You fully understand the necessity of marketing videos in the modern digital space. You are content to invest in professional video production services. In short, you are ready to start making videos that will enhance your brand and act as a catalyst for growth. The only thing remaining is learning how to write goal-achieving video scripts.
Others have told you just how important a good script is. Without one, you run the risk of not adequately conveying your message. A worst-case scenario would see viewers put off to the point of abandoning your brand. That’s not what you want. You want scripts that get attention, keep it, and impress to viewers a positive message.
We cannot understate the importance of high-quality scripts for marketing videos. But we also know that script writing takes practice. You will not get it right every time. Nonetheless, don’t let that discourage you. Here are some tips for writing goal-achieving video scripts:
Always Start with Focus
The most productive thing you can do is to start every new script by determining your focus. Note that focus and topic are not the same thing. A video’s topic is whatever subject that video is addressing. The focus is different. It encompasses several things:
- Who you want to target
- Why you want to target them
- What you want them to know.
Let’s say you want to target millennials with decent disposable income living in suburban neighborhoods. You want to target them because they are the group most likely to buy your products. You want them to know that your brand offers something unique they will not find anywhere else. That is your focus. Within that focus you will probably discover dozens of topics more than capable of getting your point across.
Choose a Single Video Type
There are different types of marketing videos. An explainer video does just what its name implies: it explains a given topic in terms viewers understand. There are also product demo videos, how-to videos, and even announcement videos. Choose one particular type and stick with it. Do not attempt to mix a promo video with a how-to format. Mixing multiple video types makes for a confusing marketing message.
Know Your Presenter
It is important to know who is going to present the information in your video before you write the script. Why? Because people have different styles. If your presenter is more comfortable with improvisation, an extremely detailed script could curtail their best characteristic: creativity. On the other hand, writing too loose a script for a presenter who needs everything spelled out could result in a choppy and uneven performance. You really need to know your presenter so that you can tailor the script to that person.
Prepare Yourself for Editing
Don’t expect that your first attempt at a new script will produce the finished product you’ll eventually use. That’s probably not going to happen. Most goal-achieving video scripts are edited multiple times. Be prepared for that. Some scripts need to be completely gutted and redone from the ground up. Others just need a little polish. Most fall somewhere in between.
Also be prepared to cut out what you think are the best elements of your script. Additional eyes may see things that you don’t, leading them to suggest edits that cut you to the heart. That’s okay. You’ll get over it. It is more important that you have a script that works.
Marketing videos are only as good as the scripts behind them. Nail it and a good script turns into a great video. Just remember that script writing takes practice.
