How To Write Video Scripts That Get Your Message Across

Video is one of the best ways to get your message across, and when you add a script to your video, it can be even more effective.

Video scripts help tell the story, but they also make it easier for other people to edit and produce your videos. If you have time before filming starts, it’s worth writing a script for any video project. 

Even if you don’t have time before filming starts, I recommend making some notes about what you want to say in each section of your script so that everyone involved knows what’s expected of them.

And how much work will be involved in editing together all those different takes into one cohesive video piece!

Takeaways
1. A well-crafted video script is essential for effectively conveying your message to the audience.
2. Begin by defining your message and identifying your target audience to create a focused script.
3. Incorporate storytelling techniques to make your video script more engaging and memorable.
4. Keep the script concise, ideally within 2 to 3 minutes, to maintain viewer interest.
5. Rehearsing the script before shooting helps improve delivery and ensures a smoother recording process.

Know Your Audience

You can’t write a script for your next video if you don’t know who you’re writing it for. The first step to knowing your audience is understanding them, which means knowing how they think, what their pain points are, their goals and fears, and most importantly: what they want.

Now that we’ve established that the key to writing a script that works is knowing your audience inside and out, let’s go over some tips on how best to do so:

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Have A Clear Goal

When you’re writing a video, it’s important to have a clear goal in mind.

When you know what you want to achieve with your video and why it’s easier to create something that gets your message across.

The more specific and measurable your goal is, the better. This will help keep your script on track as well as make it easier for others in your organization who are working on other projects or campaigns to contribute their ideas and feedback too!

Create A Compelling Story

To make a story compelling, you have to keep your audience interested. You have to capture their attention and hold it through the end of the video.

To do this, keep the story simple and easy to understand. Think of your script like a game of telephone: If you add too many details or information that doesn’t make sense.

Then when you pass along this story from one person in your company or organization to another through multiple people who are telling it as well as hearing it, eventually everyone will be confused about what exactly happened in this “story.”

The best stories are ones that viewers can relate to and want to hear more about and if they don’t relate or aren’t interested in hearing more about something then chances are good that they won’t watch all three minutes (or however long) of your video!

Be Concise And To The Point

You have to keep your script short and sweet. If you go on for too long, your audience will lose interest in what you have to say. 

A rule of thumb is that a video script should be about one minute per second of video footage (so if there are 10 minutes of footage, the script should be no longer than 10 minutes).

As we mentioned earlier, the average person has a short attention span when it comes to watching videos so don’t be afraid to cut down sentences or phrases that don’t add value. 

When writing the script for my first video, I had paragraphs upon paragraphs written down – but only used about half of it because I realized that some parts were unnecessary and wouldn’t benefit my audience at all (and even worse: they could potentially distract them).

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Be Personal, Be Real

When it comes to video scripts, the best advice is to be personal and real. Your audience wants to hear from you in a way that feels authentic, not like you’re reading from a script.

In order for this to happen, you have to first know who you’re speaking with. You need to know what problems they face every day and how they feel about them. 

That’s why it’s important that before you start writing any script (or any content), you spend time researching your target audience so that they come alive on paper in front of your eyes.

Give Yourself Enough Time To Write A Good Script

You don’t want to do what I did and rush through the writing process. Before you start putting fingers to keys (or touching your screen), make sure that you’ve addressed all of these points:

• Know your audience.
• Know your goal.
• Know your message.
• Know your tone.

Know your content and resources available for this particular project, which will help inform any creative decisions about shooting style and equipment needs (like lighting or sound).

Keep It Simple And Easy To Read, Listen To And Understand

Don’t be afraid of using simple language. By keeping things simple, you can ensure that your script is easy to read and understand.

You should also try to use short sentences. The best way to do this is by making sure that each sentence has only one idea. For example, instead of using a sentence like:

The video will be about how we help our customers make the most out of their network security investment by providing them with the latest technologies in appliances and software solutions for their data center protection needs.

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Try Writing Something Like This Instead

Our video will show how we help our customers make the most out of their network security investment by providing them with the latest technologies in appliances and software solutions for their data center protection needs.

Lose The Fluff And Filler

Write in a conversational tone.

Many people will read your script and think, “This sounds like I’m talking to my best friend.” That’s because you are! The goal of having a script is not to sound robotic or unnatural, but rather have it read as if you’re having a natural conversation with someone.

Be careful with filler words like “um” and “like.” You probably don’t realize it when you do it, but they can really detract from the message of your video. 

If an editor sees these in the final product, they’ll likely edit them out before publishing the video because they look unprofessional and make everyone involved look bad (including yourself).

Use An Outline And Highlight Key Points

In order to write the best video scripts, you need to create an outline. This will help you keep your message clear, concise and personal.

An outline is a great way to organize information into sections that are easy for viewers to follow. It also helps ensure that everything you say is important in some way and contributes towards your goal. 

For example, if your goal is explain how to use a new product or service on camera, then each section should address one aspect of it: setup, operation steps and troubleshooting tips (if necessary).

Use Words People Search For

The first and most important thing to do is to use keywords and phrases that people search for. There are two reasons for this:

• Keywords and phrases that people search for will result in more views on YouTube.
• Keywords and phrases that people search for help you achieve your video’s goal.

Using these keywords will also increase the chances of someone finding your video through a Google search or YouTube recommendation because it helps get the right audience in front of your content at the right time, increasing engagement with your message.

Choose The Right Tone For Your Video Script

If you want to get your message across in as short a time as possible, you need to choose the right tone for your video. 

The tone of your script will influence how people feel about what you say and how much they trust it. This means that choosing the right tone is an important step in creating a great video script.

Conversational Tone: If your video is made up of talking heads just talking directly into the camera, then using this type of conversational tone will help make it feel more natural and less stiff. 

However, if there are other elements such as graphics or animation in addition to those talking heads then consider using another type of voiceover style instead because people tend not to engage with videos when only one person speaks throughout them.

Friendly Tone: This type of voiceover style is often used for marketing purposes because it makes viewers feel like they can relate to someone onscreen (especially if there are shots from behind or alongside). 

It also makes them feel like they’re being invited into something special which helps create trust with viewers by making them part of something special and hopefully making customers want whatever product or service is being promoted!

The downside here though is that sometimes friendly tones come off sounding condescending so make sure yours doesn’t fall into this trap by checking yourself first before posting anything online!

Are you underestimating the power of video scripts? Find out why video scripts are essential for conveying your message effectively and start using them to your advantage today.

Include The Most Important Information First  In Your Video Script

In order to create a video script that is easy to follow and understand, you will need to put the most important information first. This means that your most important point should be the first one you make in your video and it should be clear and concise. 

You can achieve this by using bullet points or numbered lists, which makes it much easier for people who are reading your script to digest what they’re reading and also helps when writing out each line so that it stands out from others in a way that’s readable.

It’s also important that you use the right tone when writing scripts for videos because this helps convey meaning and intent through words alone (or rather through spoken words). 

For example: if there is any sarcasm present in lines from your script then make sure those lines stand out from others with their formatting style; 

If there isn’t any sarcasm then keep them all formatted the same way so that whoever reads them knows instantly which ones are sarcastic without having read anything else yet!

Make Sure The Message Makes Sense

Before getting into the specifics of how to write a video script, it’s important to cover some general rules. 

The first rule is that you need to ensure that your message is clear and concise. If people can’t understand what you’re saying, they won’t be able to follow your argument and they’ll tune out.

You should also avoid using jargon or technical terms unless absolutely necessary because these may confuse or bore viewers who aren’t familiar with them.

Also avoid using words that are too long (like “perpetually”) or words that have more syllables than necessary (like “recalcitrant”). 

You want your message to flow easily from one thought into another without stopping at every comma or period along the way; use shorter words whenever possible instead of longer ones just because they sound smarter.”

Edit Your Script To Death

You don’t have to be perfect. You just need your script to convey what you want it to, and that’s why editing is important.

When editing, think about the most important points in your script and make sure they are crystal clear. If you can’t explain something with one sentence in a way that someone else will understand it, then maybe you don’t understand it yourself? 

Just kidding that doesn’t mean they won’t get it! It just means you should try again until they do. 

And when I say “try,” I mean try as many times as necessary until the point gets across perfectly every single time out of ten thousand tries at least once before moving on to another take on the same thing because nothing else has worked so far but there’s still hope for this one…

Get Feedback On Your Video Script Before You Start Filming Or Shooting Anything!

Before you start filming or shooting anything, get feedback from friends and family. If they don’t understand what you’re trying to say in the video, then chances are your audience won’t either.

Get feedback from your audience on whether there’s anything that needs to be clarified in the script; if so, go back and make changes before moving on. Be prepared for criticism! When you’re writing a script or revising one, it can be difficult not to take criticism personally. 

You might find that people have strong opinions about parts of the script that aren’t relevant or important (like font choices). That’s okay just don’t let their comments distract you from creating something great!

Get feedback from your boss if he or she wants something specific for this project; for example: “We know our customers want more videos about how we use renewable energy at our headquarters.” 

Or maybe he wants more information about how his employees use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter? 

Whatever his request may be, find out exactly what it is before starting work on this project so there aren’t any surprises later down the line when deadlines need met by deadlines need met…

Every successful YouTube video begins with a captivating story. Check out our top 11 YouTube story formulas that guarantee engagement and keep your audience coming back for more!

Conclusion

It’s helpful to think of your video script as a foundation for the rest of the production process. You can use it as a guide for filming and editing, but don’t get too caught up in trying to make sure everything is exactly as you wrote it down. 

Remember that sometimes things change during the creative process, and that’s okay! As long as you have a good idea about what your message is supposed to be and how best convey it—your video will turn out great even without an exact script.

Further Reading

TechSmith: How to Write a Video Script Learn the essentials of writing a compelling video script that captivates your audience and conveys your message effectively.

Synthesia: How to Write a Video Script Discover the step-by-step process of crafting a well-structured video script to create engaging and memorable videos.

HubSpot: How to Write a Video Script Explore valuable tips and techniques for scripting impactful videos that resonate with your viewers and drive results.

FAQs

How do I begin the process of writing a video script?

To start writing a video script, first, define your message and target audience. Identify the key points you want to convey and outline the structure of your video.

What are the essential elements of a successful video script?

A successful video script includes a strong opening hook, a clear message, a compelling storyline, and a persuasive call-to-action.

How can I make my video script more engaging?

Incorporate storytelling techniques, use visual aids, and add a touch of humor to keep your audience engaged and entertained throughout the video.

How long should a video script be?

The ideal length of a video script depends on the content and platform. Generally, keeping it concise and focused within 2 to 3 minutes is recommended.

Should I rehearse the script before shooting the video?

Yes, rehearsing the script allows you to fine-tune your delivery, adjust the pacing, and ensure a smoother recording process. Practice makes perfect!