How to write a powerful video script

Whether you’re working with an agency or in-house copywriter to write a script for your video, starting with a brief is essential. This makes sure that everyone involved in the project – including the graphic designer and animator – is on the same page.

A good brief will answer the following questions:

• What’s the objective?
• Who’s the audience?
• How long should the final video be?
• What’s the topic that’s being covered?
• What do we want the audience to do as a result (the call-to-action)?

Once you’ve got your brief together, you can start to jot out a rough outline for your script to give you an overall structure to work to.

When it comes to video marketing, shorter videos tend to work more effectively than longer ones. In fact, according to a survey by Wyzowl, 68% of people said they’d rather learn about new products and services through a short video.

There are a couple of techniques you can use to keep your script short. Firstly, you’ll want to include two to three rounds of edits to allow others to provide feedback and identify which bits need cutting out. And secondly, you can record yourself reading your script aloud and then play it back to listen out for any areas that sound like they don’t belong. We also find this Script Timer tool especially helpful for keeping track of the length of your script as you go along.

And don’t forget that the first few seconds of your video are the most important for hooking your audience’s attention. So you’ll want to use this time to set the scene and create a sense of intrigue. How you’ll do this will largely depend on the kind of video you’re creating. Check out how we did this through a first-person narrator for our recent campaign with the Samaritans here.

Your script should engage your audience and persuade them to keep watching. This is where storytelling comes into play.

Effective story telling will do the following:

• Create suspense: Don’t go into too much detail at the very start, give just enough away that will keep them engaged.
• Awaken imagination: Using metaphors to help illustrate your message.
• Evoke emotions: The language you use will create an emotional response from your audience. Check out how we did this in a TV ad we created for Wiltshire Council here.

And remember that the style of your script isn’t the same as an official report or press release. It should sound natural and conversational – as if you were having that conversation with your audience face to face.

As an agency with in-house animation expertise, we’ve produced a lot of video content for our clients over the years. And writing powerful video scripts isn’t just something we’re good at – we really enjoy doing it too.

If you’re looking for some outside help with creating a script for your video, we’d love to help. Get in touch with a member of our team today and we’ll be happy to chat it through.