For the past several years, marketers have been predicting the rise of video.
Today, there’s no doubt that video has landed in a place of prominence in the world of online marketing.
Fast, easily digestible, informative, and perfect for our grab-and-go digital society, video is one of the biggest things in online marketing today.
Video ad spending hit $5.4 billion in 2016, and 90% of users say that video helps them make a decision in buying a product. Video ads increase purchase intent by 97%, and brand association by 139%. 59% of executives would rather watch video than read text! (More stats via Hubspot.)
Because of this, the need for fantastic, engaging script copy has risen to prominence in the world of content marketing. Dedicated to writing great video scripts for a variety of purposes and applications, script copywriters are a valuable asset for any company setting foot into video content today. Read on to learn more.
Why Script Copy Is Needed: The Current State of Video Marketing
There’s no doubt about it: the consumers of today want video content.
As it stands, now, simply including a video on a landing page increases the page’s conversion rate by 80%.
What’s more, 64% of customers are more likely to purchase a product from a company after watching one of the company’s videos, and 90% of consumers report that videos are helpful during the process of making a purchasing decision.
In addition to influencing purchasing decisions, video is also turning out to be fantastic in terms of customer recall. More than 80% of customers remember a video ad they’ve seen in the past month and 92% of consumers who watch mobile video ads share them with friends and family. These numbers are unprecedented in the world of content marketing, and they’re going to show that video may well be one of the most effective ways for companies to stand out to their customers.
With this in mind, there’s no doubt that video is exploding, and there’s also no doubt that companies need to be prepared to take full advantage of this trend.
Today, 65% of marketers plan to increase their marketing budgets for video content within the next year, and companies that aren’t jumping aboard the train are liable to get left behind.
Why Content Marketing Needs Script Writers
As video rises to prominence in the content marketing community, dozens of marketers are simply creating videos and publishing them willy-nilly, hoping for results.
Unfortunately, this is a terrible approach.
Like all forms of content, video must be done well or not at all. Just like a bad blog post or white paper can damage a company’s good name, poor-quality video content can drive users away and result in poor perception. Because of this, it’s essential for companies who want to dabble in video content to do it well.
This is where professional script copywriters come in. You see, all content must be born from a plan, and script copywriting is what produces great video content.
Without high-quality script copywriting, it’s virtually impossible for any business to craft the kind of video content that gets views and earns conversions. Because of this, companies breaking into video content absolutely must take the step of hiring a script copywriter.
What Do Script Copywriters Do?
So what does a script copywriter do?
It’s a great question, and it’s one that we here at Express Writers get often. To help our audiences understand the purpose of copywriters in general, we actually made an infographic on the topic!
While script copywriters and web copywriters have many of the same duties, a script copywriter is responsible for writing the scripts that eventually become video content.
Depending on the client and the assignment, the copywriter may take an outline and turn it into a video script, or may simply take a loose smattering of ideas and build something ex nhilo from the marketer’s suggestions.
In either case, the script copy creator is responsible for the following things:
- Dialogue: If the marketer wants dialogue in the script, the script copywriter must craft it in a way that is easy for readers to understand
- Language: Scripts can’t feel too, um, scripted. Because of this, it’s critical for a script copywriter to craft a script that flows naturally and gives the impression of natural speech. This comes off as more relatable to the viewer and helps portray the company in a more positive light.
- Movement: In some cases, a script copywriter will be responsible for writing in stage prompts that tell the (Real or animated) actors in a video where to go and what to do. This helps deepen viewer understanding and makes the script more dynamic.
- Sales messages: Most online videos have a message to make, and a script copywriter is responsible for helping that message come across in a way that inspires rather than alienates viewers.
- Understanding: Remember Mountain Dew’s infamous “Puppy Monkey Baby” commercial from last year’s Super Bowl? See below.
What Content do Script Writers Create?
Script writers help to craft content ranging from video advertisements to social videos. Some of the most popular forms of content that script writers work on include the following:
- Whiteboard videos
- Animated video
- Podcast scripts
- Transcriptions/show notes
- Video ads
While a company needs more than just video content to succeed in the world of online marketing, script copywriters are a critical tool for companies who want to give themselves a leading edge over the competition.
Even in the event of unscripted podcasts, like Tim Ferriss’, for example, a good script writer is needed to transcribe the podcast and create useful show notes for the audience.
While many people who don’t understand the overall purpose and responsibility of script writers are tempted to put them in a narrow box, the fact of the matter is that script writers serve a variety of critical and unique purposes, from crafting content from A-Z to putting the finishing touches on already-produced video or audio content.
So – Why do You Need Script Copywriters to Break into Online Video?
Script copywriters play a critical role in the rise of online video – they take a potentially “ho-hum” video ad and make it unforgettable.
Think, for a moment, of all of the incredible video ads you’ve seen in recent memory.
The Clearblue “pregnancy announcements” ad, Subaru “Dog Tested” ad, and Budweiser “Lost Dog” commercial come to mind for me.
Why are these commercials so moving? It’s not an accident, and it’s not because the brand had anything uniquely wonderful to sell. In fact, if you think about it, none of these three commercials really even discusses the particulars of a given product. Instead, they all tell stories – and this, my friends, is the work of a skilled script copywriter.
While script copywriters may be responsible for the technical aspects of a script, like writing dialogue and directing movement, they’re also responsible for much, much more than that – they’re responsible for appealing to a viewer’s emotions and telling a story that gets so deep into peoples’ hearts that they can’t help but connect with a given product.
Viral videos don’t go viral by accident. They’re carefully crafted pieces of marketing genius that demonstrate a deep understanding of consumer purchasing habits and target audience demographics. When a company hires a skilled script writer rather than just winging it with their video content, viral results are much more realistic and achievable than they’ve ever been before.
Script Copywriting: Your Secret Weapon for Success
Today, any company that wants to get into video or audio content needs to hire script copy experts.
These skilled professionals serve a variety of purposes and specialize in helping marketers communicate effectively through video content. From developing a script for a new video to transcribing a podcast or transcribing a video into a textual format, script copywriters serve a variety of critical purposes mean to help marketers thrive in today’s video-dense world.
While script copywriters may still be a foreign topic to some, they’re quickly becoming a household tool for companies leading the video marketing revolution. From small startups to major companies like Budweiser, script writers are an essential part of any successful content marketing team.
