’t paying attention, they’re not learning. That leads to slower ramp-up times, inconsistent performance, and repeated mistakes.

A better option? I like to turn my static training documents into short, engaging training videos. With Synthesia, you can do this quickly and without any filming, editing, or voiceover work, and you can convert your training materials directly to video from the following formats:

• PDFs
• Word documents
• PowerPoint slides
• URLs/webpages
• Video scripts
• Plain text and .txt files

Why training manuals don’t work

Even if the content is good, I think we all agree that most text-based training materials are difficult to engage with.

Common issues include:

• Low engagement: Dense text is hard to read
• Low retention: Most employees skim or tune out
• Hard to update: Keeping PDFs or printed docs current takes time
• No visibility: You don’t know who read it or understood it

Why training videos work better

Videos are easier to follow and more effective for learning. They allow you to:

• Present information in a visual and auditory format
• Reach more people with translated or localized versions
• Standardize delivery across teams and regions
• Track who watched the content and what they retained

What makes an effective training video

I don't think you don’t need a high-budget production. What matters is clarity and structure:

• Break content into small segments
• Use a friendly, conversational tone
• Include visuals to support the message
• Keep each video under three minutes when possible

How to convert a training materials into a video using Synthesia

I've been turning my existing training manuals into a video series in just a few steps:

1. I divide my content into sections. Each section can be its own short video.
2. I copy and paste my text, script or document into Synthesia. There's no need to start from scratch, I just edit for tone and flow. If my training materials are in a document or a webpage I just paste the link/upload the document directly.
3. Select an AI avatar and voice. You can choose from a wide range of avatars, languages, and accents.
4. I also like to add supporting visuals. I typically use screen recordings or stock images/videos to clarify key points.
5. Preview and edit. I suggest adjusting pacing and tweaking the content before generating the final video.
6. Publish and share. Typically I'll distribute the video through my LMS, company intranet, or internal comms channels. Synthesia lets you export your video as an MP4 file or you can publish it directly with Synthesia and embed the video wherever you like.

Example:

Here's an example of how I used Synthesia to convert some slides into an AI training video.

Before: A 33-slide PowerPoint deck that no one reads

After: A 2 minute long engaging video that people will actually watch

Need to update your video? Synthesia makes that easy too - you can just go in and directly edit the video script and generate the updated video.

Tips to make your training videos more effective

• Add subtitles so they’re accessible
• Use your company’s branding throughout
• End with a short recap or quiz
• Localize your content for global teams

Final thoughts

Training materials only work if people pay attention. Video makes it easier for teams to learn, retain, and apply information. With Synthesia, turning your manuals into video takes minutes, not days.