Writing a script for a short video sounds like something only professsionals can do, but you should definitely try and give it a bash yourself before asking us for advice. If anything, it will give us a great starting point and a good image of what you want to create before we start drawing up a shot list and a final draft of the script. Here are a few tips to get you started…
Decided on a simple objective
When you plan to make a short video for your business it is essential that you decide exactly what you want to achieve from the project. Why are you making a video? Maybe you want to get more visitors to your website, get customers to come to your store when you are having a half price sale or maybe you are a new business and you want to explain your services. Whatever the aim it must be simple and easy to achieve in a few minutes or less. Some of the most effective videos are only 30 seconds long so that gives you an idea of how focused you must be with your content. Start with the objective and write down key phrases that should appear in the script to make your aim clear.
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Use clear dialogue
When you have a limited amount of time your dialogue must be simple and easy to understand. Forget using specific terminology or complicated phrasing; just explain exactly what you mean in the most straightforward way you can. Looking for volunteers for your latest charity event? Then your script might look like this; “We’re looking for volunteers to help raise money at our charity event on Saturday 4th of July. You don’t need any experience and there are a variety of roles available from checking tickets to face painting. We will make sure you are fed and watered to say thanks for your help and you will be part of one of the biggest fundraising events this year.”
Provide a call to action
Once you have got the main points across, the final few words should be a call to action ensuring that your customers do something in response to your video. If you’re trying to get more website traffic you should clearly state your website address at the end of the video, you might even want to repeat it a few times for emphasis and have it appear on screen to show the correct spelling. If you are trying to get customers into your shop then you should end the video by asking them to visit your shop, possibly on a specific date if you are having a sale or special event, and provide address details. For the charity event mentioned above you could say, “If you are interested we would love to hear from you. Request an information pack by calling XXXXX or visiting our website www.charity.com”. It sounds obvious but you must make this information clearly available otherwise your video could be a waste of time. To avoid that happening we will go through your script and help re-write where necessary to make sure your video gets the desired result.
