There’s no denying the power of video – both in a commercial and marketing sense. According to published data, 78% of us watch videos online weekly while 55% do it daily. Projections indicate that video content will make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022 given that 92% of users share videos with others.
Whether you’re a college student who wants to try your hand at video advertisement or you like to dabble in indie filmmaking, you should start right away.
There are a plethora of opportunities in the video and filmmaking industry for aspiring writers, directors, and producers with innovative ideas. In order to make the most of the videos you produce, however, you will have to learn how to outline and write video scripts properly.
Let’s take a look at how to write brand video scripts in a few simple steps and make the most out of your creative aspirations.
1. Start with your Brand Video Goals
We will focus on brand video scripts since video advertisement is a very accessible field filled with career development opportunities. As their name might suggest, brand videos are inherently corporate videos intended to present certain products or services to the mass market. These can be anything from short 30-second ads to long-form interviews or even tutorials on how to use certain items in different scenarios.
Brand videos need to have clear goals that will serve as guidelines for the scriptwriting process. What is the purpose of the video? Who is the target audience and what call to action do you have for them? Is the video focused on a limited-time sale/offer, or can it be repurposed later on? Answer these questions prior to writing your script and the subsequent video strategy you create will be that much more effective.
2. Outline the Video Script
Writing your brand video script will be much easier if you start with an outline of what you are about to write. Outlining a video is somewhat different from outlining a written article or report due to visuals and audio present in later production.
That being said, you can still use the standard introduction/body/conclusion structure and describe the visuals you want to create for each scene. You can add royalty free music later in post-production depending on the mood and message you are trying to get across.
Pairing your script with adequate music and sound effects can elevate the final product, so keep that in mind while outlining your script.
3. Speak Directly to your Audience
When it comes to writing your video script, you should adopt the tone of voice and writing style suitable to your target audience. If you want to speak to online customers, you should focus on the sales pitch and value proposition of whatever you are promoting.
Similarly, if you are talking about a company, its goals, and its portfolio, you should be descriptive and use inspirational wording in relation to the brand. Most importantly, be sure to use personal pronouns and address your viewer directly in order to engage them as much as possible. Failing to do so will make your brand video one-sided and disassociated from whoever is supposed to watch and act on it.
4. Adopt a Storytelling Writing Approach
Using anecdotes, stories and various scenarios to bring certain topics and terms closer to your target audience is always a good idea. Being a storyteller is a quality that requires practice and dedication, so why not start working on it right now?
You can start by inserting a sense of personality and character into your video script. This will humanize the brand that you’re promoting in various ways.
You should consult your client or coworkers to consider filming themselves speaking the lines you are writing instead of using animation or stock footage. Similarly, you can write video scripts that are interconnected by theme, content, or serve as multi-part series with excellent cohesion.
Choose to be a storyteller rather than a one-shot video scriptwriter and your videos will find more favorable responses from their audience!
5. What’s your Takeaway?
The point you are trying to get across should be at the center of your video’s script. Calls-to-action (CTA) are as old as marketing itself but they have stuck around for a good reason. Be sure to keep your CTA in mind throughout the writing process in order to carefully nudge the viewer into a certain action.
Stating that they should buy a product or call you immediately outright won’t do you any good. Instead, focus on the value of what you are promoting, how it helped others, and how it can help the viewer today. Subtle CTAs will always work better than sales-focused videos which can appear tone-deaf and lack any form of personalization.
6. Be Mindful of your Script’s Length
The length of your video script should always be dictated by the publishing platform you will use. It’s best to consult your client on what their plans are for the video before you settle for the final form of your script. Social media platforms inherently favor short 30-second clips while YouTube ads should be even shorter.
However, if your client plans to publish videos on their YouTube channel, website, or blog, you will not be so limited in length. Once you are done writing, you should go over your script and try to spot inconsistencies or unnecessary sentences. Try to say as much as possible in as few words and your video script should be ready for final revisions.
7. Organize Script Reading Sessions
You should have at least one script reading before the brand video enters full production to avoid unnecessary complications in post-production. Script reading sessions are useful since they will give you a very clear idea of the script’s actual length, flow, and content.
Try to collaborate with people who will actually be filmed or voice the videos to get their feedback on how legible the script is. Read the script aloud several times and try out different tones of voice to pinpoint the right direction for your brand video. Use the opportunity to edit out and reformat any problematic parts that may have slipped through the cracks during the writing process.
Growing as a Brand Scriptwriter (Conclusion)
Your first brand video scripts will undoubtedly be less than perfect – and that’s fine. What matters is that you grab a pen and paper or your favorite text editor and start writing down video ideas sooner rather than later.
Don’t be intimidated by the fact that a lot of marketing agencies have already specialized in video content for decades – you have to start somewhere. Take the steps and advice we’ve covered into consideration and make sure to always use royalty free sound effects and music in your brand videos. Original ideas, fresh perspective, and honesty will always trump high budget attempts at brand video content – show the world what you can do through writing.
Bio: Dorian Martin is a content writer, blogger, and digital guru with academic degrees in mass communication and computer science. He enjoys writing articles, case studies, and reports on digital marketing and sales among other topics. Dorian also dabbles into academic writing for students with an “I want someone to help me write my paper” mindset given his own academic background. In his spare time, Dorian is a data science and blogging aficionado.
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