The most important ingredient in the production of your corporate video is the script. Content is King! If the dialogue is engaging, informative and well structured, then you are half way to a fantastic end product. Here are 6 top tips on how to put together a quality script.
Keep It Short
The shorter the better. In today’s world, with so much competing content available, viewers don’t have a long attention span. Your task is to deliver your message before anyone watching your video has time to move on or get bored. Many viewers are put off watching a video if they know it is going to be long. Research suggests that a video lasting between 1 and 2 minutes is ideal.
Essential Information Only
So, in the pursuit of keeping it short and sweet, the first thing you must ensure is that you are not wasting time on useless information. When one is being creative it is very easy to get carried away and procrastinate. Make sure you are disciplined with your script. It must include all the key points of your service or product and only deviate in order to support the message you are trying to convey.
Get Feedback from Creatives
When you create a script yourself, it is very easy to get attached to it. Being objective about its quality and effectiveness can be very tricky, so, it is essential that you get the opinion of others. Of course, the best people to do this are those who know what they are talking about; professionals of the creative community. Their reviews and assessments will be rich with experience. They will be able to recognize pitfalls as, most likely, these are mistakes they have made and learnt from themselves. By seeking their advice, you are reaping the benefits of lessons they have learnt; they have made mistakes, so you don’t have to!
Be Open to Criticism
You must be open minded and take all opinions into account. As well as seeking advice from creatives, you should also get feedback from friends, other colleagues and potential viewers. This way, you have a rounded picture of how your video might be received. You cannot be too stubborn. If you have expressed an idea that you love, but which the feedback has rejected across the board, you must be open to change in spite of your attachment. The best products come from collaboration; if you ignore criticism, your video may well fail, and the whole thing will have been a waste of your precious money and time.
Avoid ‘Salesy’ Language
Nobody likes to feel that they are being ‘sold’ to. We are bombarded with sales pitches every day; by post, through e-mail, through social media, through television. Frankly, advertising is everywhere. As a result, the consumer is switched on to what a sales pitch feels like. Because of this awareness, and the general bombardment of advertising that we all experience, a video full of salesy language and techniques is a real turn off. Through your video you should aim to entertain, inspire and excite your viewer. If you produce something enjoyable to watch, they are much more likely to engage with your business through association. This is in opposition to a hard, sales heavy, video, which can come across as intrusive and desperate. Make something that people will want to share!
Fun and Humour Is Always A Winner
Nothing engages a viewer like comedy. Something like a corporate video is designed to be shared. By far, the best way to share is though social media. The dream is to have your video go viral; the virility effect (content gaining traction through exponential sharing and engagement on online platforms) is best achieved through comic content.
The majority of viral videos have become so because they contain wit and humour; whimsy and laughter are the most attractive and universal tools you can employ. If you can make your script funny, then you have a much better chance of your video being identified with across the globe!
Remember, there are many fantastic videos out there that have been extremely successful. However, there are many others that have failed due to bad structure and scripting. Making a video is no small undertaking if you are thorough and serious about it. Ensure that your video is worth the time, effort and money you spend on it.
The best videos reap plentiful traction, awareness, and financial return. Make sure you don’t fall at the first hurdle and produce the perfect script.