The harder part isn't creating video SOPs — it's getting your team to actually use them. Especially when you're starting from scratch with no manual at all, doing it wrong can turn your videos into "a collection nobody watches." Video SOPs aren't just reference materials; they're a system you build into your workflow.

Here are the practical tips to make video SOPs take root, in the order you should do them.

① Start small—don't aim for perfection right away (just 3 videos)

If you try to build a complete system from day one, you'll get stuck. Start with just 3 videos on topics that tend to get results:

• The 3 most commonly asked questions
• Tasks where new people always stumble
• Work that often has mistakes

Think of it as an experiment, not a full launch.

② Get your video topics from what the team actually needs

You don't have to figure out what comes next by yourself. You don't need to start with a heavy skill audit either.

Use Dive's "Desired procedures" feature. It lets your team post what they need: "I'd like a video SOP for this task" or "I got stuck here." Everyone—new people, View-only users, even Guest invitees—can post. People can add their vote to requests they also need, so you always know what's most wanted.

• Team members can post what they need or where they're confused, right when it happens
• The videos you create match real demand—prioritized by how many people want them—so less work gets wasted
• When you finish a video that answers a request, the person who posted it gets a "Responded" notification

Building from what the floor actually needs cuts down unused videos. For how to use this feature, see How to use Desired procedures (Idea notebook).

③ Create one success story first

Don't try to roll it out to everyone at once—you'll fail. Pick one person: someone open to trying new things, a younger team member, someone eager to grow. Have them use it seriously and see the results.

"I watched the video and learned the task way faster." When other people see that success, it spreads faster than any announcement.

④ Don't let one person do all the filming (build a recording culture)

It's fine if the person running the rollout makes the first videos. But if it stays just one person, it dies. The goal is this:

• Job owners record their own videos
• A culture of "if we improve the job, we re-record the video"
• Everyone sees videos as company assets

The trick is to make recording as easy as possible (smartphone video or screen capture is enough) and just let people upload it when done—no fuss.

⑤ Build video viewing into your workflow (make it "worth watching")

The biggest reason videos don't get used is people don't have to watch them.

❌ "If you're not sure, go watch the video" → Nobody watches

⭕ "Check the video before you ask a question"
⭕ "Training starts by watching the video"
⭕ "Watch the video, then practice"

In short, the video needs to be part of how the work gets done.

Dive uses AI to cut down the work of recording and editing. You don't need to shoot short clips and piece them together. Record one long video of the whole process, and AI will break it apart by step. The AI also writes the step title and description based on what's being shown and what's being said. Give it a try.