Okay, so you want to know how to write a killer YouTube Video script to engage your audience, get them watching… keep them watching and grow your channel?
Well, my advice around this has changed over the years so in this article I’ll be breaking down what I consider best practice for writing and structuring your YouTube videos for maximum engagement and retention.
Okay so when it comes to writing a video script it requires a different approach to a written blog or article. You’ve got limited attention spans online, and critically you need to balance the idea of making an authentic connection with your audience along with giving them solid value too AND encouraging a healthy view duration or retention, to keep your audience watching which YouTube loves.
Are you ready? Let’s breakdown the ideal structure.
#1 Hook
So, first, you’ll need to start with a hook. Sometimes called a ‘cold open’ the hook is your opening few seconds critical to grabbing attention and keeping people watching. You’ll want people to see your face right from the first frame too, not some fancy animated logo. Remember – people connect to people. Your hook needs to invoke interest, intrigue or demand attention so be creative. And importantly, ensure your hook is highly visual to allow for those watching on with the sound off. You want to entice them to keep watching. An awesome tip here is to consider teasing some value they’ll get if they watch to the end. Go for that high view duration.
#2 Intro
Following your hook now’s the time to include a quick branded intro sequence if you like before giving your viewers a bit of an introduction to you and what they are going to learn in this video. Communicate what to expect, do it quickly and then get to the guts of your information. Keep this part short, and snappy… remember your viewer only cares about them, not you, so hurry up and get to the part where you give them what they want.
#3 Problem and #4 Solution
Now – this is where the main points of your content should be communicated. You’ll want to start by expanding on the problem that your content solves. Remember to keep your language humanized, relevant to your target audience, and don’t spend too much time waffling on. Get to the point and communicate your ideas clearly.
#5 Summary
Next, you’ll want to summarise the main points in your video in one or two sentences. Remind your viewer what they’ve just learnt and why it matters. It’s also a good idea here to think about raising further questions that may move your audience to engage with you and your content further. Critically I want you to do this summary within the last 20 seconds of your video, and consider making room in your frame for the YouTube end card.
#6 Call to action
And finally, within the last 5-10 seconds you need to end with a strong call to action. Tell people what you want them to do after watching the video. Click a link? Share a comment? Subscribe? Whatever the action is keep it simple, make it clear where you want them to click by pointing or drawing their eyeline in some way. The number 1 best call to action here is to watch another video, so use the end card and your script effectively here to encourage that.
So that’s it, 6 key steps to a killer video blog script. Hook / Intro / problem / solution / summary / call to action. You’ve got yourself a killer Youtube script. And if you want more tips and advice on video marketing to grow your business… be sure to subscribe and watch the video in this article to learn more.
Oh – and if you’re wondering why the numbers on the bottom of the screen throughout the video? Well… I’ve been using my own advice in this very script and the numbers indicate which step I’m up to. Go ahead and watch the video to see what I mean…
