Do you have any questions about how to write a script?

Although it doesn’t usually seem so, knowing how to write a script is a key part in working with marketing. After all, the audiovisual format is an indispensable resource to engage audiences and strengthen a brand’s image. However, this only happens when a video is well produced.

The quality of a promotional video, for example, depends on your script’s efficiency. If it contains structural problems, they will be transferred to the final product, affecting the brand’s intended results.

This cannot happen to your business, much less to the business of your customers.

In order to avoid this risk, you need to keep an eye on possible mistakes that might show up in your production. Even the smallest deviations can create major consequences.

Would you like to learn more?

Learn how to add maximum quality to the production of your scripts by learning how to avoid common mistakes.

What is a script?

A script is a document of major importance for the planning and production of a video. It specifies the characteristics and guidelines so that the content can be recorded and then edited.

But this isn’t the only document necessary for the production of a quality video.

The briefing is another indispensable resource at this point, because it gathers information, such as:

• The target audience,
• The goals of the promotional piece,
• The style of language to be used in the video.

Based on the script specifications and the briefing definitions, it is possible to create a quality video so that a brand can achieve its goals.

However, all steps of the process need to be respected so that a few mistakes don’t become part of your video production routine.

Which mistakes should be avoided when writing a video script?

A poor script results in an equally poor video.

You won’t be able to take advantage of the audiovisual content in this manner, so it is crucial that you and your team follow the progress of this work closely so that no serious mistakes occur.

Below you will find the 5 main mistakes that should be avoided when writing scripts for your videos.

1. Not knowing the audience

All content production needs to be planned and carried out respecting the characteristics and interests of the audience you intend to reach. 

This requires an in-depth understanding of the personas’ profile. Otherwise, you risk not obtaining the expected results.

In other words, a number of aspects in your script must be adapted to the audience’s profile, from the style of language to the chosen editing format. 

To do so, research the needs and preferences of your persona with the utmost accuracy.

2. Not using the proper jargon

Knowing how to write a script mainly involves the use of the jargon that this type of document requires, so that it can be understood by the teams, especially videomakers, in all production steps.

Your script’s formatting must be in accordance with what the content intends to be, and gather all the necessary information so that the recording and editing occur without errors.

3. Not respecting the duration

During the video planning step, the content’s duration must be defined, even if by approximation. 

One of the mistakes you should avoid during production is exceeding this time, since this can jeopardize your end product.

Your raw video will normally exceed the expected duration time for the final content. In fact, this is desirable, since it gives you more freedom during the editing step.

4. Not adapting the content to the channel

A brand’s video will probably be uploaded to its YouTube channel and other social media. 

One of the characteristics of these spaces is that a certain congruence is expected regarding the type of post to be made.

One of the mistakes you might make when creating videos is forgetting to consider the type of content already posted on your channel. 

If it differs considerably, it might become harder to sell it as part of a brand’s identity.

5. Not including important guidelines

The main purpose of a script, as you can see above, is to deliver relevant information so that the team can properly record and edit the video. 

Therefore, one of the most serious mistakes that one can make in this step is to fail at the level of detail offered.

When you create the script for your videos, always remember the importance of including all relevant information for the production team. 

Take into account what is decisive for the result to come out as expected and spare no details.

Bonus Tip: Not documenting your processes

Getting it right once doesn’t mean that you and your team won’t make mistakes in the future. 

A great way of protecting yourself against these problems when creating your scripts is to establish well-documented processes for this step.

When you take the tips above into consideration, develop a document with the entire process to be carried out by the script creation team, from start to finish. Then, make sure that this checklist is always followed.

How about you? Do you know of any mistakes that need to be avoided and that we didn’t cover here?

Let us know in the comments what you find indispensable when it comes to writing a script.