Need to write a video script for your brand? Your top three questions answered

1. What are the benefits of having a written script?

The benefits of having a written script can’t be overstated. It’s like having a well-prepared speech versus winging it on stage in front of hundreds of people. It’s filling your car up with gas before a long drive instead of puttering along the highway on empty. It’s proposing with a ring instead of on the fly with a rolled-up piece of tin foil. It’s preparation overdrive and it matters. A well-planned script:

• Adds structure and pace to the narrative

• Helps define your message

• Saves time in the editing room

• Helps participants feel more at ease

• Contributes to an easier shooting process

Even if your video has a casual ’shorts and T-shirt’ vibe, it’s still important to take the time to research and write a well-thought-out script. Your marketing budget will thank you and so will your participants.

2. How do you know what to write?

It’s simple, what result do you want from making a video in the first place? What is your goal? More sales, greater brand awareness? Landing big clients? Increased followers? There are a million reasons to make a video, but you only need one solid one to make it work. Here are some questions you need to ask before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

What results do you want?

Be specific here, it will help you determine how long the video should be and what points need to be covered. Is a 30% increase in online sales for your purple gizmo about right? Maybe three-times your current YouTube followers? Understanding your marketing goals, whether that is short-term or long-term, will help your video fit neatly into your strategy puzzle.

Who is your target audience?

You probably know who your target audience is, but how well do you really know them? Are they Gen Z, who like quicker conversations? Are they Baby Boomers, who need more information? Find out how they like to communicate and this will help you put accurate language and pacing into your script. It will also dictate the length of the video.

What are you wanting to teach with your video?

Even if your video isn’t a long explainer demonstrating how to use complicated software, it’s still a ‘teaching’ video. All videos teach in some way. You’re either teaching them about your brand, about a product, or something else. Videos are bits of knowledge imparted in an eye-catching, attention-getting way. What do you want them to know at the end of it? Your answer will shape the tone of your content as well as the details.

And don’t forget the viewer’s part at the end – what should they do next? Make a call? An online purchase? Send an email? A strong CTA (call to action) will help with that.

3. What are the elements of a good video script?

It goes without saying that the elements of your script need to be structured like a house of bricks. Solid, stacked neatly and with a rock-steady foundation. If you’ve answered the questions above, then your foundation should be ready to go. Let’s tackle the actual elements of the script so you can get to stacking those bricks.

Introduction

Make it fast and make it good. In other words, hit the viewer between the eyes with a direct sentence or two that explains who you are, why they are there, what they are going to learn and what benefit they will receive if they stay to the end.

*Pro tip: A large percentage of viewers will leave your video within the first 10 seconds or so. That leaves the first leg of your script with a hefty task – keeping their attention.

Your message

Making an emotional connection is always the way to go in videos. Let them know you ‘see’ them as humans, not just a pay source, and that you understand what their pain points are. Speak conversationally and reiterate your message. It doesn’t hurt to remind them why they are viewing your video and what benefits they will receive.

The main thing is for your video to give them what you promised in the intro, the information they need to know. Deliver big. Engage their interest in a compelling way that makes sense for your audience. Whether that is through storytelling, graphs, charts, memes, or whatever, just make sure you create a video that keeps them entertained in a curious, appealing way.

Here are the key elements your script needs to contain:

• Introduction

• Acknowledgment of audience

• The problem (pain points)

• The solution

• How it works

• How to get it

• Call to action

Don’t make writing these elements harder than it has to be. Pretend you’re talking to a friend or associate and tell them all of this, in a conversational friendly way. Now write that down. Once it’s written, it’s so much easier to shape and shift it into the message you are trying to get across.

*Pro tip: Keep it concise, don’t waste their time and they won’t waste yours.

The Call to Action

You’re at the end of your video and here is where things get good, tell the viewer what you want them to do. Or, better yet, lead them to their destination throughout the video and then tell them what to do. Once again, be specific, be direct and be nice. Consumers want to do business with brands they like and trust because they are tired of being ‘sold to’. Be the brand they can rely on and speak to them like the human beings they are.

*Pro tip: Calls to action can be written in a multitude of ways, get creative and write yours in a way that honors the consumer’s intelligence. FYI, CTAs in videos get 380% more clicks!

But… wait!!

It’s OK, you’ve got this. Scripts aren’t difficult to write, they just need a little research, a lot of thought and a clear-cut plan. They certainly don’t need to be technical or wordy, unless of course you’re writing a video script about assembling a 14-story rocket with hydrogen/oxygen propulsion. Most videos just need to create some sort of connection with the viewer and deliver on their promise. You can do this. Go.

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