Videos can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses of every size. They can be a great way to tell your audience a story – whether you’re creating a short film from scratch or leaning on a video script template.

With 100 million internet users watching a video online each day, there’s a huge opportunity to utilise the potential of video in your marketing – especially social media marketing. In fact, social media users retain 95% of a message from a video, compared to just 10% from reading text.

Use our guide to learn the ins and outs of creating a video script and find your own video script templates from Adobe Express.

What is a video script?

A video script is a guide to follow when creating a video and contains everything that will be present in the final video, including dialogue, plans and actions. It helps to keep you on track with your goal, timeline and results.

A video script is important regardless of what you’re creating, from a movie to a training video or marketing material.

Here are some types of videos you may use a video script for:

• Promo videos. Show off your latest sales, events or product releases with an eye-catching promotional video. You can use your script to make sure each frame stays on task, with a clear call-to-action at the end.
• Product “how to” videos. You may consider releasing a ‘how-to’ video on YouTube to explain to your customers how your product works. An explainer video script template will be useful to help ensure you get all the important information across in your video.
• Training video. You may wish to create training videos for new members of staff. Planning a script in advance will help to perfect this resource.
• Onboarding video. Similarly, creating a script for an onboarding video will help to create a polished file that can be shared with all new starters to introduce them to the company. You may wish to include a background of your business values or an insight into employee expectations.
• Social media videos. A video script template will be invaluable when creating TikToks or Instagram Reels, to help plan how to fit in the most important pieces of information in a short space of time.

Key things to include in your video script.

While there are lots of different approaches to creating your video script, there are a few things that can help your output to stand out. Here are the main key features to include:

• Defined visual and audio features.
• Clear and concise dialogue.
• Short but catchy hook.
• Call To Action (CTA).

How to make a marketing video script.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to follow when crafting your marketing video script:

1. Outline your target audience.

Decide on the audience for your video. This will affect everything from what’s in the video, to its duration and platform.

2. Set a goal and pick your platform.

Define the purpose of your video. This may be to raise brand awareness or encourage purchases. Then decide what platform to post to – from YouTube to TikTok.

3. Create a brief.

Help your team stay on track by creating a brief. It’s important everyone knows the who, what, why, when, and where of the video.

4. Plan your outline.

Next, use your brief to create an outline. Plan the structure, the flow of dialogue, and what you want to be included in the video.

5. Write your script.

Fill in the outline of your script. Work section by section and focus on keeping things simple, clear and easy to follow.

6. Edit and run through your script off-camera.

Check your script and make any edits. This is also a good opportunity to read through your script off camera, so you can iron out any issues before it comes to filming.

12 free video script templates from Adobe Express.

Tips for making your own YouTube video script.

As the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube presents a wealth of opportunity for your business. Tutorials, vlogs, product how-to guides and educational content is well suited to YouTube.

how YouTube video script template can help you create a YouTube video that captures the attention of your target audience. Here are some ways you can tailor your video script to YouTube:

• Get the video hook right. Getting your audience’s attention from the get-go is important. The first 10 to 15 seconds are critical in drawing your audience in.
• Decide on a strong title. An interesting and relevant title can help grab your target audience’s attention and encourage them to click onto your YouTube video.
• Add a custom thumbnail. You can also add your title to a customised YouTube thumbnail, that reflects the content of your video. It’s reported that 90% of the top-performing videos on YouTube have a custom thumbnail to better engage users.
• Use active voice. Keep your watchers engaged and engrossed in your message by using active voice, rather than passive.
• Keep your script conversational. Keep an eye on your tone and make sure it’s natural. You need your video to be easy to follow and digest to keep viewers engaged and coming back to your channel.
• Include a CTA. At the end of the video, summarise the main points and include a call to action (CTA). This could be to check out your other social media platforms, or to like and subscribe to your content.

Editable YouTube video script templates.

How to tailor your video script for TikTok.

TikTok has a very different audience to YouTube and not every social media platform will work for every business. TikTok videos are very trend-driven, and popular content includes social media challenges, dance videos, tutorials, and live videos.

Here are some tips to bear in mind when creating your TikTok video script or using a TikTok video script template.

• Tailor to your audience. Adjust your TikTok video script to suit your target viewers. Take the time to understand their pain points to help engage with them.
• Keep it short and precise. You need your TikTok video to stand out and break through the noise. As TikTok content is very short, you need your message to be snappy and engaging.
• Get the tone of voice right. TikTok is an informal platform. Talk like you know your audience personally. This will help to build a rapport with your viewers.
• Use subtitles. Not only do subtitles improve your inclusivity and accessibility for some users, but they can also increase impressions. Videos with captions are more likely to be watched until the end.
• Promote your video on other platforms. Once your video is posted, share it across other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to expand your reach.

Get inspired with our TikTok video script templates.

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