Video Marketing for Bloggers: Writing Your Script

Video Marketing Goals…

We all have them, but getting started with a video strategy if you’ve never been on camera before can seem daunting!

It’s not easy to get started marketing yourself and your biz on camera, but this article will provide you with some actionable tactics to help you plan your script…so that you can produce a video that keeps your audience coming back for more.

Most bloggers already know how to write and create content, but video…video marketing is a completely different ballgame! GirlBoss Secret: You Become What You Believe!

It’s easy to do a screen capture, lots of bloggers are doing it, but that isn't going to differentiate you in a sea of sameness. Consider how disappointed you are when you see a screen capture that is really long and boring! Showing a screen capture to demonstrate your technique is a smart idea, but keep that to the b-roll and add yourself to the camera. This provides a dose of authenticity and is exactly what your audience wants to see!

Video Marketing for Bloggers: Getting Started

Oftentimes, we’re overly critical of seeing ourselves on camera, but the reality is that your audience is much more interested in the question you’re going to answer for them than they are with you. Once you write out your first script, you're going to be super excited to go record, but don't. Plan out the day you will record for a different day. You'll need time to get ready, do your hair, plan your outfit, and practice what you're going to say. There's nothing worse that watching a video with people reading from a teleprompter. Don't get me wrong, I've used one in certain situations, but YouTube is all about delivering a solid dose of authenticity, and reading off a teleprompter as if you're a news anchor isn't going to cut it.

In addition, pay close attention to your background. Make sure it isn't cluttered with printer wires and junk. I'm guilty myself of not paying careful attention to my background sometimes. Newsflash…people don't want to see your house and your clutter, so keep it glamorous. If you don't have the decor to support a gorgeous background, you can't go wrong with a plain white wall.

Here are the 4 elements of your script that will take your video from boring to red-carpet worthy:

1. The Hook

The first six seconds of your video are the most important. Tell your audience exactly what you're going to help them accomplish in a very concise way. This is exactly where you will give them a reason to continue watching.

2. The Story

This piece is important because it's where you will establish trust with your audience and demonstrate your authority on the topic. Don't be afraid to reference your experience or give them an example of how you've already solved the problem in the past, but be careful not to go on and on. Watch the video below for a short demonstration of the right way to showcase your experience versus the wrong way. You want to provide enough background so that people know you have what it takes to solve their problem, but then you have to actually do what is promised and solve it for them.

3. Get to the Point Quick

No really…this is no joke! You have to get to the point and stop rambling. This is where planning your script comes in. Write it out and read it over and over until you're sure it's concise. Use screen capture or a list-style demonstration, but just like the story above, be sure you get right to the point. On YouTube, people are searching for an answer to their question. You’ve got to both wow them into watching the full video as well as answer their questions clearly and quickly in order to hit a home run. Most often, I see people clicking off (I even do it myself) if the person doesn’t get to the point fast enough. Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, if you want to succeed with video, you’ve got to be able to get your point across in an efficient yet entertaining way.

4. The Call-to-Action

A lot of people are turned off when they watch a video that has an offer at the end, especially if it’s a long webinar where they can’t skip around. Now don’t take this the wrong way, you should have a Call-To-Action instructing your audience what to do next, but you also want to be very conscious of the value your video offers. The best thing you can do is offer value first.

This goes back to basic sales strategy; the ideal situation is to over-deliver to your prospect first. Give people enough value in your video that they can take something away from it and implement it right away, and get results right away. If people believe they have received value, then they are more likely to listen to what you have to say later. If you try to close a sale without providing any value, you’ll never have that second chance to actually get the ‘buy’. If people believe they have not gotten anything valuable, they will simply click away.

Take into consideration the amount of time and the value you’re offering in exchange for that time. Most “free” videos on YouTube are not more than 15-minutes. In fact, the shorter the better because people are searching YouTube for the answer to a question. If you can offer the answer to their question in a super concise way and your video is only 5 minutes in length, all the better. People don’t have all day to sit around watching videos, they want to get their answer and move on.

Video vs Webinar

A video that is under 15 minutes in length can offer a “Free” download at the end and still be valuable enough to entice people to want that offer in exchange for their email address. A video that offers something for sale after 15 minutes is likely to anger the viewer…and then they will never be back to your blog or YouTube channel again. Keep in mind that with YouTube strategy, the objective is to gain a new audience member, so whether that is a YouTube Channel Subscriber, a new member of your email list, or a follower on one of your other social media channels, once you have that new audience member who is interested in what you have to say, you will be able to re-market to them at a later time once your automation is in place. The very first step is building credibility in your niche by offering your best value first.

Be sure your CTA is clear and actionable, and don’t forget to instruct them on what to do next. If you are reviewing or offering a product or resource, be sure you link to it. If you are offering a free download, be sure to add a link that leads to where they can go to get it. Above all don't just do a video because you think you'll start a channel and become YouTube famous. The social media fairies don't work that way. It's takes strategy to actually make it happen.

Marketing & Advertising Your Video

A mistake that I see a lot of new YouTuber’s make is that they try to do a full webinar or hour-long tutorial and offer the “buy” of their product at the end. It doesn’t matter if you have a $20 dollar product or a $1,000 service, if you think you’ll advertise this video to a cold audience and then expect people to buy, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you’re dead wrong. Marketing an end-stage offer to an audience who doesn’t know and trust you will never yield the results you’re hoping for. Instead, start by marketing your lead magnet.

There is a systematic process to follow, and if you stick to the tried and true process, then you’ll have a lot of success.

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