Creating compelling video marketing campaigns hinges on well-written video scripts. My experience this year writing numerous scripts for internal video projects has highlighted the direct correlation between pre-production effort, particularly scriptwriting, and the final product’s quality. A well-crafted script translates into a superior video.

Need help with your video script writing? Here are six tips for crafting effective scripts:

1. Know Your Audience

It’s tempting to jump into scriptwriting immediately after getting the go-ahead for video marketing content. However, without a clear understanding of your target audience, your content will lack focus. The first step is identifying your target viewer.

Your target viewer should closely resemble your buyer persona, a fictional character representing your ideal customer. If you have a buyer persona, use it. If not, here’s how to create one:

Creating a buyer persona, grounded in the characteristics and needs of real people, makes your offerings more marketable. If you don’t know your audience, your marketing, especially video messages, will be ineffective. Here’s what you need:

• Demographics: Age, gender, occupation, relationship status, parental status, education, income.
• Behaviors and interests: Daily activities, hobbies, priorities.
• Goals: Aspirations, definition of success.
• Pain points: Obstacles to success, problems needing solutions.

Answering these questions enables you to write focused, effective video scripts that attract the right audience.

2. Write Conversationally

It’s easy to assume that scriptwriting is similar to blog writing. While both aim to build brands, engage prospects, and generate leads, the final products differ significantly. What sounds natural in a blog post might sound unnatural in a video.

Natural-sounding speakers enhance message clarity. Therefore, write conversationally.

Shout-out to the Plain English Campaign.

This skill develops with practice. With experience, writing in a natural-sounding cadence becomes easier. Initially, be proactive and regularly check yourself. Otherwise, you risk starting filming only to discover an awkward-sounding script.

Read every sentence aloud. If it sounds strange to you, it likely will to your audience. Refine until you convey your ideas clearly through spoken words.

3. Keep Paragraphs Concise

Whether using a teleprompter (highly recommended if budget allows) or not, short paragraphs are crucial. Divide your script into short, manageable paragraphs (maximum four or five sentences). This simplifies the filming process.

Many affordable teleprompters are compatible with smartphones and tablets!

Without a teleprompter, short paragraphs are essential. Memorizing lengthy sections increases retakes and filming time. Unless you have unlimited time and your speakers have boundless energy, aim for filming efficiency.

Even with a teleprompter, limiting paragraphs to three or four sentences is beneficial. While reading from a teleprompter is easier than memorizing, mistakes happen. The more text, the higher the chance of errors, leading to frustration, worse performance, and reduced efficiency.

In conclusion, short paragraphs streamline filming.

4. Organize Information Logically

Earlier, I emphasized writing conversationally to clarify information and improve viewer comprehension. The ROI of video marketing hinges on audience learning. Effective educational video content goes beyond simply sharing information; it’s about organizing it logically. Even insightful content becomes useless if poorly structured.

Based on my experience writing video scripts and blog posts, the best approach is to start with general information and gradually delve into specifics after establishing the overarching topic. Provide viewers with a solid foundation to understand subsequent content.

Similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, begin with the essentials and progress from there.

For instance, imagine you’re marketing for a gym and want to educate viewers about protein shakes. Diving straight into specific ingredients, measurements, and nutrition would be jarring. Instead, start with the pros and cons, when to use them, and so on. Once this foundation is laid, delve into specifics.

5. Prioritize Visual Aids

Most viewers prefer more than just a talking head in videos. Videos solely featuring someone speaking for extended periods become monotonous. Moreover, many people are visual learners. Without visuals, your content won’t leave a lasting impression or drive the desired ROI.

However, don’t force graphics into your videos. Include them only if they enhance the viewer’s experience. To ensure seamless and effective graphics integration, consciously create opportunities for them during scriptwriting. Don’t write the entire script and then search for places to insert visuals.

The brilliance of Moz’s Whiteboard Friday series was its use of visual aids.

For example, in the protein shake video, instead of simply stating, “Protein shakes are divisive among the fitness community,” consider saying, “Regularly drinking protein shakes comes with a number of costs and benefits.” This naturally allows for a visual aid, such as a T-chart.

Lastly, adding graphics after finishing the script is tedious. Save yourself the trouble by incorporating them during writing.

6. Craft Shareable Moments

My final tip concerns promoting your finished videos. Once your video is polished and ready for your website and YouTube, what better way to generate interest than by sharing enticing clips on platforms like Twitter and Instagram?

Via Oberlo.

Like visual aids, consider social media clips during scriptwriting. If you write the entire script without considering social media promotion, you’ll have to find shareable clips later, potentially working with subpar source material, resulting in less engaging promotional posts.

Consciously crafting shareable moments during scriptwriting simplifies and enhances promotion. In the protein shake video, instead of simply listing the ingredients of your favorite shake at the end, show yourself making it. That’s far more shareable.

While writing, regularly ask yourself, “Will this make a compelling social media post?” If not, revise accordingly. You’ll thank yourself later.

Invest Time in Your Scripts

I understand that scriptwriting might seem less exciting than the creative aspects of video marketing. However, it’s essential. Whether your goal is brand awareness or sales, carefully consider your message and delivery. Given the resources involved in creating high-quality video marketing content, avoid winging it.

Well-thought-out video scripts are key to achieving optimal results. These six tips will help you do just that.

For those seeking budget-friendly ways to produce quality marketing videos from home, we have a dedicated post for that.