Either you, your colleagues, or your boss (or some combination) is leading the integration of video into your marketing mix this year. Congratulations, you’re tasked with the exciting and potentially terrifying challenge of scripting your first video despite the fact that you’ve never really done this before. Fear not, you are more than capable of handling the task!
Bet on the Big Picture
It is crucial to plan your video marketing strategy with an emphasis towards long term orientation. Your first video is not your last. It is the beginning of an exchange with your audiences.
Think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Each entity – Iron Man, The Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Thor, Captain America – contains its own story and purpose. Yet they are all pieces in a greater tapestry where threads diverge and intersect. The result is a grand narrative experience across different ensembles and time.
Use One Author
Assign “authorship” to one individual. This person collects, compiles, records, edits, and formats the material into a working document that can be understood by all. He or she may not even write a single word of the script. Think of the role as a meticulous project manager who controls the architecture and flow of the scripting.
Remember that an individual author does not equate to a single source of ideas. Consider collaborating on concepts or scenarios with a team of people. Find that meaningful angle. Consistently gather and refine these possibilities into a unified vision.
Perfect the Format
Several inexpensive (and free) programs like Celtx, Adobe Story, Highland, Fade In, Trelby, or WriterDuet exist for amateur and professional use. Most of these packages are more than serviceable for those organizations keeping video production in-house.
Why not just rely on Microsoft Word or any other text editor? Why shell out some extra bucks for an intern’s couple of hours? It’s all a matter of understanding.
Think of your script as a blueprint. If you plan on outsourcing production (but retaining writing duties), your contractor will need the ability to immediately visualize and anticipate what is planned. Extra time and effort may be needed to re-format and re-organize what you have written which slows you down.
In addition, many screenwriting programs offer convenient transfer and export features to other important pre-production modules such as storyboards or A/V scripts.
Regardless if you purchase a program, download a free trial, or stick with a word processor, the key objective is organizing your efforts to ensure as efficient an allocation of your resources as possible.
Focus on People & Problems
Your script balances your customers’ pain points and your value propositions. It is a nuanced proposition; many companies make the mistake of self-promotion rather than portraying an empathetic reality viewers recognize. It’s a lot of yelling and selling with very little gelling.
Your script could be anything. Maybe it will be a statement/branding piece like:
Or a spot for local business like:
Or a cutesy product demo like:
There are no limits to your creativity (until you talk to accounting). However, periodically ask yourself “Why would the viewer care about this?” to hone your vision.
Direct Viewers to the Next Step
Endings are difficult to write and even harder to land. Leave ambiguous conclusions to the arthouse. What’s in it for your viewers? Reward them with specifics like:
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Expert guides
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Case studies
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Coupons / discounts
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Consultations
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Appointments
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Samples
Regardless of the offer, your ending needs to drive action to another property of yours like landing pages, social media accounts, or physical locations/stores.
Make conversion easy. State a clear call-to-action that aligns with the content of your video. Lead interested viewers to a checkpoint where they can redeem your offer, learn something more, and share something valuable with you. These viewers could now be qualified leads or actual customers. More importantly, you have constructed an identifiable video conversion cycle where you can monitor and measure behavior.
