How To Write a Video Script for Corporate Video

In our previous post, “Why Corporate Video is Important”, we explored the various reasons why corporate video is so vital for businesses with a digital presence. Ignoring the success of platforms such as Youtube and TikTok – or Instagram’s move to a primarily video-based platform – threatens to leave some businesses behind.

Even if you’ve produced video content before, utilising these new platforms and targeting new audiences requires a different approach. This applies to how you script these videos and how they compare to your other marketing collateral.

Ultimately, learning how to write a video script for corporate video means creating unique and engaging copy that’s appropriate for the format. Get your tone, structure, and delivery right, and you can create more personality in your scripts for social media while remaining professional and on-brand.

Why do you need a corporate video script?

Video marketing is an increasingly lucrative content stream that more businesses are investing in. TikTok is the most popular app among Gen Z, with a growing cohort of older users, and is entirely based on videos. Research by GWI shows that daily TikTok logins increased by 54% in 2021 and that around a third of users worldwide post or share videos on the platform. With video content growing in prominence everywhere, from Facebook to LinkedIn, investing in corporate video production makes more sense.

If you want to create a corporate video, you’re going to need to produce a video script. A great script is key to conversions, whether it’s a promotional brand film, a corporate training video for internal use, or a video for your social media or website. Well-written corporate video scripts are still surprisingly rare. A good one will help your company stand out from the competition, boost lead generation, and increase sales and brand awareness.

Whilst compelling audio and visuals are good additions for capturing a viewer’s attention, the overall narrative, storytelling, and scriptwriting allow you to deliver your business objectives. Every good corporate video requires an informative, concise, engaging, and entertaining script to be seen and succeed. Writing one rests on your ability to draft a clear video brief, weave a compelling story, and communicate it effectively.

How to write a corporate video script in six simple steps

Thankfully, you don’t need to be a Hollywood screenwriter to write compelling video content. Follow our six simple steps to ensure that your corporate video script will be a success:
Define your objectives and goals

There’s little point in creating a video for video’s sake or just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Start by clearly defining the purpose of the video and any secondary targets you may have. For example, you might be looking to drive traffic to your website, generate leads, explain a product or service, or improve your brand’s reputation.

Write a brief

Once you’ve settled on your objectives, it’s time to write a brief to help you achieve them. This will help you clearly understand how to achieve your goals and help you understand your audience and the value you want to provide them. Consider the following insights: what is the video’s purpose; what’s the video’s topic; what’s your call to action; who is your audience; what are the key takeaways; and what distribution channels will you utilise?

Storytell your key messaging (and find a killer hook)

When you’ve set out your objectives and drafted your brief, you should have a sense of the key messages you want to communicate to your target audience. The next step is to turn these core messages into a simple story that your audience will find easy and engaging to follow.

There should be a logical progression from start to finish, with an enticing opening line (a hook) that leads you to the end and guides the viewer to a call-to-action. A captivating hook, such as a question or intriguing statement, will spark people’s curiosity and get them to stay with you until the end of the video. Alternatively, use your first line to introduce the narrator and give your audience an idea of what they will learn by the end of the video.

Keep it simple

When it comes to your vocabulary and tone of voice, try to talk in language that appeals to your audience. Keep it conversational and straightforward – your audience wants you to speak like a human, not a robot.

Also, remember that less is more. While longer videos have a place on YouTube, most social media content is short and snappy, as it represents less of a commitment. Aim for between two to three minutes (though some will differ – training videos can be anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes).

In a well-written script, each word earns its place – and in a short video, each word and sentence should pack a punch. Try to keep your script under two pages for a succinct, professional, and engaging video – a minute of narrative equates to around 150 to 175 words.

Use a variety of formats

The beauty of video as a format is that it offers more scope for creativity than just writing. Video content can benefit from motion graphics, music, sound effects and voice over, so don’t feel limited by dialogue alone.

Visual and sound effects should work seamlessly to bring your key messaging to life. Secondary shots – such as a transition from a person speaking to camera to a close-up shot of a product – are known as B-roll and allow the narrator to continue talking off-screen. This is a good trick for covering up cuts between different bits of footage or simply enlivening a ‘talking head’ video.

Practice, practice, practice

Now that you’ve completed your drafted script, it’s time to practice reading it aloud. You want the dialogue to flow naturally, rather than feeling stilted. See how long it takes to read your script, and pay attention to where the inflexion and emphasis fall, along with any awkward phrases that cause you to stumble.

When timing the script, allow a few seconds after each section for any video transitions and allow your script to breathe. This helps with the editing process and gives your audience time to absorb what you’ve said. If you get a chance to read your script aloud to another person, ask them if the key messages come across well and what they have taken away from it.

Edit the script as needed, but don’t spend weeks fine-tuning it unless it’s for a huge campaign. Regularity is often as important as quality when it comes to video content, and it’s better to put things out there than not produce anything at all.

Example corporate video script structure

Most successful corporate video scripts tend to follow the same structure, so use this as inspiration for writing your own. A promotional product video might look something like this:
Introduction – gripping hook and clear, concise key message Explain the problem, risk, or opportunity Showcase your professional expertise by introducing your product or service Highlight the key benefits Mention any case studies already benefiting from your product or service Conclusion – recap the problem, solution, and key points, and call to action!

When you draft your script, you might choose to break it into three vertical sections: a column on the left for narrative (the dialogue that will tell the story of your video, such as a voiceover or interview comments), a column in the middle for visuals (footage that will represent this script section), and a column on the right for graphics( on-screen text and/or icons).

A well-written corporate video requires an informative, concise, engaging, and entertaining script to reach maximum visibility. While there’s no formula for viral success, a great script gives you the best chance for success and increases brand recognition, lead generation, and sales.

As a corporate video supplier, we can help your business produce a script that provides the best outcome achievable. We have years of experience partnering with our clients on writing scripts from scratch and helping to edit scripts into an engaging format that complements their narrative. Get in touch to learn more about crafting a video script that delivers results.