10 tips to write effective animated video scripts

Animated Video Scripts

Video is one of the most powerful methods to capture the psyche of the viewers. 97% of businesses that use explainer videos say that it helps potential customers understand their business better. A killer explainer video has multiple things that require to fall in place. Only if the foundation for the video is strong, will then the video come out well. 

Here are 10 tips from MotionVillee to write effective animated video scripts:

#1 Keep it short:

The best thing about explainer videos is that you can create quite an impact in just 90 seconds. Unless there is a special need for the video to be more than 2 minutes, never cross that threshold. A random visitor might not be planning to invest a lot of time watching marketing videos of a business, right? This is why you need to create compelling material while ensuring that it is less than 90 seconds. It is something that a professional video production company understands. 

#2 Speak to the audience:

Use pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘your’ to grab the attention of the audience. Start with a problem statement and how you can solve it for your customers. Don’t educate them about things that they are already familiar with. Describe to them how you plan to solve their problem. Customer’s don’t care how you have the best ergonomic chairs in your office. Nor do they care about your improved EBITDA margin. They care only about one thing-” How does it benefit me?” An animated explainer video company has the necessary wherewithal and expertise to understand how to showcase your benefits to them. 

#3 Stories:

No one would say no to a good story. In fact, they would welcome it with a hug and a peck on the cheek. Stories have a universal appeal, unlike cold sales which everyone hates. 

Explainer videos usually start showing the problem that their customers face, propose their solution, explain the mechanics behind how their product works for their customer, and bang, there is a CTA button at the end. They want the customers to take action immediately. Nothing wrong with this approach, except that you can make it extremely effective by more notches with storytelling. Jargon, stats, graphs, etc, can be a little too much for the average customer. 

Let your explainer video be in the form of your story that is clever, witty and drool-worthy, all at the same time. If you work with an animated explainer video production company like MotionVillee, please know that we have a lot of creative brains to help you. 

#4 Your tone:

Watch it. Do not come across as preachy or condescending. The explainer video is to lure your customers in, not ward them off, right? Have the tone you want in mind before starting. Write a short paragraph on how you want the video to sound for your customer. Is it going to be a funny video? Would it be filled with stats, graphs and serious language as it is directed at CXOs? Is it going to be a colourful video with repeat value? Having answers to these helps you set the tone for the rest of the production. Be safely assured that the animated video company you hire will take it forward from there.

#5 What’s the takeaway?

When working with an animated explainer video production company, one of their most important questions during the discovery call would be this-” What do you want your customers’ takeaway to be?” At the end of the day, your explainer video should have a lasting impact on them. The impact should be in such a way that they search for more information about your brand. 

#6 “Explain Like I’m five”

There is a Reddit thread called ‘Explain Like I’m five’, it has various questions, whose answers are difficult for the average person to understand. So someone who knows the subject will answer, but in a way that even a 5-year old can understand. This is how your explainer video should be. Working with an experienced explainer video production company gives you a distinct advantage as they know what works and what doesn’t. 

#7 Use your customer’s language:

Arbitrary, Breaking Down, Bourse, Haircut, Index, Moving Average, Pink Sheet Stocks, etc. Guess what are these? These are stock market terms. Let’s say you have a product that will help your customers trade on the stock market. Is it wise to include jargons like these? No. Not at all. If anything, it will put off the viewers. Use words that your target audience uses in their daily parlance without having to head out to grab a dictionary. Keep it as simple as possible.

#8 Emotional quotient:

Your customers are after all human beings, with flesh, bones and feelings. Our point is not to create a video that will make them howl and cry. We want you to tap into their deepest fears or make them happy, based on your product and the tonality of the video. A good animated explainer video company would be able to tap into such emotions.

#9 Keep all the elements in mind:

Your brand might have terrific blog posts and infographics. But videos are a totally different genre. Writing for video might be just a few words, but there is a lot that goes into it. For eg: account for the effects that a voice over can create. Use simple words. Each word has an impact here in videos. Tread lightly. 

#10 Mix it up:

With videos, there are a lot of elements that you can add to make it more appealing. Include animation, graphics, kinetic text, moving images, illustrations, etc, to add to its charm. Visualizing the information for the user has a lot of effect on their psyche. Professional animated explainer video production company would be able to add this and more to keep it engaging. 

Conclusion:

Before you are set to create an explainer video for your prospective customers, these are some of the things that we want you to have in mind. Another tip that we would like to add here at the end of the article is to keep editing the video to make it as succinct and impactful as possible. The narrative should have cohesion from the beginning to the end. Work with an experienced animated explainer video company like MotionVillee to get the best bang for your buck.  

Recent Posts

Get a Free Consultation

Get a Free Consultation