After creating dozens of short videos that help local businesses get found online, there’s no denying the power that a great script can have on your video’s success. The days of TV commercials are over. Many businesses focus on making their script sound too professional and miss the opportunity to humanize their business. Here are 5 tips to writing a better script for your web video.
1. Start with the “who” and “what”
Let’s get the easy stuff out of the way first. Introduce yourself and the business by telling us what you do. People who are watching this video on your website want to know what services you provide.
This is especially important in the search results. If a potential customer comes across your video in their search results, you want them to know who you are and what you do within the first 10 seconds of the video.
2. Get comfortable with getting personal
Include a section in the video that comments on your clients or the regions you serve. People love to hear stories about how you’ve helped clients, the early days of starting your business, or what it means to continue serving your community. Your short video should include an emotional appeal that hits home by offering an authentic account of what you can do for that client.
Personal topics to include:
- Your best story about how you helped a client
- What you love most about owning your business
- The history behind your business
- Why your product or service is important to you and your community
- What makes you unique to other businesses in the region
3. Keep it short and simple with the 40/60 Rule
Many companies like to jam-pack their videos with every single product or service they offer. In these situations, they forget that viewers can simply search for these things on the website at their own leisurely pace.
The best short videos focus on the most important products or services while incorporating the personal story behind the business.
We refer to this as the 40/60 Rule, where 40% of your video is dedicated to highlighting your top products and services, and the other 60% is spent appealing to the emotions of viewers with authentic commentary.
4. Use your script as talking points, not as a teleprompter
Whenever you create a video script it’s easy to get caught up with memorizing the lines. But if you try to memorize your script, I can almost guarantee that you’ll come across as stiff and artificial in your video!
Instead, use your script as a set of talking points. Speak to the camera in the same way you would carry on a conversation with your customers or clients.
There’s a lot more forgiveness on the web for imperfections in your delivery. As more everyday people begin publishing videos on the web, it’s common to hear the occasional “um” and “uh” in online videos since this is how we speak in real life.
5. End with a relevant call-to-action
Here is where you can get “sales pitchy” by creating a call-to-action that encourages viewers to take action- whether it’s calling your business, filling out a form on your website, or sharing the video with their friends.
And if you’re creating a video marketing campaign on YouTube, then you can create powerful calls-to-actions within your videos through associated website annotations.
The most important takeaway: People want to get to know you as a person, not as a “brand.” Think about the emotional attachment people can have to your product and service and brand yourself as a real human being.
If you have any questions about using online videos to get found online, give us a call today! 518-636-4593
