Dear Marketer,
Are you panicking about the task on your to-do list that says, “write a script for your CEO?” Been there. Done that. Let’s talk it out.
Now, does that intro annoy the grammar training in your brain? Good. That’s the point. That intro was written to be read aloud, not just read in your head. It’s personable. The sentences are short, and the voice is informal. These are all keys to writing a good script.
Using this approach might seem awkward at first, but as you’re getting started writing a script, try writing aloud. Talk to yourself and record it, or talk to yourself and transcribe what you’re saying. We speak with different language patterns than we write.
When humans speak, there are pauses. There are sentences that start with conjunctions or sometimes aren’t “complete.” Most people do not speak in complex sentences with asides or multiple adjectives. While it might seem counterintuitive, the written word and the spoken word are more like cousins than siblings.
Now, every marketer is fully capable of penning prose laced with excitement or empathy for the purpose of inspiring an audience to deeply feel something, because that’s what it takes to make a connection with a brand and to sell a product or service for a company requesting a script for a video.
Now, what do you notice about that last paragraph? It’s so long and filled with alliteration. It would take superhuman lung capacity and a nimble tongue to speak. Try saying "penning poignant prose" three times fast.
When writing for voice, be mindful of words that are hard to say or hard to say next to each other. Delivering a script with a sentence like the one above to a CEO or someone unseasoned in reading into a microphone or on camera is a recipe for disaster.
It’s vital to do a voice edit, not just a read edit. Here’s how:
1. Read the draft out loud. Focus on listening to how it sounds.
2. Read it out loud again. This time, mark it up, and start making edits.
Are all your sentences complete? Most people start sentences with conjunctions like “and” and “but” when they are speaking, which, when writing can feel like one giant run-on sentence. When speaking, however, can feel much more natural.
3. Pay attention to the tense being used. Are you speaking in present tense? Past tense? Future progressive tense? Which is most natural given the voice of your company or project? Which will be understood by your audience? (Non-native English speakers struggle with progressive tenses; it’s often better to use present tense if possible.)
4. Check from what point of view the script is written. Most people don’t speak in the third person, but they do use words like “I,” “we,” and “my.”
5. Read it out loud yet again, and this time, time it. Even better: see if you can get your speaker to read it aloud while you listen and time it.
6. Notice repeated words and repetition. Repetition can be helpful in print writing and speaking when trying to reinforce a point, but too much repetition is often awkward and noticeable. (If you disagree, read this bullet point aloud.)
7. Avoid using too many adjectives. Spoken language uses far fewer adjectives than written language.
8. Avoid slang and “hip” language. Will the phrases be out of date tomorrow? Bet. How long do you need the video to remain evergreen? Be mindful.
9. Beware of using too many words with “hard” consonants. Ps, Ts, Ks, Ds, Gs and Bs, are consonants that often “pop” when being spoken into a microphone, sometimes referred to as plosives. Unless the person reading the script is a seasoned microphone speaker, avoid using too many words that begin or end with these sounds.
Doing a voice edit might seem like a no-brainer, but so many marketers skip this step. When this step is skipped, it makes things harder when it comes time to film and can make recording sessions more expensive and time-consuming than they need to be. In today’s global economy, it’s also a necessity to think about the complexity of the script and who is going to understand it. Are there people you’re trying to reach who speak English as a second language? This matters.
If you’re struggling to start writing, work backward. What is your call to action? What do you want the script to encourage people to do? Stating where you want to go is often the first step in figuring out how to get there. The same is true for script writing.
Remember: introduce, connect and then give clear directions on how to engage. You’ve got this!
If you are still overwhelmed, AKC Marketing is at your service. Reach us at content@akcmarketing.com!