With their short durations, straight-to-the-point message and engaging visuals, explainer videos are one of the most effective ways to attract your audience attention. Apart from boosting brand awareness, this compact marketing tool is fantastic at educating your audience about the how, what and why of your service/product.
Making sure we keep the video content digestible and not get carried away with the finer details can be a challenging task. This is why I came up with five questions to consider when drafting your script for an explainer video. By script, I mean the narration or voice-over of your video.
How good is your script at grabbing audience attention?
If you haven’t grabbed your audience’s attention within the first 10 seconds you’ve probably lost them before you even started. We’ve all seen those TV ads where the first opening sequence is so mysterious and strange that it keeps us guessing throughout. The big reveal comes at the end but usually leaves us disappointed. Viewers don’t want to wait until the end of your video for the punchline. The first opening sentence of your script is the most important part of the script. Get to the point. Write that hook.
How does your script answer the questions your audience is asking?
Knowing your audience can help you avoid making assumptions about their needs and desires. Find out what would make them happy or what is preventing them from getting their work done then match those insights with your video message. Share how your solution would solve their problem. Take the time to test your script with a focus group. This would help in identifying feelings and perceptions and what your target audience is thinking about a your service/product. Make it relatable.
How engaging is your script?
It is tough to hold on to your audience attention for the full length of your video. Keep them thinking, “How will this turn out?” Sparking curiosity will inspire your audience to want to learn more. Share useful content. Teach them something new that would make their lives better. Another way to keep them attentive is to tap into their emotions. Sharing an emotional story can stimulate empathy with your audience. Remember, engagement is currency.
What tone of voice does your script have?
An explainer video is like a good friend. A good friend knows you and knows how to speak to you. And when a good friend speaks to you they speak in a conversational tone. Speaking with a conversational tone creates connection. Bridging connection builds trust with your audience. Keep the key message simple. Make sure it’s digestible. Understandable. Try reading your script out loud. Does it sound friendly? Does it flow well? Does it sound believable? With a trust worthy voice you can confidently point out why your service/product is the ultimate solution.
Does your script have a positive ending?
Your video may have started on a negative emotion but you have to end on a positive note. You want you audience feeling satisfied with what they have learnt about your service/product. Think about how your message will transform the lives of your viewers for the better. What positive action would you like your audience to take in order to achieve their goals in life or work?
There isn’t a right way or wrong way to write a script. Sure it needs to have a beginning, middle and end, but not necessarily in that order. As long as you keep it short (1-2 minutes), straight-to-the-point and engaging. Oh, it can also be entertaining too.
If you’re feeling stuck with writing your script and looking for some inspiration, check out some of these explainer videos. And if you need assistance with your script feel free to drop me a message.
hey awesome post
Thank you!