Writing Promotional Video Scripts: A Comprehensive Guide

Crafting compelling promotional videos requires more than just shooting some footage and piecing it together. At the heart of every successful video lies a well-crafted script. Not sure about how to start writing a promotional video script?

Then let’s guide is perfect for you, as we’ll walk you through the process of writing a killer promotional video script that engages your audience and drives results.

Promotional Scripts

A video script contains directives for the actors and instructions for filming, including visual and audio information, sound effects, etc. It is the road map that keeps everyone on the same page. Scriptwriting is for sure, something you can do in-house.

Promotional scripts are the backbone of short-form video content, typically lasting between 30 and 60 seconds. While they can stretch longer, exceeding this timeframe might shift the focus towards explainer videos rather than promotional ones due to the need for additional content.

In contrast to TV Advert scripts, promotional scripts have their own distinct characteristics. Commercials often follow a structured approach of ‘state it; explain it; repeat it’, primarily aiming to drive sales. On the other hand, promotional scripts aren’t solely focused on making a sale. While they do require a CTA, their tone and style are generally more subdued.

One common challenge with promotional scripts is striking the right balance between engaging content and persuasive elements. At the heart of every promotional script lies storytelling, even with seemingly boring topics, compelling storytelling can captivate audiences and hold their attention.

Starting Strong: The Video Brief

If you want to create an effective promo video, before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), it’s crucial to lay the groundwork with a comprehensive video brief. Think of it’s the blueprint for your project. Your video brief should cover essential details such as:

  • Business Background: Briefly introduce your company and its mission. What sets you apart from the competition?
  • Project Objectives: Clearly outline what you hope to achieve with the video. Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or educating your audience, knowing your goals upfront is key.
  • Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach? Understanding your audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points will inform the tone and messaging of your video.
  • Key Messages: Identify the main points you want to convey. Keep it concise and focused to ensure clarity.
  • Tone of Voice: Describe the overall vibe you want to convey. Whether it’s playful and light-hearted or serious and authoritative, setting the right tone is essential.
  • Budget and Timeline: Be upfront about your budget constraints and desired timeline. This will help manage expectations and guide decisions throughout the production process.

While there’s no strict rule on length, aim to capture all the necessary details within 2-3 pages.

Writing The Script 

A promotional video script is decided into 3 columns: narrative, visual and graphics:

You need these 3 Columns to create a promotional video

Narrative. The narrative column contains all the dialogue. Be mindful of how much text you write in this column, especially if you want to keep your promo video short. If your promo is more interview-based, you do not want it scripted word for word, as a scripted interview looks unauthentic on camera.

Visuals. Visuals are the footage that will represent each scene. The narratives are used as a baseline to describe what sort of visuals is needed. Using expressive and creative language in the narrative stirs up stimulating and inspiring visuals.

Storyboards help with visualising how to effectively promote your service

Graphics & On-Screen Text. The last column in the script describes any on-screen text and graphics during the video. These could be, animated titles, visual graphics, CTA texts, etc. Having on-screen text and animation is important to get across any important phrases and terms to the audience.

While the three-column approach provides a solid foundation, don’t hesitate to customize your script to fit your specific needs. Consider adding additional columns for scene numbers, location information, or scene durations. Flexibility is key to accommodating changes and feedback throughout the production process.

 

Conclusion

Remember, your script is the backbone of your promotional video. Share it with key stakeholders early on and incorporate their feedback to refine your vision. A polished script saves time and money down the line by ensuring everyone is aligned before filming begins. Promotional videos are there to show that your product/services will solve the consumers’ problems. A great script is able to effectively convey this message.

And finally, we wish you every success with your promo scriptwriting! We hope you found this guide insightful, and thank you for taking the time to read it,

Marta

 

To learn more about Promotional Videos, don’t hesitate to access past blogs we’ve published:

Contact Impress Video now

If you would like to do a Promotional Video with video production and marketing professionals, or any other type of video, we can help you at Impress Video. We make video productions for businesses, the ones that impress. Don’t hesitate to contact us here!