Are you looking for a more personalized way to reach out to people online? A videoask is a video-based form that allows you to start (and continue) asynchronous video conversations with respondents.
What can you do with a videoask? We've seen people use them to recruit and interview new team members, generate and qualify leads, collect video testimonials, coach clients, and even create documentary films. Really, the sky's the limit! See for yourself.
To get started quickly, you can try out one of our templates. To create your first videoask from scratch read on or check out the video below:
Create your first videoask
1. Go to videoask.com and Log in to your VideoAsk account.
2. Click Create your first videoask.
3. Choose whether you'd like to Start with a template or Start from scratch. We'll choose to start from scratch.
4. Give your videoask a name.
5. Choose whether you want to Collect contact details. By default, the contact form will be turned on, click the toggle to turn it off.
Note: If you do not enable a contact form, respondents will appear as "Anonymous" and you will not be able to reply to them.
6. Select which language you want to use for your videoask. This is the language of the prompts and interface text, not the transcription and caption language.
Note: These settings can always be updated later, so don't stress if you're not sure!
7. Click Create videoask.
8. Now you'll be prompted to select your video source. We'll record a new video, but you can also upload a video, select from the Pexels or Giphy library, or record a screen share.
To record a new video, click Webcam.
💡Tip: If you're not ready to record your video just yet, click Add video later. A placeholder video will be used and you'll be able to add or record your video at a later time.
9. Before you can record, you'll need to give VideoAsk permission to use your camera and microphone. Click Request permissions.
Your browser should now show a pop-up window asking for permission to your camera and microphone. Click Allow.
10. Click the camera and microphone icons at the top of your screen to select which camera and microphone you want to use for your recording.
11. If you need some help remembering what you want to say in your video, toggle on Notes and jot down a script or outline.
Note: Notes will only be visible to you when recording your video and will not be visible to respondents viewing your videoask.
💡Tip: Often the most engaging videos are more natural, so we recommend working with a loose structure instead of writing out and reading an entire script!
12. Remember to make eye contact with the camera! When you're ready, click the red button to start recording.
You'll receive a 3-second countdown before the recording begins.
Each video can be up to 5 minutes long. A timer will count down at the bottom of your screen as you record to tell you how much time you have left.
Note: If you want to create a video longer than 5 minutes, you can choose to upload your own when you select your video source. For this option, there is no time limit but the maximum file size you can upload is 500MB.
Click the Pause button if you need to take a little break from recording and resume when you're ready. When you are finished recording, click the red Finish button.
💡Pro tip: You can also use the spacebar on your keyboard to start and stop recordings. This means you can keep looking at the camera until the very end!
13. You'll now get the chance to preview your video footage. To save it and proceed, click Yes. To re-record, click No.
Note: Re-recording does not use up your minutes. We count minutes only for videos that are transcoded and saved, either through recording or uploading an external file.
14. If you'd like to add any overlay text on top of your video, type it into the Overlay text box.
Choose the overlay text size from the dropdown menu.
Choose whether to Darken the video for text readability by clicking the toggle.
Finally, choose whether you want your video to fit or fill the screen. If you choose to Fit video, the entire width will be shown. If you leave this setting off, your video will fill the screen, with the exact dimensions depending on screen size.
15. When you're satisfied with your settings, click Continue.
16. Next you'll be prompted to add a title to your videoask step. This won't be visible to your respondents, but if you're creating a multi step videoask, it's a useful way for you to keep track of what each step is all about.
17. Now it's time to select an answer type for this step of your videoask. Each step may only have one answer type (i.e. Open Ended or Multiple Choice, but not both). By default, each new step will use the Open Ended answer type.
Click the dropdown menu to select a different answer type.
Each answer type has its own configuration options. Any changes you make will be automatically saved and reflected in the live builder.
You can also interact with the builder to see what your videoask flow looks like. This will not submit any responses.
18. When you're finished editing, click Done.
That's it! You now have your first videoask. To view it in action and submit a test response, click the Share button. Or, to preview your videoask without submitting any responses, click the Preview button next to it.
💡Tip: You can also preview how your videoask will appear to respondents across various devices.
Each videoask can have as many steps as you want (as long as you're on one of our paid plans) in order to ask different types of questions, create funnels, or create a unique video experience.
To add more steps, learn how to create a multi step videoask and get started with the VideoAsk builder. Or if you're ready to start getting responses, learn how to share or embed your videoask.
Want to change the position of a video in your videoask? Take a look at this article about repositioning videos in your videoasks.
Note: Limited videoask editing capabilities are available in the iOS app. In the Android app, you can reply to respondents but currently cannot build or edit forms.
Below is an example videoask we created, go ahead and give it a try!
Note: The above videoask is set to preview mode. This means your answers won't be submitted.