![]() Lessons from the front lines of corporate video scripting services We’ve been creating a ton of videos for our clients recently. And when we say “we,” we mean a team. As providers of corporate video script writing services, we’ll gather the client input and pen the script itself. Then we’ll work with/direct a number of other people, including internal resources at our clients who know how to edit video, external/freelance video editors, animators, and, as you might expect from the title of this article, voiceover artists. In fact, it’s hard to think of a video we’ve done in the last year that hasn’t utilized a professional voiceover. With all this practice, comes experience, and lessons learned we can pass along to you. Steps for creating a corporate video Unfortunately since the pandemic, we haven’t been sending out camera crews to do shoots. (Although we look forward to the day in the not-too-distant future when we can hopefully resume that practice, a lot.) This means that on-camera talking heads are limited, pragmatically, to captured Zoom call footage or other webcam input. It’s not the highest-quality video. Stock footage, on the other hand, is. So we’re using lots of stock footage to elevate the production value of the videos we help produce. That will be combined, typically, with on-screen demos of our clients’ latest offerings. There will be titles and motion graphics and animation and music, but the real thing holding it together is that voiceover. So let’s dive into what makes a good one, how you can get one, and, best of all, how you can basically get more than your money’s worth from your next one. How to script a corporate video The voiceover is really the “backbone” of your script. It’s what ties all the visuals together. The music helps to set the tone and pick up the pace. Quick note, quite literally: We’ve found, thanks to our clients’ diligent research into YouTube metrics, that most viewers will stop viewing a corporate video right around the two-minute mark. So that’s been our guideline for scripting limits. Here’s another convention we’ve discovered. Many of the two-minute corporate marketing videos we help to create follow a basic three-act structure:
All of this affects the voiceover, including the way you script it, the announcer you hire, the way you direct it, and the way they read it. This is a gross oversimplification, but it goes something like this:
Casting, booking, directing We’ve been using tons of talent from Fivver lately. We’ve been getting great talent at great prices. Not easily, mind you. You really need to listen to the demos and read the reviews and scour all the fine-print for what-they-charge-for-which. But once you assemble a stable of good talent, you’re off to the races. Some quick tips:
How to save money on video voiceovers and production We’re often getting two-minute Fivver reads for under $100, so we’re hardly complaining. That said, reworks require time and money. And here’s the important thing to bear in mind: It’s easier to cut than to add. That should be your mantra. If that video needs to time out at two minutes, but the script feels like it might come in at 2:15, record it as-is. Because, with any good, professional voiceover, it’s pretty easy to edit out, in video, passages that you no longer need. This is fast and easy and gives you a safety net. We’ll often create a “red ink” version of a script, for our editor, after the V.O. is recorded, with cut-able passages called out in color, like this: Now we’ll enter the account number—the one we got from the spreadsheet we just created. See (or rather, “hear”) the natural pause at the em-dash? That’s an easy and “invisble” break. So we’ll simply rely on the editor’s discretion to bring the project in on-time, letting them choose the “red-ink passages” they need to cut. And if you want a separate, longer version? It’s already in the can. And paid for. Get help with corporate video scripting and production We know about this stuff because we help our clients with it all the time. And they’re making a lot of money off of these videos. Everyone wins. You can, too. Contact us today to learn more and get started!
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![]() If you’re a consultant who wants to grow your business, there are certainly lots of options at your disposal. Some are complicated; some are simple. Some are pricey; some are free. If you’ve read any of our previous articles, you’ll know that we’re big fans of “simple” and “free.” That’s the topic of this article: How to boost your consulting business, in one of the simplest, and least expensive means possible. First, let’s lay down some assumptions. Techniques for boosting your consulting business For the purposes of this article, we’re going to assume that:
Pretty safe, right? Now in terms of how-low-the-fruit-is-hanging, you need to factor in another, and more universal, set of assumptions:
See where this is going...? At the other end of this spectrum, you’ll see—you’ll know—that:
So far, so logical. Right? Let’s continue this exploration. It’s easy. It’s fun. On the media side of things, it doesn’t take much brainpower to realize that:
So what’s on the other end of this spectrum? What is, well, free?
Hmmm. Putting all this together, we’ve arrived at a very simple, and cost-free solution:
Okay. That’s a great start. It’s also not rocket science. Why this article? (And no, it’s not just to see “how many bullet points we could cram into a single blog.”) First off, we can narrow down the above solution. Let’s nix the phoning. That’s hard for you; worse, it’s intrusive for your existing clients. So we’re back to email. Free. Easy. Minimally invasive, as a surgeon would say. But how do you make this work? The soft touch We should lump in with “existing clients” another group: “recent clients.” Those are ones that are at risk of going cold. Indeed, they’re the prime target of what we’re about to suggest. And what we’re about to suggest couldn’t be simpler: Send them an email. But it’s not that simple, of course. (Otherwise, this would be a one-sentence article.) In any direct-response campaign (and that’s effectively what this is), there are three primary factors: 1) The quality of the list. 2) The quality of the offer. 3) The quality of the outreach/vehicle itself. In this exercise, you’ve already got 1) completed. That’s your list of prospects who need to keep you top-of-mind. That’s an important assumption here. They may have other options besides turning to you, including that most insidious of options: attempting to do it themselves. Makes you shudder, doesn’t it? So you want your name to be top-of-mind with them, so that when the time comes, they naturally think of you. This gets to what would be the fourth item on the list above: Timing. All of this is starting to coalesce now. Ask yourself: What’s a good interval for them to be reminded that you’re available? We like to use extremes to help find the middle ground. Example: Should you email them every single day? Of course not. Conversely, should you email them once a year? Of course not. Monthly. That’s good. It’s a nice frequency. So you now have the list. And you have the timing. All that remains—and this is not to diminish it, because it’s arguably the most important part—is the offer and the way you present it. Here’s what we suggest. Unlike typical advertising or direct response, this one is very soft. Very subtle. And as un-obtrusive as possible. That’s because you don’t know what that prospect needs (if anything) at that given moment. Nor do you know the timing for what they may need in the future. You simply need to stay on their radar. So that’s, basically, the content of your email. Send it out on the first business day of the month. And say something like “Happy August! Here’s hoping this finds you well. Should you need our services this month, simply write back. We’d be happy to help.” We like to add, as a postscript, a link to our latest blog article that would be helpful for them. And that’s it. Send it out. Each month. Don’t expect a flood of replies—or any—for any given month. This is what’s known as a “drip campaign.” Since these are people you’ve served recently, you’re allowed to email them. If they want to opt out, they can. And whenever you speak to new prospects, and they seem to be on the fence or giving you the “Not now,” simply ask them: “Hey. Mind if we add you to our monthly check-in list? It’s just a little email that says ‘Happy August,’ or whatever. You don’t even have to reply. It’s just so that we stay top-of-mind for you.” Ninety-five percent of the time, they’ll say, “Sure.” Building your business by email And here’s the thing. These things work. We know. We use them. And you shouldn’t be shocked to learn that we’ll often get a reply to, say, a “Happy January” note... in May. Happens all the time. These prospects are jammed. But they remember those monthly check-in’s. So they grab whichever one they can find, click “Reply,” and bang. You’ve got new business. Mind you, this is only one tiny prong of a multi-pronged outreach approach. But it’s a good one. Need help promoting and growing your business? Contact us. We’d love to help you, just as we help so many others. |
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