Content marketing based on multimedia has become increasingly more popular due to social media and high-end smartphone devices. According to Social Media Today, 78% of people watch videos online weekly, with 55% doing so daily. Additionally, 72% of customers like to learn more about products or services via video, making corporate videos a worthwhile addition to any business's marketing strategy.
However, creating good videos for the purposes of marketing and lead generation takes more than a good video production platform – scriptwriting also matters. How can you write good corporate video scripts which will properly convey your business's value proposition and help your brand grow as a result? With 2021 at our doors, let’s take a closer look at the ins and outs of scriptwriting and the benefits of corporate video content.
The Basics and Benefits of Corporate Videos
Before we dive into scriptwriting tips, let’s discuss corporate videos as a whole to understand how we can benefit from them. Based on Smart Insights, 92% of marketers in 2020 stated that videos are crucial to their marketing, with 95% planning to increase video marketing spending.
Video is an inherently accessible and versatile medium, whether it’s integrated into eCommerce product descriptions, social media, or blog posts on your company website. Corporate videos, as a subset of videos aimed at company promotion, can help elevate the professional image and appeal of your business to customers worldwide. As such, some of the video types you should consider using once you start writing your scripts include:
- Company promo video (introduction videos about your company’s mission, portfolio, and similar)
- B2B promo video (presentation videos aimed at attracting companies for networking)
- Social media video (videos intended for B2C audience which typically promote products/services)
- Testimonial video (interviews and reviews from satisfied customers and influencers)
- Internal video (intended for employee training and onboarding, as well as business meetings)
As you can see, creating corporate videos to promote your company can be an extremely beneficial addition to your branding strategy going forward. Once you begin publishing your corporate videos, you can look forward to several worthwhile advantages from doing so:
- Creative and accessible channel for company personalization
- A plethora of brand storytelling opportunities
- Better SEO ranking of your brand and content overall
- Ability to earn the trust and respect of B2C and B2B leads
- High return on investment (ROI) due to video content versatility
Writing Scripts for Corporate Video Content
1. Write your Corporate Video Briefing
The main purpose of writing a script for your video before you enter production is to be able to carefully plan each second of content. As such, you should adopt a video strategy which will start with the video briefing. Video briefing is a short text which will describe the goals of your video before the script is written. Some of the questions you should aim to answer with your brief include:
- What call to action (CTA) should the viewer take away from the video?
- Who is the video intended for? (B2C, B2B, demographic, etc.)
- Which distribution channels will you use to share/publish the video?
Don’t enter video production or script writing for that matter without a solid end-goal in mind. Create a brief before moving on to more detailed writing.
2. Adopt an Approachable & Professional Tone of Voice
Being professional and casual at the same time is difficult – but it’s not impossible. Corporate videos are “corporate” by definition and revolve around your brand, values, and mission statement. However, you shouldn’t write a script that will sound robotic, distant, and devoid of human emotion either.
Write your script as you would an email to an old B2B colleague or coworker. Adopt a formal tone of voice but make sure to let your character and personality shine through. No one likes to watch videos that are cold and calculated without any sense of personal touch – aim for a balance of professionalism and approachable.
3. Interconnected Video Storytelling
Corporate videos are ripe for serialized storytelling. You can create a multi-part series on various aspects of your business, which can then present your company to viewers worldwide. Tutorials and how-to guides are some of the easiest corporate scripts you can write since they will allow you to natively advertise your products.
Likewise, you can introduce your employees or different influencers to your viewers through connected videos that belong to the same series. Once you create a repository of published videos, they can be referenced in future scripts to create a web of useful resources for viewers’ convenience. Don’t simply treat each video as its own little universe – adopt a more long-term plan with your corporate scriptwriting instead.
4. Limit your Script’s Length
There’s no right answer to the question of how long your video should be. It all depends on the type of content you want to create and the message you want to get across. Some rules should still be set in stone before you write your script, however.
Aim for videos that are 2-3 minutes in length since anything longer will likely be skipped over by most viewers online. Social media videos are especially sensitive in terms of length and should be kept at around 30 seconds. You can control the length of your final video by limiting the word count of your scripts during the writing process. Reach out to dedicated video consultants if you are unsure of how to communicate the right message, and they will help streamline your videos.
5. Prepare Adequate Visuals for your Videos
Visual content is half of what makes good videos tick – their scripts are the other half crucial for success. Once you get ahead in your scriptwriting process, you should consider what kind of visual content your videos will contain. There are several avenues you can pursue, depending on the type of video you want to create.
Storytelling videos typically contain narration and animation, which follows the script’s content. On the other hand, explainer videos can help explain certain terminology or make your products/services more appealing to a wider audience. Consult a graphic designer, an animator, or other visual artists in regards to how you can create visuals suitable for your corporate video scripts.
6. Write Localized Scripts & Captions
One of the benefits of using videos as your content marketing medium lies in their international appeal. Specifically, it’s very easy to adapt corporate video content to a plethora of other languages at a fraction of the initial production price. According to Shutterstock, 60% of global consumers rarely or never buy from English-only websites, with 80% more likely to shop through personalized online outlets.
In practice, this means that you will be able to appeal to international customers by adding captions and transcripts to your videos. This should be taken into account during script writing since you should start looking for translators or localization specialists on time. Avoid using DIY channels such as Google Translate since it will never end well for your video content’s performance, especially when SEO ranking is concerned.
7. Script Reading & Rewriting
Once the first draft of your corporate video script is ready, you should make it a habit to read it aloud. Go through your content word by word and notice whether it flows as well as you hoped. Rewrites and editing are nothing to worry about during the writing process since they can only make your content better in the end. Take time to rephrase sentences and ensure that your videos communicate the right messages before you go into production.
Jimmy Kincaid, Video Content Editor and Writing expert at AffordablePapers, spoke on the topic: “In truth, the quality of your first draft will never be good enough for full production. This is why additional editing and writing are important aspects of creating videos which you can be proud of. Consult your video editor/producer on the flow of content and visuals to have a better understanding of what to aim for with your writing.”
Corporate Video Script Writing Mistakes to Keep in Mind
Before we wrap up, it’s worth pointing out several mistakes which often creep up during script writing and production. Pre-production is just as important as production and editing, so take your time and don’t make obvious missteps along the way.
Even if you apply all of the above-mentioned steps to write your scripts, these mistakes will take away from the quality of the final product. Without further ado, these are the mistakes you should avoid or otherwise mitigate from your corporate videos going forward:
- Writing video scripts and then not referring to them during filming and post-production
- Lack of calls to action or takeaways from the video – what do you want the viewer to do?
- Relying on popular corporate videos or content online for inspiration instead of being original
- Lack of examples, anecdotes, or real-world applications of the discussed topic
- Poor alignment with the company’s branding and culture (script created in a bubble)
Corporate Communication through Video Content (Conclusion)
Videos are one of the most versatile and creative mediums to use when it comes to corporate storytelling and audience appeal. With the right scripts in hand, you will be able to effectively communicate your corporate messages and spark the interest of viewers across the globe. Take your time and plan videos properly before you enter full production – systematic preparation is essential for successful corporate video content marketing.