03 Feb Tell your own Story
If you’re not in a position to take advantage of professional script-writing services – whether it’s due to administrative policy or budgetary constraints – but you know you need to start deploying videos as part of your marketing and communications strategy, then it’s time to channel the greats and start typing our your opus.
If you are going to be the next Tarantino there’s one fundamental rule to narrative that will absolutely help to set your content apart from any other self-produced content that doesn’t adhere to it, and that’s basic structure: having a beginning, a middle, and an end.
This sounds pretty straightforward, but knowing what each section of the story achieves and how long to spend there is the key. This is true for all content, from corporate copy to academic texts to classic literature, and the formula is – with few exceptions – roughly consistent across them all.
So aside from the obvious that the order of appearance is in each of the names, what else do you need to know about the structure and the purpose of the beginning, the middle, and the end of your content?
Here’s a quick guide:
The Beginning
The beginning of any narrative is an introduction: to the setting, the characters, and the framework for the rest of the story. For video content, the beginning of the video should introduce the audience to the business and what it does. The script should spend roughly 10 – 20% of its time in this section; this means that in a one to two minute video, you don’t have a lot of time to go in to too much detail, so be succinct. This is where you’ll win or lose 50% of your audience in the first few seconds, so get straight to the point: tell them who you are and what you’re all about as efficiently as possible so your audience knows why they should continue to watch.
The Middle
The middle section is the meat and potatoes of your video content. This is where a script goes into more detail in it’s subject matter. If it were an epic fantasy, the characters would be careening off on their adventures, and the bulk of the story points would unfold, driving them towards the finale. Video content follows the same rule. This is your opportunity to speak in greater detail about your business. Talk about the value you present to your customers, talk about the vision and the purpose behind your business and – most importantly – talk about what makes you unique in your industry. You’ve got some time to blow your own trumpet here – about 60% – 80% of your script – but don’t get too carried away; all your points should focus on the value for the client, and how your business can deliver it.
The End
At this point in the story, all the piece are in place; the characters have uncovered their purpose and are about to confront their final challenge. It’s the same for video: the narrative has conveyed all the necessary information, and now it’s time to drive your message home. Who do you want to connect with, and what do you want them to do next? In many cases, this is as easy as posing a hypothetical question to qualify your ideal prospect and then providing them with the next step. Two very simple, but crucial elements for the conclusion of any video content. Without them, you’re just wasting your time and your audience’s.
Keep this structure in mind when you’re writing your next video script and you’ll be setting a great foundation for an effective script and successful video content. In fact, have a look at this article, or even the guide to structure – both follow the rule of a beginning, a middle, and an end with the same relevant amount of time and space afforded to each as outlined above.
It’s also important to remember that you probably won’t get your scripted content 100% right with the first draft, especially if you’re your first foray in to the medium, so make sure you revisit your script more than once through the development process make edits and improvements as you go.
And one last quick bonus tip: a minute of video content is approximately 150 – 160. Keep that in mind when you’re writing your content do you don’t go overboard!
Employ all these tips – basic structure, revisions and word count – and you’ll be on track to writing more meaningful and more effective content.