The explainer video is a tried-and-true way to communicate your company’s products and services. But even great writers are challenged to write a short, punchy video script that resonates with viewers.

As a highly awarded video production agency that has written and produced hundreds of B2B videos, here are our six tips to lay the groundwork for a great explainer video script.

1. It all starts with the script(writer)

Writing for an explainer video is an art and certainly not to be confused with written communications. Avoid your video sounding like a PowerPoint recitation by having it written by someone with experience writing for video.

2. Short and concise

A video script should consist of short, pithy statements. Present one idea at a time, reinforced by the visual display. Avoid long run-on sentences that can confuse the audience and cause visuals to lag.

Pro Tip: Ditch the comma and use a period instead.

3. Focus on value

A video is not a live-action elevator pitch. Focus the video story on what you can do for your viewers. Talk about the value that your products and services bring. Provide reasons to believe by including real world results and examples of ROI.

4. Get to the point

Don’t bury the lead! Take no more than six to twelve seconds to get to your point. There is little time for set-up and review of pain points. 

Pro Tip: Keep intro and logo animation to three seconds maximum.

5. Show more, say less

Video is a visual medium – embrace it by showing more and saying less. A video allows you to tell your story in pictures, embrace this over a wordy script. Move viewers with evocative words and imagery. Keep viewers engaged with motion-creative such as kinetic text animation.

6. Feelings precede action

A gut reaction can be formed in three seconds! If you want to persuade someone to take an action, you must first make a connection with them. Known as Emotional Advertising, marketing toward specific emotions has been shown to drive higher conversion rates. At Viewstream, our writers work hand-in-hand with our Creative Director to align script and visuals to meet the strategic goals of the project.