Corporate videos have a reputation problem. They’re meant to engage you and teach you something important, but instead, they feel slow, overly technical, or visually flat, causing viewers to trudge through the process half engaged. Or even worse, they click away before learning anything useful.

So how do you get your customers to actually watch your corporate video? You treat it like branded content.

Not only should it be clear and functional, but it needs to have things like intriguing visuals, an engaging script and well-paced timing so that people stay with you and actually enjoy the viewing experience.

Recently, we were challenged by Noom, the weight loss and mental health app, to create a how-to video for their at-home biomarker test kit. They said they wanted it to feel educational and visually elevated—something you don’t typically get in a how-to video. Take a look below to see what we created, and then read on to learn the steps we took to make it happen.

Start with the experience, not the instructions

It’s easy to treat a corporate video like a simple information dump: list the steps, hit record, and explain what to do. But that approach almost always feels dry and boring.

Instead, you need to think about the overall viewing experience first. Ask yourself:

How should the video feel?
Should it be calm and supportive, or energetic and motivating?
Do you want your visuals to be clean and minimal, or on-brand with your company’s lively and colorful style?

Defining the tone and emotional experience upfront helps shape every creative decision that follows, from pacing to visuals to music. For the Noom project, our Nova House team treated the video less like a traditional how-to video, and more like a short brand film—one that also happened to teach something. That shift immediately raised the quality and made the content feel memorable.

Design the visuals first

We always design the visual language first: things like the shooting style, the set design, the graphic that will be on screen. If you want a high-level corporate video that people will actually want to watch, the first thing you need to do is capture them visually.

For the Noom video, we thought of it like a film. This meant working with the brand’s creative directors to lay out a mood board and deck with brand colors, set design and visual inspiration. We planned every single detail in advance from how the set would look to the very placement of each individual piece of furniture. That way both Noom and Nova House were dialed in on the exact look we were trying to achieve and had planned out every step we would need to take to make it happen, before we even arrived to set.

The Nova House Productions team on set shooting a corporate video for Noom.

What you don’t want to do is ignore your visuals because what you end up with then is a disjointed, off-brand and poorly executed video that you don’t realize you even have until it gets to the edit and it’s too late. Proper planning of your vision is absolutely KEY.

Have an idea for a how-to video but not sure where to start? Message us, we’d love to hear about it!

Remember to break complex information into small, digestible steps

Clarity comes from restraint. Trying to explain too much at once overwhelms people quickly, especially in technical product tutorials or training videos.

Instead of grouping multiple actions together, break the process into small, single-focus moments. One action per step. Each moment should feel like a small win for your client, customer or employee.

In the Noom video, for example, the instructions were broken down into several clear and actionable steps. Multiple directions weren’t squeezed into one scene, but rather, movements as small “place the device on your arm” functioned as their own moment, ensuring viewers were not overwhelmed, and no important detail was missed. Honestly, when most people think of a corporate video for pharma they think, boring. But the results with this one were the opposite, primarily because we took a human-first approach.

A woman places a biomarker test device onto her arm during a corporate video for Noom.

How does this approach improve your video?

It promotes comprehension and keeps viewers moving forward. It also gives your video a natural rhythm, and communicative feel, which helps maintain attention. If you need long paragraphs of explanation, the visuals probably aren’t doing enough of the teaching yet.

Add a human touch

Tech-heavy content can easily feel sterile. Adding small human elements makes a big difference.

A perfect example of this is how we started the Noom video with an establishing shot, much like what you were choose for a film or commercial. We set the scene with a clear picture of where the video was taking place, orienting the viewer to the full surroundings. You see a table, a chair and a woman walk naturally into frame. This kicks things off in a way that feels breathable, rather than overwhelming.

A woman walks onto set during the shooting of a Noom corporate video.

Adding strategic elements to your video work like magic to create a sense of connection for the viewer while making them feel like the video was created for them.

Natural movement
Real-world interactions
Conversational language
Thoughtful pacing

Even something as simple as how a device is handled or how transitions flow can help keep the viewer engaged and invested. When people feel guided rather than lectured, they’re far more likely to stick around and retain the information.

Still unsure what the difference between a corporate video and a commercial video are?

Take a look at our recent blog, Commercial vs. Corporate video and find out which is best for your business.

Edit with attention spans in mind

Tight editing is essential for effective corporate video content. If a moment feels slow or repetitive, cut it. If something can be shown instead of explained, show it.

Shorter, more focused videos almost always perform better than long, exhaustive ones. Three minutes of clarity will outperform eight minutes of over-explaining every time. And respecting your viewer’s time is one of the fastest ways to build trust.

Here’s a common problem we see:

Often companies try to DIY their edit because it feels like the “easy part,” when in reality, this is where you do not want to cut corners. Slapping together everything you’ve meticulously planned and shot is like giving up at the very end of the race. It can leave you with a video that feels unfinished and fails to achieve all the strategic goals we’ve discussed so far. The edit is where your video becomes exactly what you’ve envisioned it to be.

Curious about our other services like editing and post production? Learn more here.

The bigger picture

A corporate how-to video isn’t just a tutorial. It’s often someone’s first real interaction with your product. They’re trying to gain knowledge, solve a problem, or get unstuck, which is almost always a vulnerable moment.

When you meet your viewers with something clear, thoughtful and visually engaging you’re not just teaching them how to use your product, you’re reinforcing your brand. Great how-to videos don’t feel like instructions, they feel like holding your customer’s hand and saying “let us show you.”

Nova House Productions is a New York based video production company that specializes in corporate video, event reels, and branded content.

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How to Make a Corporate Video That People Actually Want to Watch