Writing a video script can be tricky, especially if you’re a beginner. That’s why we’ve created this video script writing tips and checklist to help you create the perfect script for your next video project.
| Takeaways |
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| 1. Master the art of scriptwriting with practical examples. |
| 2. Boost conversions with engaging and persuasive video scripts. |
| 3. Learn pro tips from experienced scriptwriters in the industry. |
| 4. Elevate your video scripts by crafting them with a friendly tone. |
| 5. Use checklists to ensure your video scripts cover all essential elements. |
What This Blog Does Well
This blog is all about how to write a video script that will get people hooked on what they’re watching. The writer shows his passion for this topic by providing examples of great scripts that he believes are successful in their own right.
He also includes helpful tips along the way so that readers can easily follow along and learn from each example provided. This makes it easier for potential customers to visualize how their projects might look when they follow these steps themselves!
Uncover hidden gems of video script writing with our comprehensive guide on Video Script Writing: 15 Secrets You Never Knew. From engaging storytelling to persuasive techniques, these secrets will elevate your video scripts to new heights.
Figure Out What Your Goal Is
Before you start writing, it’s important to set solid goals for your video script. When you know what kind of message you want to get across and how long it should be, it’ll help keep your attention focused on what needs to be said instead of being distracted by other ideas or random tangents.
So try writing down some specific questions:
- What is the goal of this video?
- How do I want people to feel after watching it?
- What will make them think differently than they did before seeing my video?
Know What You Want To Say At The End
Keep it short and sweet. It’s best to keep your script under 2 minutes, so make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say in that time frame and how long each section should be.
Be sure not to include any unnecessary filler text (unless it’s funny or ironic) that would detract from the overall message of your video.
Do keyword research for SEO purposes; this will help both Google find your video on YouTube, and also encourage viewers who watch videos similar to yours (and related keywords) on YouTube itself!
Write Something Interesting And Informative
Write something interesting and informative. Write about something that you know a lot about. If you don’t know anything about the topic, makeup something that sounds like it’s true but isn’t.
Always think about your audience in your writing: who are they? What do they want to hear from you? Write for multiple audiences; if one person doesn’t get what you’re saying, there might be another person who does!
Be sure to use lots of adjectives and adverbs so that the reader will understand how amazing everything is! They’ll be able to see exactly how great things are by reading what words describe them.
If possible, include some statistics or facts in your script so that people know just how much better off they’d feel if they bought whatever product/service was being advertised (this step should probably not come last).
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Write To Explain, Not Just To Impress Or Entertain
Writing for video is a lot different than writing for print. With a written script, you’re not just trying to gain the attention of your intended audience; instead, you’re also trying to convince them that what you have to say is worth their time and effort.
You want them to understand what they need to know so they can act on it which means that everything in your script should be useful (whether it’s entertaining or not).
Here are some tips for making sure your video script is clear and helpful:
Use easy-to-follow language. This can mean using shorter sentences or avoiding jargon entirely if necessary.
Make sure each sentence has one idea or goal behind it if there’s more than one idea per sentence, consider breaking up those thoughts into separate sentences instead.
Avoid unnecessary words like “a,” “the,” and “this”; these words don’t add much meaning but do add length which can make reading harder on someone who isn’t familiar with all of your terminology yet!
Start Simply, Then Get More Advanced
As you start writing, remember that you can always go back and edit your script. That’s the beauty of video! So there’s no need to cover every single thing in one video.
For example, if your business sells organic dog treats and has a website with an e-commerce store, you could create a video explaining what organic dog treats are and how they differ from regular dog treats (the basics).
Then follow up with another video that goes into more detail about how customers can shop online or over the phone (more advanced).
Don’t Write Too Much Or Too Little
Don’t write too much or too little. Too much text can be overwhelming and cause people to give up, while too little leaves people with unanswered questions. The ideal length is between 2 and 6 minutes.
Use simple, straightforward language that everyone understands. Avoid slang and jargon unless it’s essential for your script’s target audience (e.g., medical professionals).
Or you’re writing a comedy script that relies on the joke being lost in translation for effect (because no one knows what “dipping sauce” means).
Be clear about who your intended audience is so that you can tailor the tone of your writing accordingly. If your video is meant for children, use words they understand; if it’s an educational video directed at parents with autistic children.
Keep them engaged by using terms they’re familiar with but that most people won’t understand without explanation first like “cognitive dissonance” or “empathy disorder.”
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Read It Out Loud To Yourself
Read it out loud to yourself (and pause for a bit after reading each sentence). If you can’t read it out loud without stumbling over words and tripping over your tongue, then the script needs some work.
If you can’t read your video script without stumbling over words, then you need to simplify the sentence structure. Or maybe there are too many details in one paragraph? Maybe you have too much text on one page?
Whatever the problem, make sure that when someone reads your content aloud with ease, they will also be able to easily understand what you are trying to communicate with them.
Use The Active Voice For Most Of Your Script
In general, it’s best to use the active voice over the passive voice, which is marked by a form of “to be” (is, was, were) and a past participle. For example: “He was walking his dog,” versus “His dog was walked by him.”
The more complicated a sentence gets and thus more likely it is to contain elements with passive verbs the more difficult it will be for readers to understand what’s going on in that sentence and how everything relates to each other.
So if you want your reader to stay engaged in what they’re reading from start to finish, keep sentences short and simple as much as possible!
Check If You Can Read It Out Loud Without Getting Stuck On Words And Tripping Over Them
If you can read it out loud without getting stuck on words and tripping over them, then go ahead. If not, there’s still time to change things around. If your script is too long, cut down on unnecessary words and sentences (and don’t forget to proofread).
Nothing is worse than having a perfectly good sentence but too many commas in it! You might also want to look into alternative ways of saying the same thing like using synonyms instead of repeating yourself over and over again.
Determine The Best Way To Deliver Your Message
It goes without saying that how you choose to deliver your message is just as important as what it says. You can deliver a script in a variety of ways, so consider this when writing:
Text: If you have an important announcement or announcement-like text, consider using a video or audio file instead of just text. This allows you to get more emotion into the message and helps viewers feel more engaged with it.
Images: Images are powerful tools for getting the point across when writing scripts; they can also be used in conjunction with other multimedia elements (such as videos and music) to enhance the experience even further.
Audio/Video: These two types of media work well together because they complement each other by providing different kinds of information for example if one person is talking about something boring.
But another person is showing visuals related to the said topic then this combination will keep people’s attention longer than either one alone would have done on its own.”
Writing a script that resonates with your audience is key to success. Unleash the full potential of your video content with our comprehensive guide on making your video script the best it can be, covering everything from structure to impactful storytelling.
Consider Using Visuals And Other Multimedia Elements
Visuals and other multimedia elements can be used to help tell a story, explain complex ideas and concepts, show what you mean, keep viewers’ attention for longer periods and engage your audience.
For example:
If you’re trying to explain the process of making coffee, it might be helpful to use visuals like photos or videos that show the different steps involved in making coffee (such as roasting beans).
If you’re trying to tell a story about an event that happened in your life then it might be helpful to include photos or videos from the event (or even live stream footage).
Make Sure Your First Sentence Serves As An Attention-Grabber
The first sentence of your script should be short, but not too short; interesting, but not so interesting that it’s confusing; relevant to the rest of your script, and a strong statement about what you’re trying to say with it. But how can you make sure that everything works together?
Here are some options:
A question—This one is obvious, but also effective. Just make sure it’s a good one!
Quotes—If you want people to read more than just a single line about an idea or concept, try including a quote from someone who has been quoted before on this same topic (or better yet, someone new).
Quotes are great because they provide context for what follows them and help readers understand why they’re important in their own right which makes them even more likely than questions at capturing peoples’ attention!
Grab Some Information From Elsewhere On The Web And Put A New Spin On It To Make It Your Own
Let’s say you’re writing a script about how to make your soap. You could take some information from elsewhere on the web and put a new spin on it to make it your own.
You don’t want to just copy and paste someone else’s text, though that’d be unethical! So here are some tips for making sure that you’re doing this in a way that’s respectful and ethical:
Make sure your spin is interesting. You don’t want to just copy and paste someone else’s text because they did it first.
You need to add something new or interesting (like personal experience) so that people will read what you’ve written instead of just reading the source material again.
Make sure it’s relevant to your audience. If all of the other content out there is written by experts who specialize in whatever subject matter applies here.
Then chances are good that if people start reading anything about that subject matter, they’ll end up reading one of these experts’ works instead of yours!
That means we need some way for people looking for information about how-tos like this one will find YOUR site rather than someone else’s site…
Don’t Write Just For The Sake Of Writing About A Particular Topic; Make Sure That People Will Care About What You Have To Say
The first step to video script writing is to make sure that your content is not just interesting, but also relevant and unique.
Relevant: Don’t write about a topic because it’s a subject that you find interesting. Make sure your videos are relevant to the audience and business goals of your brand.
Unique: Your audience may have seen similar videos before by other brands or creators, so make sure yours stands out from the rest with an original take on the topic.
Do Keyword Research So That Your Video Will Be Searchable By Common Search Terms In The Topics You Cover
Keyword research is an important part of video SEO. Keywords help people find your video when they search for it and they also help them understand what your videos are about, which makes it easier for them to decide whether or not they want to watch your videos.
Also, keywords are important for ranking your videos on YouTube and Google Search.
To do keyword research, you’ll want to look at the most popular searches in the topics that relate to your channel’s content so that you can optimize all of your videos with those terms in mind.
Write An Enticing Title That Gets People Interested In Watching Your Video Before They Even See It!
This is the first thing that people will see when they click on your video. Write an enticing title that gets people interested in watching your video before they even see it!
Try to make it catchy, but not misleading. You want to use words that are relevant to the content of the video and keywords people will be searching for.
Crafting a relatable and engaging video script is like having a friendly conversation with your viewers. Learn how to write a video script as if you’re talking to a friend with our expert tips at How to Write a Video Script as If You’re Talking to a Friend. Your viewers will love it!
Use Action Words Like “Watch” Or “See” At The Beginning Of Each Sentence To Get Viewers Excited About What They’re Watching
Use numbers at the end of each phrase if you have them available it helps build suspense and intrigue. For example: “5 Ways To Make Your Videos More Engaging With 10 Minutes Of Editing Time.”
It’s important to keep sentences short so that you can squeeze more into one headline without losing viewers’ attention span or beating around the bush too much and make sure each point has its paragraph so as not to overwhelm them with a giant wall of text!
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when writing a script is that you should tell your story in the best way possible. The goal is not just to write something that sounds good, but to create content that is interesting and informative so people will watch it.
This can be difficult for some people because they think their skills aren’t up to par with what’s needed for video production, but there are plenty of tools available online that anyone can use!
Don’t let these fears stop you from making videos though as long as they have information worth sharing with others then who cares if it sounds perfect or not?
Further Reading
How to Write an Explainer Video Script that Converts: Learn the art of crafting compelling explainer video scripts that drive conversions and engage your audience effectively.
Video Script Writing Guide: Creating Impactful Videos: Discover valuable insights and practical tips to create impactful video scripts that resonate with your viewers and leave a lasting impression.
A Checklist for Crafting Effective Video Scripts: Ensure you don’t miss any essential elements in your video scripts with this handy checklist to create engaging and successful video content.
FAQs
What are the key elements of an effective explainer video script?
An effective explainer video script should have a clear and concise message, a compelling story, a problem-solution approach, a strong call-to-action, and a precise target audience.
How can I make my video script more engaging?
To make your video script more engaging, use storytelling techniques, add humor, use visuals to support the narration, and maintain a conversational tone to connect with your audience.
What’s the ideal length for a video script?
The ideal length of a video script depends on the platform and content type. Generally, shorter scripts work better for social media and online ads, while longer scripts are suitable for explainer videos or educational content.
How can I ensure my video script aligns with my brand?
Ensure your video script aligns with your brand by using your brand’s voice and tone, incorporating brand values and personality, and featuring consistent visuals that reflect your brand identity.
Should I include a call-to-action in my video script?
Absolutely! Including a compelling call-to-action at the end of your video script encourages viewers to take the desired action, whether it’s visiting your website, subscribing to your channel, or making a purchase.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.