Write An Incredible Explainer Video Script! (Free ebook And Examples)

You want your animated marketing video to be highly attractive, engaging and ultimately, effective, right? Then focus on developing an explainer video script that is highly persuasive, straightforward and compelling. How can you get to that point? In today’s blog post we’re going to show you how to write an animation script and create a stunning explainer video. Join us!

Explainer Video Script: Some Key Concepts

An explainer video script is the message to be delivered and what the voice-over will say in the video. It’s the foundation of the whole video and that’s why it’s one of the most important parts of the video production process.

To get to a stunning explainer video, you have to look for a balance between the content (an engaging script) and the form (camera angles, animations, designs, music, and sound effects, etc.). And, additionally, you have to remember that the essence of a video explainer script is conveying how your product or service can help your target audience with their specific problems. That’s your main goal, so forget about bragging about your brand or the amazing advantages of your product. 

5 Killer Tips For Making A Great Animated Marketing Video Script

And now, the juicy part. Let’s dive into some helpful tips to get to a stunning animated marketing video script! You can find them compiled, plus some other essential information on scriptwriting for explainer videos, in our free Ebook “How to write a script”. Here we go!

#1. Know your target audience and focus on them

Make sure you deeply know your target audience before you develop your marketing video script. You have to get to that point where you generate a strong connection from them towards the story you’re telling. So, before writing down the explainer video script, try to answer these questions:

• What do they look like?
• How old are they?
• Where do they live?
• Where do they work?
• How do they dress?
• What places do they usually visit?
• Any other information that might be helpful to define them.

With this information in mind, you will then be able to customize the video explainer script according to their characteristics and expectations. Take the time you need to define your buyer persona profile: this is a critical -first- step that you have to accomplish and that will be your guiding light throughout the whole video production process. Why is that important? First, because it will help you craft the characters in the next step (the storyboard). Also, because it will show them a specific personality and mood. And, what’s more important, if the viewers feel represented by those characters, you will grow trust and empathy towards your brand. Results? More conversions and sales.

#2. Follow the classic script structure

When writing down your animated marketing video script, don’t try to improvise. It’s very important that you follow the classical narrative structure, this is, a beginning-middle-end logic. And this is not just because – if you do so, your script will be much more engaging, coherent, and memorable. Following this structure will also make it easier for you to write it down.

In scriptwriting for explainer videos, these 3 steps remain quite similar, but we call it something different:

Act 1. The What.

First, start by explaining to your audience what problem your company solves. This will generate instant interest and will encourage them to watch the video all the way through. Remember not to name or show your brand yet. At this stage of the video explainer script, you have to focus on your target audience’s problem.  

Take a look at this video script example to understand what we mean:

Act 2. The How.

At this point, you have to let your viewers know how your product can address their specific problem. This part usually starts when the brand logo shows up or when the brand is mentioned.

Act 3. The Why.

This is the time to explain to your audience why they should pick you out, instead of one of your competitors. In this stage, describe your product features and main advantages. It’s definitely the most “salesly” part of the video explainer script. It’s your big chance to persuade them about why your product is the best alternative in the market.  

Can you identify the 3 “acts” in this video script example?

#3. Make it short

There is a deep connection between video length and engagement. Your big challenge is taking the most time to deliver your key messages while keeping your viewers hooked. Up to 2 minutes, you’re on the right track. Based on our experience in scriptwriting for explainer videos, we recommend that the optimal length for an animated marketing video is 90 seconds.  

You might be asking yourself: “how do I know then how long my video script should be?” Well, we can say that 160 written words represent one minute of audiovisual content. Then, if you aim for making a 90-second video you will then need 240 written words for your video explainer script. Simple!

#4. Get straight to the point

Our attention span has fallen to 8 seconds. So you have to be very straightforward and compelling when communicating your message. Keep your video explainer script simple then! Don’t try to explain everything in one single 90-second video. You will then have the chance to complement that first information with other content (sales calls, blog articles, and more). Just try to identify what is important to include in your video and what should be left out.

Check out the next video script example and see how we’ve managed to explain how this product works without beating around the bush:

#5. Include a clear Call To Action

Finally, it’s vital that you lead your viewers in the direction you want, after watching the video (whether it is downloading a free eBook, filling out a form, sharing it on social media platforms, or anything else). So include a clear, simple, and irresistible call to action to help them understand what you expect from them.

An important rule of scriptwriting for explainer videos: just include one single call to action to avoid confusion. In case your marketing strategy requires different calls to action, you can then make different versions of the same video and add a different CTA to each one.

Bonus Track

You have already learned plenty about how to write an animation script, but let me give you some additional considerations you should bear in mind:

1. Find the right tone: pick out the tone of your video in a way it resonates with your target audience – a custom narrator, cast, pace and dialog type will be vital to making your video more persuasive and memorable.
2. Add a dose of humor: adding some humor to your video explainer script can make it even more fun and increase shares. But keep in mind that you shouldn’t force it: if humor does not fit with your story, just dismiss it.
3. Talk about benefits, not features: remember that it’s all about your target audience´s problems. If you talk about benefits instead of features, you will avoid being too salesy (we’ve already talked about this before). Try to turn each feature into a clear and “tangible” benefit for the customer themself.

Of course, you can make the script on your own, at least to have the first draft of it. Despite this, we always recommend that a professional explainer video production company develops it: they have all the background, experience, technology and skills needed to produce a high quality, engaging and memorable script, and therefore, video. At Yum Yum we have wide experience in developing custom video explainer scripts for our clients. We always keep an eye on the details and make sure it has the best quality so as to set a solid basis to get to a premium marketing video.  In case you need help with yours, don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be glad to help!

Summary

An explainer video script is one of the most important elements during the video production process, and writing it down is not a minor thing at all: it requires dedication, focus and a great ability to make it highly engaging, attractive and memorable. In today’s blog post we have revealed some key secrets to get to an incredible animated marketing video script that assures the best marketing results. Now you can start working on your next script. Hands on deck!

Finally, don’t miss these complimentary tips on how to write an animation script to get to a perfect explainer video for your startup!