[New Post] Script Writing Tips to Get Started with Online Video Marketing

 

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Script Writing Tips to Get Started with Online Video Marketing Wes Benter A blank page is to a script writer what a blank canvas is to an artist. Each key stroke might compare to a brush stroke. Like a painter who pulls from his imagination, you might draft a script drawn from what you already have in mind before you ever head out into the field to shoot and grab the elements. The downside to that approach is you run the risk of tunnel vision – keeping your eyes peeled for only those "scripted scenes" and overlooking more natural, fun moments you never could have anticipated. It’s these moments in video marketing that can transform a data- or information-heavy message into compelling, easy-to-understand, and profitable content, as seen in our Intermedia-MultiVu Creative Services case study. To get there, though, you need to tell your brand story in a creative way. Start with these five steps to write a script that impresses viewers and converts leads. Organize Your Script’s Elements  Generally, a simple video script is divided into two columns: the left side for video, the right side for audio. On the left side, you also create notes for the editor. This will include shot selection, text that should appear on screen, and special effect instructions or transitions. The right side is where your script appears. It includes everything that your voice-over talent will eventually record into a microphone. The more detailed and precise your script, the better for everyone involved. Identify a Likable Character and Open with a Good Lead Give your audience someone with whom they might identify. The character should be likable. Let your imagination run wild here; your character doesn't have to be a person. In a world where viewers can skip your video after the first five seconds, you want to make sure you snag their attention. Talk to your shooter (or if you shot it yourself, think back). What was the most visually appealing shot the crew gathered? What about sound? Did one of your interviews provide a soundbite so profound it made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end? Use it! Write to Your Soundbites, Touch Your Video and Let It Go You interviewed people for a reason. Choose the best soundbites – as you would quotes for a print article – and write around those selections. A quick word of caution: I suggest you limit the soundbite to eight seconds. Recall that attention spans are limited. It's a good idea to keep your finished product short. Holding soundbites equally accountable will leave room for additional voices. Writing for video is different than drafting a piece of content. You don't have to describe every last piece of footage. Instead, let a shot establish a scene. Use your words to describe it. Then let your video breathe and allow your viewers time to take in the rich images. Your narration should help advance the story while your video maintains the overall storyline. Don't Drown Your Audio At times, silence is golden. Otherwise, if we're talking about something, we generally like to hear it. Music can help drive a piece, but to blare it at the expense of your natural sound does the story no justice. I also suggest people shy away from taking one music track and laying it throughout the entire video. Instead, break it up. Cue music where you need it. Kill it where you don't. Keep It Simple You want to keep your words short, direct, and on-point. A sentence that contains 44 words is no longer a sentence. It has burgeoned into a paragraph. As a general rule, I challenge folks to limit sentences in their scripts to no more than 15 words. That's generous too. I worked in a newsroom where the executive producer banned sentences longer than 12 words. I digress. Use an active voice as opposed to a passive voice. The best example is one we may all remember from the third grade. Instead of saying, "The ball was thrown by John," you would say, "John threw the ball." Finally, don't try to cram all of your messaging into a short video. Instead, use your call to action to entice your audience to learn more. Download Intermedia Boosts Campaign Visibility with Award-Winning Video to see how this provider of cloud business applications turned an information security report into an animated video that drove views, earned influential media pickup and converted traffic into leads. The lessons they learned will lend insight into your own script-writing success. Author Wes Benter is a senior online community services specialist at ProfNet, a service that connects journalists with expert sources. He previously worked as a creative producer for PR Newswire's MultiVu. Prior to that, Wes worked on-air as a reporter and weather anchor for network affiliates in the Midwest. Learn more by following him on Twitter @WBenter.

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[New Post] 6 Tips for Writing Press Releases People Care About

 

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6 Tips for Writing Press Releases People Care About Danielle Capriato If you're like me, it doesn’t matter how many press releases you've written or how many templates or tricks you have to make the process faster, every release starts with a fresh slate and a lot of questions. From "What am I writing about again?" to "Is this the best word to include in this sentence?" there are several questions that can go through the head of a PR or marketing pro tasked with writing and editing press releases. In our distribution checklist Six Questions to Ask Before Sending a Press Release, we cover the basics of formatting your content for promotion. However, before you can consider sending out your release, you need to determine what story you’re going to tell. Here are some common questions and tips to help. Who cares about my press release's story? Knowing who cares about your brand's story (especially the specific aspect you're distributing content about) is a major first step in planning your press release's strategy. Each brand has multiple external audiences—such as investors, news media, influencers, customers and prospects—to consider when writing a press release. Take stock of all of these groups and consider which ones you will want to take action after reading your release. It's also important at this stage to consider the internal stakeholders your press release will serve. Are you trying to excite your product team with a great new campaign that will showcase their hard work? How will your news announcement or content distribution impact customer-facing staff? Noting who is invested in your news, and subsequently the success of your press release, will give you context for how it should be written. Why should people care? As an advocate for your brand, you're called on to care deeply about everything that happens to and within the brand. However, that internal excitement doesn't always guarantee an equally strong response from external audiences. It takes effort to motivate people to emotionally invest in your story. An exercise I find helpful is The 5 Whys. When I sit down to write a press release, I repeatedly ask "Why?" until I get to the root of its story. The key is in finding the angle that is going to help grab and keep a reader's attention. The more you think about the “why” of a situation, the more likely you are to identify the press release's best angle. Another way of thinking about this is: What can I say about this that my target audience will connect with? How much "local flair" should I include? Details are essential to a good press release; however, you do need to know when enough is enough. Consider whether you're writing this press release for a niche or broader audience. In some cases, you'll want to localize your press release by speaking to the needs or cultural identity of a particular city or regional. Similarly, you may want to address the preferences of a specific industry's journalists and customers. There will be times, though, where "local flair" can do more harm than good. If your intent is to distribute your news to a broad audience of mainstream media and general interest consumers, you'll want to focus on the aspects of your story more likely to have far-reaching interest. Am I writing this in the language my audience speaks? While this can–and should–be taken literally, as releases must be translated into your audience’s language, it's also important to choose the proper vocabulary for your audience. Write for a human audience, and avoid jargon or technical language where possible. This is not to say that keywords should be ignored. Knowing which words and phrases your audience most commonly use still has value. You will want to include a few important terms or phrases that will help your target audiences find your release via search. Avoid keyword stuffing, of course, but note that well-placed search terms can boost your press release's discoverability. Also note: If you are targeting a niche industry, you should write for that audience as well. Certain terms might be more common among a niche group, and using them will highlight your familiarity with their interests or needs and maintain your brand's position as a thought leader in that industry. What can I take out? There's no perfect length for a press release: Your release should be as long as it needs to be to tell your story. However, early drafts might include too much or repeated information that should be removed or reworded for clarity. As William Strunk writes in The Elements of Style, "brevity is a by-product of vigor."  It's important to be concise in your press release, and editing yourself as you go will help keep yourself succinct. What am I missing? With that said, it can be easy to inadvertently omit a key piece of information from your press release — especially when it's going through multiple rounds of edits with multiple people. As you work to craft a compelling story about your brand's news, be sure it answers the who, what, when, where and why of your news and includes a call to action for your audience to take. Once your release is written and edited for content, grammar, and style, the next step is preparing it for distribution. Download Six Questions to Ask Before Sending a Press Release to ensure your release is newswire-ready. Author Danielle Capriato is the manager of strategic communications at PR Newswire, where she writes, edits and manages distribution of press releases to promote the PR Newswire brand and content. Follow her on Twitter @dcapriato.

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