How to Write a YouTube Script? – by Word Philocaly
In this article, we will share with you how to write a YouTube script to ultimately save you time and create better videos.
Word Philocaly had a question come in recently, and Natalie asked, “How to write a YouTube script.” That’s a great question, and excited to dive in and share with you precisely what you should do for your YouTube scripts; how the scripts help you shoot better videos.
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How to Write a YouTube Script with Hook, Content, and Call to Action
The generic answer of how you write a YouTube script or any marketing videos would be the hook, content, and call to action.
A script really can be as simple as writing down or typing all your content out. What is it that you want to share in the video? That’s going to be the main chunk of your video is that content.
Now before that, you may want to think about a hook. The hook is the very beginning of the video when you tell your audience what they’re going to learn or gain from watching this video. For example, at the very beginning of a video, you can say:
“Now, before pressing record on your video, there’s actually a lot of work and preparation that goes into it. So today, I’ll share the five things that you need to do before shooting your next YouTube video to get more views and to get more done in less time.”
Someone who wants more views and wants to get more done in less time is going to stick around and see what you have to say. So that’s now at the front of your script.
You then have your content, and at the very end, you’re going to have a call to action.
One of the best ways for the YouTube algorithm to be on your side is to keep viewers on the platform. So at the end of every video that you do on YouTube, you usually say,
“Hey, if you enjoyed this video, then you’ll probably really enjoy this video that we’re going to recommend. So if you click on the screen right now, you can go and watch that.”
And this helps our videos get in that YouTube algorithm ranking and search and getting in those suggested videos. Now that you understand the format and general idea of the script, let’s really dive into the details of how to do this.
Two Ways to Write Your Scripts for YouTube Videos
There are really two different ways to write a script. The first way would be word for word, and the second way would be to use bullet points.
1. Word-for-word YouTube Video Scripts
Word for word would be writing your script out, precisely what you’re going to say from start to finish. Then you would look at it, you would memorize it, and you would say the script back to your camera.
So this is an excellent option for people just getting started, and they have good memorization, and maybe they can’t get really freestyle in front of the camera. This is also a great way to write out your hook at the beginning of the video.
People often write out their hook word for word because it’s so important. They really spend a lot of time thinking about the words they will use to hook in the audience. So, when it comes to the hook, most people always do that word for word.
There are also some cons to writing a script word for word. You know, it can get pretty long, and it can take a lot of time if you’re not using bullet points and you’re typing everything out. As a result, it will take a bit longer to write it out.
And then also when you’re filming it, you may have some issues, and you may need to keep looking down or looking at your script to talk to the camera. So you can memorize it.
It usually takes a bit longer to nail the video when shooting it when you write your word-for-word script. If you have a teleprompter, then word for word script would work perfectly for you. But if not, like I said, this is great for beginners and people who can’t get really freestyle.
Maybe you’re not comfortable in front of the camera yet. Then you might need to use this method. Eventually, over time, you can start using bullet points.
So this would be the goal: use word-for-word scripts while you’re getting started; over time, start to use bullet points; finally, you can start freestyle and practice that more.
Our encouragement is that if you’re writing it word for word, and you’re not using bullet points and just memorizing the lines, try this in your next video next time. While doing word for word, choose one or two things that you’re really confident about, try doing that in a bullet point, and just freestyling and see how it works.
We’re not saying that you should do this for the entire video, but just for a bit chunk of the video will help build up your confidence. And you will know that you can actually make bullet points. You can freestyle to the camera, and that you’re able to do it.
But start a little bit at a time, and then eventually, your whole video, you may be able to use bullet points and freestyle and talk to the camera.
Coming up next, we will talk about bullet points and how you can use that for your script. Then, we’re going to share a hack with you that will help you get more likes by implementing this into your script. It’s also going to help you with increasing your audience retention rate.
2. Bullet Points for YouTube Video Scripts
Bullet points are what many people use on their scripts when it comes to the content part and the call to the action part. It is because most YouTube video creators feel comfortable freestyling to the camera and talking using bullet points.
If you can just talk to the camera and freestyle, then we definitely do recommend bullet points. But again, this takes some time to get used to being in front of the camera. So, take your time, be patient with yourself.
But this is definitely a great way to do it, and people found bullet points to be most productive for them when shooting their YouTube videos.
Bullet points don’t have to be in complete sentences. You just have to write down the main points that you want to talk about. Some bullet points can be short, and some can be a bit longer. It really just depends on you and how much you need.
Sometimes, you need more words to read before you talk to the camera and shoot the video. You may want to read the bullet points before talking to the camera. This helps refresh your memory so that you don’t miss an important point when talking to the camera.
You definitely want to experiment with this. You might be able to just make concise bullet points with your main points. As for some people, sometimes they need a bit longer sentences, which helps them memorize them better. To find out what works best for you.
Hook and Call to Action Are Crucial!
Now this bonus tip that we mentioned to you earlier about getting more likes and increasing audience retention rate with your script –incorporating another call to action before the end.
In fact, it is actually more of the middle, maybe 75% of the way through the video, where you ask people to like the video and comment down below. These things can actually help you get more likes just by asking the audience to like the video. The audience might then like the video, leave a comment, and view your other videos –they are great for the YouTube algorithm.
The other thing you want to do here makes it another hook. You can tease what is coming up in the video by telling your audience what benefits they can take away from your video.
So when you’re shooting YouTube videos, find ways that may be in the middle, 60 to 70% of the way through, to tell your audience what’s coming up so that they don’t get bored and click off. Instead, you want to make them stick to the end, and they want to listen to what you have to say.
Of course, yes, you can use a hook at the very beginning. But it’s also good to remind your audience what’s coming up in the video, so they stick around.
For your call to action, you can simply just make one bullet point; for example, ask your audience to click on the following video you want to send them to. Let’s say we want to turn this article into a YouTube video with the same title; our call to action will be as such:
“At the end of the video, you can click on the screen right now to learn how to come up with good video ideas for YouTube. I hope you guys enjoyed this video. I’ll see you in the next one.”
How to Write a YouTube Script – Get Support from Word Philocaly
In YouTube videos, you just have a few seconds to pique the audience’s attention before they lose it permanently. You must make an impression straight away, and there is little room for mistake. Especially when you consider how much it costs to make a fantastic video.
While animation, colors, and voice-overs are crucial, the foundation of every compelling marketing video is excellent scriptwriting. Hiring our professional script writing service will ensure that your YouTube videos get likes, shares, audience, and, most importantly – customers! Get in touch with our representative today.
