How to write a promotional video script

By Ben Walker on 20 November 2019

With video content on the rise over the last few years, if you haven’t already used it as a platform to engage with your target audience, it might be time for you to get on board with the growing trend. 

There are a number of different video styles for you to choose from but, before deciding, you should create an engaging video script that will captivate your audience. In this article, we provide five top tips to help get you started.

1. Consider the length of your script

When you begin the process of writing your script, you should think about how long you’d like your video to be. As more and more people consume video content, their attention span is getting shorter. A study in 2018 found that 75% of online videos were less than two minutes long, and there’s a good reason for this.

Given the fast-paced nature of social media, the ideal length is 30 seconds to one minute for any video content published across the three main platforms; Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Any longer and the user is likely to lose interest.

Platforms such as YouTube, however, can hold an audience’s attention for a lot longer. Users typically visit YouTube to seek out videos that provide them with specific information, so longer and more in-depth content often performs better.

2. Make your point early

No matter how long your video is, making your point in the first few seconds ensures your audience know exactly what they are going to learn if they stay tuned in. Consider the purpose of the video – is it to raise awareness of your brand and get clicks to your website, or is it to sell a specific product or service? Try to make this clear early on to engage your audience and help them to determine their interest.

3. Tell your story

A lot of video content out there follows the same outline; identify a problem, introduce a solution and then talk about the specific benefits of your product or service. This format works for a lot of promotional video scripts, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow it. Sometimes it’s good to be different.

Instead, you could tell an in-depth and interesting story about your brand to help bring it to life a bit more, or detail the specific benefits your audience will get out of your product or service so it’s more relatable. Just make sure your video is not throwing fact after fact at your audience – they want to be engaged, not overwhelmed with information.

Something to consider when designing the video itself is that a lot of social media users watch videos with the sound off. You need to make sure you don’t alienate these people and that the video design is comprehensive enough to tell the story just as well as the script does. Including subtitles is good practice to enable your message to be communicated to any viewer’s watching the video without sound.

4. Consider your tone

Remember that written word is very different to spoken word. While it’s important for your video to come across professional, try to keep the tone conversational and personable. The best way to assess the tone of your script is to read it aloud, especially to other people. Continue to read it aloud each time you make any changes until you have a final script that you are proud of, and one that resonates with your target audience.

5. End with a call-to-action

You don’t need to include a call-to-action at the end of your video, but it will make it more effective in generating that all-important return-on-investment.

Think about your main aim for creating the video in the first place and try to incorporate a call-to-action that aligns with this aim. If it was to raise awareness of your brand, for example, including a direct link to your website is a good idea. Alternatively, if it was to sell a product or service, direct the viewer to a specific webpage where they can learn more about your offering.

If they respond to your call-to-action, not only have you created a video that has kept them viewing right to the very end, but you’ll be one step closer to achieving the goal your video set out to achieve.