Putting together a marketing video that hits all the marks, looks great, and tells your company’s story in a new and interesting way doesn’t just happen. It takes brainstorming, planning, production, and a good script. You say you’ve never written a script before? You’ve come to the right place.
What makes a good marketing video script?
Simply put, a marketing video script includes all the words that will be spoken in your video. Whether it’s a single narrator or a group of people having a conversation, you will want to script each word to ensure your message is conveyed correctly and that the video has a good story to tell.
Effective marketing video scripts are concise, written in language that’s similar to how real people talk, and cut right to the chase. You might be tempted to start the video with a long intro about the changing industry and how dozens of companies have tried to upend it and none has succeeded, until now. Then around 30 seconds in, we get the first glimpse of your product, if the viewer has stuck around for that long.
The video’s job is conveying the benefits your company, its services, and products bring to the customer. Don’t be coy. Explain what your product is and how it can help in clear language. If you offer a service, make the case for why your company is the best choice.
Show your personality
A good script should also reflect your company’s personality and culture. Whether you are a microbrewery or a highly-specialized tech company, the script should tell a story that captures what makes your business unique. The language must simultaneously be in line with your company’s overall messaging but not too stiff.
For example, if your video’s goal is to show off your excellent customer service, the script should have a friendly, helpful tone. If you are an award-winning law firm, the script will speak with authority and confidence. If you’re the kind of business that doesn’t take itself too seriously, show off your sense of humor, like this marketing video from the video conferencing company Zoom.
It works because we’ve all been there, right? Zoom is able to highlight its capabilities, like awesome connectivity, great reception, and quality sound, by poking fun at all the problems companies can have with bad video conference services.
Another great example is from the messaging and file-sharing app Slack. This product video shines because it shows off all the best features of the product by showing people using them. Plus it’s done in a lighthearted and relatable way that makes you want to keep watching.
For some companies, showing a little personality doesn’t come as naturally. We understand you want to sound informed and professional, but be careful not to lean too heavily on technical terms and jargon. No matter how great the message, it won’t work if people don’t understand it. Write the script as if you are talking to a real person. Remember, viewers are trying to decide whether they want to work with the people at your company. Don’t write a script that makes you sound like robots.
Where to start
A good way to begin the writing process for a marketing video script is to start with an outline that includes:
- high-level points you want the marketing video to make
- a general time length, depending on how you want to use the video and your budget
- your goal
Don’t overlook setting a clear goal for your video. Do you want the video to drive traffic to your website? Spark interest in a new product release? What about showing off your employees’ skills? We love goals and recommend doing this first. It will keep your team focused, even if things start to go wrong.
Using your outline as a guide, you are now ready to write the script. It’s vital that you focus on getting your message up front, especially if you are working with a shorter video time. Keep in mind that people speak at about 125 to 150 words a minute. If you are making a 30-second video, that only gives you 60 to 75 words to get your message across.
Break out the storyboard template
Once the script is in good shape, it’s time to flesh out your ideas with a storyboard. This document will allow you to align images, on-screen graphics, and text so that everyone has a clearer view of what the final product will look like.
Don’t have a storyboard template? Raka’s got you covered. We’ve created a storyboard template you can download here, along with a script tipsheet to walk you through the video script-writing process in greater detail. Writing a video script isn’t as tricky as you think if you have a little help. Now it’s time to get writing.
