If you run onboarding at a company, you know the pain: lots of new hires, a pile of info to cover, and not enough time. Video helps, but only if you can get it organized and actually keep it up to date. If your company uses Brainshark for onboarding, this guide walks you through uploading and managing video content—without the fluff.
This isn’t about making your onboarding “transformational.” It’s about getting your videos in front of the right people, keeping them updated, and avoiding common headaches.
Why Use Brainshark for Onboarding Videos?
A quick reality check: Brainshark is built for training content, not for making fancy videos. It’s good at hosting, tracking, and updating training modules—especially if you have compliance needs or want to see who’s actually watched what.
What it does well: - Handles video uploads and organizes them into presentations. - Lets you track who’s viewed what. - Makes it easy to swap out outdated videos without breaking links.
What it doesn’t do: - It’s not a video editor. Edit your video elsewhere before uploading. - Not the slickest UI—expect some clunky menus. - Sharing outside your company? Not Brainshark’s thing.
If you need a YouTube replacement or a creative showcase, look somewhere else. If you want reliable tracking, updates, and basic organization for onboarding videos, this is the tool.
Step 1: Prep Your Video Files
Before you even log in, get your ducks in a row.
Checklist: - Format: MP4 works best. MOV and WMV are also accepted, but MP4 is safest. - Size: Under 1 GB per file. If it’s bigger, compress it first (HandBrake or similar tool). - Resolution: 720p is usually plenty. Don’t overdo it—higher res just means slower uploads and streaming. - Naming: Give your files clear names. “Welcome-to-Company-2024.mp4” beats “final_v3.mp4.”
Pro tip: Fix mistakes now—editing is much harder once the video’s in Brainshark.
Step 2: Log In and Create a New Presentation
Brainshark organizes content into “presentations.” Don’t get hung up on the terminology—think of them as containers for your videos.
- Log in to Brainshark.
- Go to “Create” > “Presentation.”
- Fill out the basics:
- Title: Make it clear, e.g., “Sales Onboarding: Product Overview.”
- Description: Short and to the point.
- Category: Tag it as “Onboarding” or whatever your company uses.
- Permissions: Set who can view it—new hires, managers, etc.
Honest take: The permissions menu is clunky. Double-check your settings so you don’t end up sharing the CFO’s welcome video with the whole company.
Step 3: Upload Your Video Content
Here’s where most people get tripped up, but it’s actually pretty simple.
- In your new presentation, pick “Add Content.”
- Choose “Video” as your content type.
- Find and upload your prepped MP4 file.
What to watch for: - Upload time: Large files take a while. Don’t refresh the page. - File errors: If Brainshark doesn’t like your video, it’ll tell you. Usually, it’s a format or size issue. - Multiple videos: You can add more than one video to a presentation, but keep it focused. If you have unrelated topics, make separate presentations.
After upload, you can set the video to play automatically or let users click to start. For onboarding, autoplay usually makes sense—less confusion for new hires.
Step 4: Add Supporting Slides and Content (Optional)
You aren’t limited to just video. Brainshark lets you mix in slides, PDFs, or even voice-over narration.
Should you bother? - Yes, if you need to reinforce key points, add quizzes, or give downloadable resources. - No, if you just want new hires to watch the video and move on. Simpler is usually better.
How to add extra content: - Click “Add Content” again. - Choose the type: PowerPoint, PDF, Quiz, etc. - Arrange the order by dragging slides or videos around.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. One clear video beats a scattershot of slides and PDFs.
Step 5: Organize and Tag Your Presentations
This is the part everyone skips—and regrets later.
- Folders: Put presentations in logical folders (e.g., “Onboarding > Sales”).
- Tags: Use tags so you can find stuff later (e.g., “2024,” “HR,” “Compliance”).
- Naming conventions: Stick to a pattern. “Dept - Topic - Year” works well (e.g., “IT - Security Basics - 2024”).
Honest take: Brainshark’s search isn’t amazing, so help yourself by staying organized up front.
Step 6: Set Permissions and Sharing
You need to decide who can see, edit, or manage your videos.
- Viewers: Usually, all new hires or a specific department.
- Editors: Limit to people who actually update content. Too many cooks spoil the onboarding.
- Expiration: If compliance is involved, set expiration dates for outdated content.
How to do it: - In the presentation settings, look for “Permissions” or “Sharing.” - Assign users, groups, or roles accordingly.
Pro tip: Test with a dummy user account to make sure the right people see the right stuff. Permissions are easy to mess up.
Step 7: Update and Replace Video Content
Onboarding content gets stale fast. The good news: Brainshark makes it fairly painless to swap in new videos.
- To update a video: Open the presentation, select the old video, and click “Replace.”
- To edit details: You can change the title, description, or tags anytime.
- To add new sections: Just add another video or slide.
What doesn’t work: You can’t trim or edit the video inside Brainshark. If you need to cut out an outdated segment, do it in an external editor, then re-upload.
Honest take: Don’t try to “future-proof” every video. It’s easier to update yearly than to chase perfection.
Step 8: Track Usage and Engagement
Part of what makes Brainshark useful is its tracking features.
- Reports: You can see who watched what, when, and for how long.
- Quiz scores: If you added quizzes, results are tracked as well.
- Completion rates: Useful for compliance or just making sure onboarding isn’t ignored.
How to access reports: - Go to the “Reports” or “Analytics” section. - Filter by presentation, user, or date range.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over minor drop-offs. Look for patterns—if everyone’s bailing halfway through a video, it’s probably too long or off-topic.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Uploading huge videos: Break them up if they’re over 15-20 minutes. Nobody wants to sit through an hour-long onboarding video.
- Forgetting to update: Set a calendar reminder to review onboarding content every six months.
- Poor organization: Take five extra minutes to name, tag, and folder things properly. You’ll thank yourself later.
- Overcomplicating: More isn’t better. Stick to clear, concise videos and only add supporting content if it’s truly needed.
- Ignoring feedback: Ask new hires if the videos made sense. Updates are easy—use them.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Uploading and managing onboarding videos in Brainshark isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Start with clear, well-edited videos, organize them with sensible names and tags, and don’t get bogged down in bells and whistles. Set a schedule to review and update content, and remember: onboarding is a moving target. Keep things simple, listen to feedback, and tweak as you go. You’ll save yourself (and your new hires) a lot of headaches.