It is impossible to produce an effective marketing video without a great script. The script is the blueprint for your video. Everything else in it – the visuals, music, actors and even the call to action – will be dictated by the script.

If you are planning on a one-minute video, it may surprise you to know the script will only need to have about 150 spoken words in it. That’s not much time to convey your message.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you write the best possible script for your video.

Before you start writing, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Who is the audience for this video?
2. What is the bottom line message I want to get across?
3. What are the key benefits I want to relay?
4. How do I want to present my solution?
5. What do I want viewers to do after watching?
6. Think about the audience for your video, and choose the right tone. For example, you may want a more formal tone for a B2B video, while a conversational or humorous tone might be more effective for a video aimed at the general public.
7. Remember that people have short attention spans. Mention your audiences’ biggest frustration near the beginning of your video. When you do that, you give people a reason to continue watching to the end.
8. Know what your core message is, and stick to it. For example, if the message you want to convey is that your law firm has the most experience of anyone in town when it comes to handling divorce, you need to make that the focus of your video.
9. Repetition can be good. Remember those short attention spans, and give viewers a way to retain the information you are conveying in your video. Don’t overdo repetition, but a well-timed repeat of your core message can go a long way toward improving viewer retention.
10. Have a strong call to action. Don’t assume that viewers will know what you want them to do at the end of the video – tell them. Examples might include “Contact Us Today” or “Subscribe Now.”
11. If you do decide to go with a longer script, then your focus must be on entertainment. Very few people are going to watch a 2 or 3 minute sales pitch, but they might watch it if you give them a funny or touching story with characters they can care about.
12. Read your script out loud before recording it. It’s not enough that your script looks good on the page – it also needs to sound good. When you read aloud it is more likely you will catch awkward wording or repeated phrases.

It can be tricky to get your message across in only 150 words, so be prepared to put in some time getting the script just right. And if writing isn’t your strong suit, you can always hire a professional to write it for you.