Online video has become a valuable part of digital marketing. Companies are using video’s unique properties to grow their outreach and boost conversion rates like never before. It is the most direct and convincing way to promote your products and services. That’s why, using videos as part of your marketing campaigns has become a must nowadays. But creating a successful video can be challenging – especially if you’re a newbie. There are so many moving parts, and every step of the video planning and production process needs to be done on schedule. Having a good script is the very foundation of a successful video that delivers results. Everything starts with a good script, and how you write it, is going to define what kind of video you end up with. So, how to write the perfect script for your video? Here are some useful tips to get you started!
How to Write the Perfect Script for Your Video?
Lay Out Your Goals
The first step towards writing a good script is to define the goals that you want to achieve. Also, you need to think about the things you’ll need to make those goals come true. For example, you might want to make a video to introduce a new product to your audience. So your goal would be to make a great first impression and engage your viewers into making a purchase. Now the second part, what will you need to achieve these goals? You might need to demonstrate the product in the video. How about participants in the video? Are you going to use real customers or actors to convey your message?
These questions are important because they shape the style of the video – which is directly related to your writing. Once you have a clear vision about your video, you can use these goals as a guidance to write the perfect script copy.
Develop a Story
The most effective way to connect with your viewers on a more emotional level, is to tell a story in your video. That’s why you’ll need to come up with a story that fits your audience and the message you’re trying to deliver. Remember: this story is the base for your script. Here’s a simple concept you can follow:
- Introduce a problem that relates to your audience
- Present your product as the best solution to that problem
- Show the end result of how your product resolves that problem
- End up with a call to action to engage your viewers
Write Your Script with Visual Elements in Mind
One of the most important things to know when writing a script, is that you’re actually creating a blueprint that your production team is going to use to create the video. That’s why you should use simple, conversational writing style and avoid using long-descriptive sentences.
Make sure you write clear conversation sentences, and if you’re using characters, capture their appearance and behavior visually. Creating good dialogue can be tricky. That’s why one of the best ways to write a good script, is to sound natural, use plain English and pay attention to how people interact during conversations.
Keep Your Script Short
To be able to get your viewer’s attention, you need to keep your script short and engaging. The ideal video length is up to 1 minute. Usually, 1-minute video recording has 180 words. Here’s a handy script timer tool you can use to calculate script total words to video length in seconds.
Get Your Message Out There in the First 30 Seconds
Customers have a very low attention span. That’s why you need to get your message in the first 30 seconds. The sooner you hook your viewer’s attention the better. Your goal here is simple: come up with an engaging script that will be enjoyable and valuable for your audience.
Improve Your Script Using Table Reads
Once you have a draft, it’s time to see how everything sounds on stage. Table read is a technique you can use to see whether the words from your script sound right. Get some of your colleagues and read the words out loud. This is where you make notes, refine, change and improve the flow of your script.
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Image credit: Joe (via Flickr)
