by Jace Vernon | May 10, 2016 | video
Set the Stage to Strategic Storytelling
In my recent article How to Write a Perfect Script, I went over several technical aspects of script writing and touched on the importance of storytelling. I discussed 5 Key Elements and the importance of following the Made to Stick Principles.
A second article, 7 Reasons Whiteboard Storytelling Builds Business, also addressed how critical a good story is in your whiteboard video, but both of those articles don’t tell you how to actually write a selling story.
This post does.
I now invite you to connect with your right brain and…get…creative!
Don’t be scared.
Even as a seasoned writer, when put on the spot to “come up with a great story” on the fly, I sometimes draw a blank at first and even feel a little inadequate at times; it’s natural!
When I first started working for Ydraw I watched the videos in awe and revered our creative directors and their brains that just spouted magical metaphors..all..the..time!
I haven’t watched one single video that doesn’t catch my attention and make me smile. I mean, a prison for husbands and boyfriends who buy bad gifts? Who comes up with that-that’s brilliant!! Lesa Thomas, I salute you…along with the rest of the Ydraw goldmine team of writers!
I found myself thinking “I just don’t have that kind of a brain!”
Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m a talented writer. I’ve won several awards over the years and am on the verge of publishing a novel, but my primary background has been in memoir, honoring leaders and making people cry. But fun and quirky? That was fairly new territory for me.
Sometimes it can be harder to inspire genuine guttural laughter than warm fuzzies and tears with the written word. Many people (like me) are afraid of “trying too hard” and being that annoying person who gets crickets and eye rolls after a failed attempt at humor. There really is a fine line between being funny and being obnoxious.
Don’t let that stop you!
Creativity isn’t exclusive to advertising executives, fantasy writers, and comedians. The authors of Made to Stick say that creativity can be learned. I agree, and add that humor can be learned too. It just takes a little research, practice and following steps that have been proven to work.
When I took this job I took it with a staunch resolve to succeed! I did my research, asked a bunch of questions, dug into my existing bag of literary tricks and started utilizing tactics provided by my new cohorts, and guess what? With a little exercise and practice, I found out I really do have “that kind of a brain”.
I’m here to share some of those secrets along with other helpful hints to help you write a really great story that sells!
Where a selling story is more than just entertaining word vomit, I’m going to break the instructions into two posts. After all, I told you I’m here to tell you how to write a quality story to showcase your business. Where it isn’t as scary as it may sound and is definitely doable, it takes effort and a lot of strategic thought to write a really good marketing story.
This post will help you set the stage to strategic storytelling and provide structure; next week’s post will help you develop descriptive details to delight your audience and teach you how to access creativity you’ve had within you all along!
I love writing stories and believe in the process I’m about to share with you.
I just may give you homework!
1-Set Your Intentions Before You Set the Stage
Free thinking writing where you just let your brain go has it’s place and can be fun. Chances are, however, that you’re writing your story with a purpose in mind so save the expressive energy for a step later on down the line. It’s time to set your intentions and build a solid foundation.
Kimberly Smith provides 4 great suggestions to help you prepare to write your story in her book Once Upon a Marketing Message: How to Craft Stories that Sell.
I took her points and put my own spin on them. Most of these have already been addressed in other articles, but they are worth mentioning again.
- 1-Establish your goal.
What do you want your audience to do after they watch your video? How will the video encourage them to do what you want them to do?
- 2-Understand your audience.
Make sure you understand who you’re targeting and what kind of story would speak to them. Where it would be nice to be universally appealing, keep in mind you want to really connect with online “shoppers” who are looking for what you have but don’t know that they want your product or services yet. The target audience for Buffalo Wild Wings is slightly different than the target audience for The Cheesecake Factory. Both serve amazing food and both are wildly popular, but think about the atmosphere and experience at both places. They definitely draw in different crowds, even though some of the same people will frequent both places. They will just experience a different kind of dining at each place. Don’t just understand your audience in general but narrow it down and write a story to a specific “person” or avatar. Follow the steps in the article Script Writing 101: Know Your Audience to help there.
- 3-Know how you want your audience to feel.
Do you want to get them discouraged about a problem so they will love the solution you have to offer? Do you want to pump them up and motivate them to embark on a new adventure or make a lifestyle change with your services? Do you want them to select your establishment as a place they will unwind after a long day or week when they’re overwhelmed with life? Figure out which emotion(s) you want to trigger during each phase of your story. How do you want them to feel and what is going to get them motivated to answer your call to action?
- 4-Uncover what will elicit the feelings.
Picture different scenarios where the desired emotions could be triggered. Keep them in mind as you write your story
2-Develop an Outline to Set the Stage
Kim Smith also provides the following suggested parts of your story. These are helpful as you organize a basic outline/timeline to build on.
- 1-Introduce the Characters
You need a small cast including a main protagonist your audience can connect with as well as a challenger. Where your story will be about overcoming something, there needs to be a challenger whether it be another person, an illness, a natural disaster or creature from another planet..whatever..just come up with and introduce your hero and your challenger. At this point you should know your specific target audience or avatar, so create a character they can relate to.
- 2-Set the Scene
Put your characters in a place your audience will understand. Are they at home, at work, in the jungle? Where are they going? Where will they end up?
- 3-Lay Down the Stakes
Simply put, what is the problem and why must it be overcome?
- 4-Develop Some Drama
This goes right along with laying down the stakes and understanding how you want your audience to feel. Create some dramatic events that will evoke desired emotions.
- 5-Resolve the Issues
Resolve the issues (drama) realistically. Keep the story in mind and please, though you’re writing the story for a purpose, do NOT make it pitchy! You will lose credibility and possibly even lose your audience. This takes practice but it can be done. Look at other stories that have sold you and keep those in mind.
- 6-Wrap it Up
We naturally like to see things resolved in the end. Now that Jimmy has his finances fixed or has lost 60 pounds, show him at a beach enjoying the fruits of his efforts. With Jenny’s newly found health, show her in running clothes with a race medal around her neck. Make sure you have a nice clean ending unless, of course, you want to leave a cliff hanger for a potential sequel…that can be good too!
3-Finalize Your Outline
Now that your strategy is set, clean it up into an outline of how it will go from start to finish. Don’t worry about perfecting it or having details quite yet, just make your outline clear and make sure your call to action is in focus.
Homework time! By next time have an outline typed up on a word document. Come back and I will give you tips on how to bring your outline to life in a selling story! Challenge issued but not required to read part 2. 😉
Until then, happy writing! Thanks for your time!
by Ydraw | May 9, 2016 | Explainer Video, video, Whiteboard Video
Video Marketing is seen as one of the most effective ways for brands to reach new prospects and engage clients without having to break the bank. While there are plenty of different formats to choose from, one of the quickest ways to implement this marketing strategy is through “Whiteboard Animation”.
The reason whiteboard animation is so praised by the marketing community comes down to two factors: 1-ease of production and 2-higher conversation rates. We’ll dive into the details below as to why whiteboard animation has been so successful over the years, and how to effectively incorporate it into your marketing strategies.
What is Whiteboard Animation?
I’m sure by now you’ve already seen these videos whether you have been surfing YouTube or scrolling down your Facebook Newsfeed. Essentially, whiteboard animation are the videos that “draw out” an image while a voice over explains what is going on.
Whiteboard animation focuses on ‘one thought per frame’ and advances the storyline with a heavier emphasis on the voice over than on the graphics. This doesn’t mean that the graphics are less important, it simply means that the voice over is responsible for a lot of the storytelling.
For the most part, brands like to utilize a ‘hand graphic’ that is drawing out the picture while the voice over occurs. This is implemented to give it a ‘motion graphics feel’ while not requiring the same effort to produce.
Cost Efficient Means of Marketing
Due to the fact that it requires less effort to produce these types of videos, the associated price tag is significantly lower. While you can get whiteboard explainer videos for as little as $50 USD per 30 seconds, or in some cases even cheaper, it is important to look for the best deal that provides both cost efficiency and quality.
Nonetheless, compared to other video formats, whiteboard explainer videos are definitely the most cost efficient means of marketing. For brands that have a limited budget and would still like to utilize video within their marketing campaigns, whiteboard animation is definitely the most cost effective manner to achieve this.
In addition, the timeframe required to create these videos is significantly shorter, meaning that you can have your message polished and ready to be presented to the masses much more quickly.
High Engagement with Simple Imagery
Another fantastic benefit of whiteboard explainer videos comes down to engagement. As opposed to Motion Graphic-oriented explainer videos, whiteboard animation guides the eyes of the viewer to specific points.
When the image is being revealed within the video, only portions of it appear at a time in the attempt to convince the viewer that the image is being ‘drawn’ out. This achieves two things:
1. It triggers the curiosity factor in your prospects who will continue to look at the video while the image is being revealed.
2. It keeps them engaged and more susceptible to your marketing message. Since the V.O. is pretty much giving meaning to the imagery, people are more inclined to sit through the entire presentation and the images tend to have a greater impact as a result.
Visual imagery is one of the best ways to captivate your audience, allowing them to be receptive to your message and helping drive up both engagement and conversions.
Ease of Production
As mentioned, the production of whiteboard explainer videos is much simpler than other mediums such as Motion Graphics or Real Footage. This is due to the fact that you are essentially working with ‘still images’ and applying minor motion to the frame to give it that dynamic feel.
In most cases, production companies will create a visual storyline with a set of images based on the V.O. script. Each frame will have one major idea attached to it represented in the form of a picture. While the voice over in the frame explains the point, the ‘animation’ will be drawn onto the frame to reinforce the message.
Each new frame will reveal another image and the voice over will guide the viewer through the storyline. Once the visual story has been established, it comes down to synchronizing it with the voice over.
This is the main reason whiteboard animation is so cost efficient, where a savvy video producer would be able to create a compelling video in a much shorter timeframe. It also requires a lot less processing power to create these videos meaning less expensive equipment is needed.
Where to Utilize Whiteboard Explainer Videos
Whiteboard animation serves multiple purposes, from selling, adding depth and value to your brand and of course, ‘explaining things’.
For the most part, brands utilize whiteboard animation as an introduction to their product or brand. These videos are mostly implemented on landing pages, home pages and of course for mass marketing on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook to name a few.
When utilizing it on your homepage, you can exceed the industry standard of 90 seconds. For the most part, the 90-second rule applies to videos when its purpose is to reach new prospects, however when prospects lands on your homepage, they have already developped an interest in your brand or company website, so exceeding this ‘rule of thumb’ is permitted.
You would rather provide them with a 2-3-minute video that gives them a deeper understanding of what you do than 90 seconds where they could still be kept wondering exactly what it is you do.
When we talk about Whiteboard Explainer Videos for marketing or selling, you’ll want to keep it below 90 seconds. This is due to the fact that your video needs to compete with other videos, and keeping it short has shown to increase engagement and conversions.
Depending on your need, you will adapt your whiteboard animation purposes accordingly.
Key Take Aways
Whiteboard animation has become a staple in the video marketing world due to the fact that it is cost efficient, easy to produce and still maintains stellar engagement and click through rates. If you find yourself on a tight budget and still want to get into the world of video marketing, then Whiteboard Explainer Videos are definitely a great starting point.
by Jace Vernon | May 5, 2016 | video
How Getting Your Audience Into a Story Can Increase Revenue
The weekend is almost here!
For most, weekends are times to relax and unwind from the day-to-day stresses that are part of a productive week. They are characterized by events, busier roads, packed restaurants, increased movie ticket sales and red box rentals.
One of the most popular activities is to sit in a cool dark theater and be consumed by actions on the big screen and surround sound.
What makes going to the movies so popular? Why do people line up, sometimes for hours, to sit and eat over-priced greasy food in a room full of strangers and spend about two hours watching something that is not real?
Because–everyone needs a break once in a while!
Taking a break is not only enjoyable but imperative to maintain a healthy life balance and mental state.
One of the best ways to take a break is to get lost in a story.
People are naturally drawn to stories because they provide a quick and easy temporary escape from pressing deadlines or situations.
Whiteboard storytelling is so attractive because it plays on the human tendency to pause and get wrapped up in a story.
Here are 7 reasons whiteboard storytelling can help you build your business.
1-Whiteboard Storytelling Gets Past the Infamous 9 Second Attention Span
How long is your attention span? Maybe a better question is, do you have a smart phone? Followed by “How long can you go without picking your smart phone up?”–be honest here.
I admit that unless I’m on a date with someone I really like, I will check or at least think about checking my iPhone at least every 45 minutes–and that’s only if I’m in the middle of something important like a work meeting or if I’m at a movie theater where I can subtly peek in my purse to see if something earth shattering has come across my tiny iPhone screen once or twice. Otherwise, it is conveniently at my side where I can be alerted the instant someone reaches out to me.
I think I can safely say I’m not alone in my iPhone dependence.
We live in a society where we are blessed to have access to almost any information we want in the palms of our hands. It’s a blessing but also a curse where we are constantly bombarded with so much, that we have become almost expert at weeding things out quickly.
In Jace Vernon’s article Today’s Double Down Audience he mentions that recent studies show online viewers have an attention span of 9 seconds! And that’s only if they come across something they find interesting enough to pause and actually take a real look.
Think about it. Think about how you scroll through your Facebook feed or Instagram, scanning what your thousands of friends find important at that particular moment and how you mechanically show your virtual approval with “likes”. Think about what goes through your head as you settle on a YouTube video to watch.
Now think about how you would react to a video set up as a story. Chances are you do pause.
Then you see a hand quickly drawing a concerned looking man and you wonder what he’s worried about. You watch intently as the hand draws a house on the screen..and then…FLAMES coming out of the house! OH NO!! You feel anxious for this poor cartoon man as you sit glued to the screen long enough to see that happily, in the end, the angst on his face is replaced with peace and satisfaction because ABCD Insurance had his home repaired without a hitch.
Your attention span went from 9 seconds to about 90 because you got involved in a story.
2-Stories Distract Us From Noise Around Us.
I just illustrated this point a little with the man and the burning house. Your focus was on learning the outcome of the firey disaster despite other things that are always in the background or just a click away. You were distracted from those distractions long enough to zero in on one story.
Author Jonathan Gottschall wrote, “The human mind is a wanderer by nature. The daydream is the mind’s default state.”
Stories help us focus on one thing and, in most cases, we enjoy it! The mind can still be in that “default state” and sometimes even learn something in the process when it is drawn into a Once Upon a Time kind of setting.
It’s human nature to appreciate being taken away from our distractions and escape into a story. Even a sad or frightening tale is enough to temporarily remove us from our current reality and give our brains a break from all the other noise that is constantly present.
3-The Brain Connects with Patterns, Pictures, and Stories
With so much information being thrown at us to process, the human brain copes by using past experiences to categorize things into little boxes that it can understand and relate to. One way it does this is by connecting patterns, pictures and stories to the new information provided.
In one of Ydraw’s favorite references, the book, Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath provide two different explanations of what a pomelo is on page 53 to illustrate how people use past experience to understand new information.
- “Explanation 1: A pomelo is the largest citrus fruit. The rind is very thick but soft and easy to peel away. The resulting fruit has a light yellow to coral pink flesh and can vary from juicy to slightly dry and from seductively spicy-sweet to tangy and tart.”
- “Explanation 2: A pomelo is basically a supersized grapefruit with a very thick and soft rind”
Chances are you’ve never tried a pomelo. Explanation 1 is very detailed, but “spicy-sweet” could describe anything from sweet and sour chicken to cinnamon bears to, what it is really similar to which is a grapefruit. With Explanation 2, you have a better idea of what to expect when you prepare to bite into a refreshing and tangy pomelo–because chances are very high that you’ve actually tried a grapefruit before.
With this example, you are able to take something you’re familiar with to better understand something you aren’t.
A primary goal of your whiteboard video is to get your audience to see themselves successfully utilizing your product or service.
Where on average, you have 30 seconds to 2 minutes to get your point across, you don’t have the luxury of putting in all the nitty gritty details necessary to do justice to what you are trying to promote.
Give your audience metaphors or situations they can relate to so you don’t have to recreate the wheel.
With whiteboard storytelling, you can portray a scenario general yet specific enough that your target audience can use past experiences to see and themselves in the story you present. Mission 1.. accomplished!
4-Stories Appeal to Senses and Emotions
Imagine a video like this:
- Scene 1: A triangle tent is drawn and then a campfire next to it. Dark blue pops onto the screen around a bright yellow crescent moon and a couple stars. The soundtrack is crickets, the crackle of fire and distant singing to an out of tune guitar.
- Scene 2: A griddle is drawn with two strips of bacon and two eggs sunny side up. The soundtrack is sizzling and popping and a faint sound of a brook in the background.
What did you experience when you read that?
Could you smell the bacon cooking and did it make your stomach growl? Could you smell the pine trees, crackling fire and taste marshmallow from the s’mores you consumed before curling up on the cold hard ground? Could you smell the nylon tent mixed with bug spray?
Did your heart lift and sink because your Grandpa John, may he rest in peace, loved to sing around the campfire and play his guitar that was never in tune? Did you feel the cool mountain air, the warmth of the rising sun and a rush of freedom that came from being away from the office for a few days?
My guess is, even just reading the scenes helped you experience some sort of flashback or emotion. I did while writing it! Though I just explained a fraction of a story, it is set up in a way where the mind can fill in the blanks with past memories and experience. The escape into a story already exists right there!
Storytelling in detail that appeals to the senses will almost always conjure some kind of emotion. Senses and emotion go hand in hand. For example, when I hear the song “Return to Pooh Corner” or smell Irish Spring soap I instantly get teary-eyed because those things trigger subconscious memories of my dad who died when I was young.
People buy into things that trigger the right emotions.
Narratives are everywhere–and as a marketer, that’s a very good thing–since narratives that appeal to the senses and emotions really do sell!
5-Storytelling Influences People’s Actions
In most cases, if someone stops on a video, they are curious about something in the description (so you better use the right key words and title–more on that another day). They are watching your video to help them make a decision, generally about putting their money and/or time into something new.
Reason 5 is a compact way of reminding you that when people hear stories that trigger emotions they will act one way or another whether it be clicking off your video or clicking the link under your video for more information.
Keep the story interesting enough that they will want to know more and ACT on your call to action.
6-Facts Tell Stories Sell
You’ve got seven seconds to sell your audience on watching more of your video. This is not the time to bog them down with facts–start with a story!
By now you should have an idea in mind of what kinds of characters and what your basic plot will be for your video.
You’re not even close to being done..
WHAT?!
Seriously–you need more than one “story” in your video.
What I mean is that besides the main narrative, you also need sub-stories, like a line about how your business started. You definitely need testimonials from outsiders who briefly share their experiences with your company. Testimonials are like mini one liner autobiographies.
Don’t go overboard but definitely, add more for your audience to chew on with a mini “story” or two.
Save your bulleted facts for your website; let your stories sell you and your business.
7-People Like to Share Stories—So Why Not Your Video?
Finally, another primary goal is for your video to get watched..and get watched a lot!
People love to share stories, particularly if those stories make them smile, laugh, or shock them.
Where word of mouth is the most trusted form of advertising, make sure your video story is the caliber that your audience will want to spread the word about by sharing your video.
In closing, I just want to remind you that whiteboard storytelling can be fun! Stretch your brain and come up with relatable stories that will keep your audience captivated and give them a great and lasting impression of you and your company.
I just gave you the WHY of using whiteboard storytelling; check in next week for tips on HOW you do it!
Thank you for your time. I hope these 7 Reasons Whiteboard Storytelling Builds Business have given you something to think about as your business continues to grow!
by Jace Vernon | Apr 28, 2016 | Animated Whiteboard Videos, Creative Marketing, Explainer Video, how to make a whiteboard animation, Marketing, Training Videos, video, Video Marketing, Whiteboard animation
Why They Need to Stop and How Ydraw Can Help
Why do businesses create boring videos?
It’s a given that not all information is going to have people on the edge of their seats, especially when it comes to business content. Ideas, concepts and new products need and deserve exposure for sure, and video is a great way to make it happen.
But seriously..where is the logic behind investing time and money into something with no entertainment value whatsoever–even if it happens to be informative? At best, people are forced to watch and try to digest it, and worst case, it gets completely ignored and/or even criticized. Boring videos can be a waste of your viewers’ and your time.
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
Think about your life. Think about your typical routine from how you feel when your alarm clock goes off, to getting up and ready, to starting work whether you work in an office, from home, or on the road. Think about what you do and where your mind and mood are at different times throughout the day.
Now think about how you feel when you take a quick break to check your phone and surf the web, Facebook or YouTube. What kinds of things catch your attention and what will you skip over?
Finally, think of yourself at the end of the day. How does your brain feel? What do you want to think about and what do you want to avoid? Chances are, the last thing you want to do as you unwind is sit and watch some boring video explaining…anything. In fact, if you come across dry information not only are you likely to quickly move past it, you might also be slightly annoyed by it.
Boring Videos = Lost Messages = Lost Money
I think I can fairly speak for the general population and reiterate what has been said on this site before when I say that people just don’t like boring videos!
And yet, they keep getting produced. They’re everywhere! From promoting the latest scientific wonder of a supplement to hit the shelves to teaching employees about harassment policies, to rounding up support for a cause that will save the world; these important, informative and boring videos are being created, not watched…and…messages….are….getting…lost!
We all know that video is by far one of the best ways to market a product or idea. People remember more when visual is combined with audio, so yes, please, make videos and use them to put your point across. Just be sure those videos are attention-grabbing so any time and money you invest into them doesn’t go down the drain.
Entertaining Videos Can Make You Money
I get it; there are some pieces of critical information that just aren’t that interesting but can be if you present them the right way. Entertaining marketing and corporate videos can definitely make you money!
Marketing: It’s obvious how an entertaining video can help sell just about anything. Marketing is all about catching and keeping the attention of clients or potential clients as a message is delivered. With all the competition out there, you’ve got to be creative to get noticed!
Corporate: How can corporate videos be profitable? Good guestion. They’re necessary and people generally get paid to watch them. Step one is getting colleagues and/or staff to watch the video. Step two is keeping them engaged so they actually remember what it’s all about.
If your training videos are interesting enough, your employees will pay attention, remember what they’ve been taught and actually act on it. If they make your employees smile or laugh–even better! Happy employees who know what they’re doing, love their jobs and think their company is cool, work harder by default. When they work harder, production goes up and you make more money.
If your concept catches your colleagues’ attention you’re more likely to get their support. More support means more recognition and in most cases more recognition leads to…you guessed it…more money.
Ydraw Can Take the Boring Out of Boring Videos
Ydraw videos are well known for their high-quality art and quirky storylines that keep audiences engaged. It’s no secret that we pride ourselves on the effectiveness of our entertaining videos.
From the perfect script to entertaining storylines, to captivating artwork to the voices that bring it to life; the Ydraw team of experts is on a mission to stop the epidemic of boring videos!
As our client, we ask that you be open to our suggestions as we work together to make sure your audience isn’t bored. That way we can deliver an entertaining, memorable share-worthy video that will help your company produce amazing results and increased revenue.
Thank you for reading Why Businesses Create Boring Videos!
by Jace Vernon | Apr 22, 2016 | video, Writing a Script
How Can You Produce the Right Message and Get Magical Results?
Let’s talk scripting. How can you write a perfect script?
Simply put, no script=no video, bad script=bad video.
Over the years Ydraw has published (and will continue to publish) posts about script writing since the topic is so important and sometimes can be a hard one to truly grasp.
Your script is the framework or skeleton and life’s blood of a video that will deliver your core message to your audience and draw them in to learn more about you and your company.
I may be stating the obvious here, but everything else that is done with your video, from scene planning to art to voice over, follows and builds on your script. Unscripted delivery is called improv and that only works on stage or on the sales floor.
Whether you’re working with one of our creative directors/script writers or writing on your own, following the six guidelines in this article will save you time and frustration during the script writing process and help you create a perfect and effective script for your video.
1-Know Your Audience and Speak To Them..not At Them.
You have a product or service that will change peoples’ lives and the world deserves to know everything about it! Right?? Wrong!!
Let’s face it, your audience is priority #1 so before you start bullet-pointing all you have to offer, make sure you really understand who you’re trying to reach, put yourself in their shoes, and see how long you’d be willing to listen to your own message.
What is your audience dealing with, how can you help them, what will make them listen to you and why should they? If you were them, what would catch and keep your attention?
Create a fictional person or avatar. Know everything about him or her—write to connect with that “person”.
As a professional writer, whether I’m writing scripts, blogs, articles, screenplays or a full blown novel, I’ve noticed my best work is done when I put my ego aside and find a specific target or “person” to write to. It helps me write in a way that creates a much deeper connection with my audience as a whole.
In the article Script Writing 101: Know Your Audience, Ydraw Creative Director Linne Marsh goes into detail about how to identify your audience and how to gain trust and interest by showing that a product or service you have can “ease their pain”. She also warns against going off on tangents that could drive potential customers away.
2-Include Five Key Elements in Your Script:
These elements are your structure and must be included somewhere in your script, no matter what and no matter how. You can be creative and hint at or even combine some of the elements (your B-Problem can also be your A-Header depending on how you write it) but make sure you incorporate all five.
- A-Header: Have a powerful header or hook to draw your audience in.
- B-Problem: Clearly identify a problem your audience can relate to.
- C-Solution: Show how your product, service or idea will remedy that problem.
- D-Testimonial or Proof: Provide testimonials or an example of when or how it has worked for others.
- E-Call to Action or Offer: Invite your audience to buy, click a link, send an email or make a call, whatever it is you want them to do, at least once during your video.
3-Follow the Made to Stick Principles:
Jace Vernon wrote an in-depth article called 5 Step Guide to Writing A Script the “Made to Stick” Way about one of his favorite marketing tools; The Made to Stick Model by Chip and Dan Heath. Read the book. If not the book, at least read or re-read Jace’s article—it is well worth your time!
Put these tried and true Made to Stick guidelines listed below into practice and you will see results!
- A-Simple: Save the nitty gritty details of your product, business or people until after you’ve gotten your audience wanting to know more. Keep your message clear, simple and relatable.
- B-Unexpected: Have an element of surprise to your message to catch and keep attention. Have fun with this. Use off the wall ideas or metaphors, unexpected facts and definitely include humor when you can!
- C-Concrete: Create a very clear picture of your message for the audience. Avoid being too abstract.
- D-Credible: Use statistics or authorities/experts to validate the benefits of what you are offering.
- E-Emotional: Playing to your audience’s emotions is so critical! People remember messages when they feel something during delivery. So many decisions are made emotionally!
- F-Stories: Make sure your script has an engaging story your audience will get involved with and want to watch through to the end.
4-Write in Memorable Scenes
We love what we do and we love our videos! What isn’t to love about watching a cartoon being drawn and listening to an entertaining story, right?
Where making people smile is definitely right at the top of our list, the reason we are here is to help you market your message. If too much focus is on creating a captivating cartoon, your message could get lost in the art of your video.
Keep in mind, the human brain thinks in pictures.
This is why Ydraw videos are done in shorter scenes rather than one long visually stimulating story.
For example, say you want to market a program to help with finances. It could look like this:
- Scene 1: A family of five is having financial struggles.
- Scene 2: Your amazing program can help them organize their finances just like it has helped dozens of others.
- Scene 3: The family uses your program and they are able to afford a trip to Disneyland.
- Scene 4: Invite your audience to call the number on the screen and talk to a financial expert NOW!
Of course there would be a lot more to the script, but if you focus on the main points, put them into scenes and write catering to those scenes, your audience is going to walk away remembering what you want them to remember.
5-Write with Pictures in Mind
Writing a whiteboard script is very different than just about any type of writing. You have a short period of time to tell a story while it’s being drawn to life on the screen before your audience’s eyes.
Yes, your script is the foundation and most critical part of your video, but the pictures are what people see and remember–and that’s why you’re here.
As you think of your scene, think of potential accompanying visuals and write only what will be said by the voice over artist.
The beauty of whiteboard video is that pictures do a lot of the explaining for you and this cuts down on your word count. A good rule of thumb for word count is to keep it between 150-160 words per minute. Writing that way might be more challenging than you think but you’ll notice much more clear and memorable messages as you write with the pictures in mind.
6-Make Sure Your Script Isn’t Boring
There are enough boring things to read and watch in this world.
Clients admittedly come to us with necessary but less than exciting products and services. We make learning about somewhat mundane things un-boring with metaphors, humor and unexpected twists.
Enlist the right side of your brain and add life and character to your message so it grabs and keeps attention, is memorable, and makes magic that encourages potential clients want to learn more about your business and you!
Thank you for reading “How to Write a Perfect Script”
To dig even deeper, read the articles below.
How to Write for Corporate Video
Newest Video Scribing Video | 3 Ways to Improve the Script
5 Step Guide to Writing a Script the “Made to Stick” Way
Script Writing 101: Know Your Audience
Video Script Writing: Another Form of Selling
Script Writing Infographic
3 Steps to Creating a Perfect Whiteboard Animation Script
The Elements of a Great Script | Meet Ydraw’s Scripting Team
by Jace Vernon | Apr 15, 2016 | video
Does Your Business Really Slow Down during Summer or Are You Missing an Opportunity to Keep it Growing?
Ah, summer! The very word brings images of freedom and soaking up the sun at the beach or poolside. You can smell bar-b-que in the air and feel cool soft grass beneath your feet as you jump to grab a frisbee being thrown in your direction.
Spring has officially sprung and Spring Fever has once again become epidemic in places where winter is actually cold. CEOs and students alike can be prone to distracting thoughts of vacation and..getting…OUTSIDE!!
This is yet another time where having a really strong attention grabbing whiteboard video can get your audience thinking about you and your business again.
Spring Fever used to be deadly to a lot of businesses. Not so much nowadays. It doesn’t kill anymore; let me tell you why.
Clients Unintentionally Take You with Them Everywhere They Go
Thanks to mobile devices your business can be in front of millions of viewers faces at times where they aren’t completely immersed in work and/or school. They actually have time to pay attention. This particularly applies when they 1-work remotely or 2-go on vacation.
1-People Work Remotely
Technology has made it so people can work remotely, or, take work on vacation with them. They are able to focus on work without the distractions of daily life or the office buzz. It is just them and their laptop. You can take part of their undivided attention.
2- Vacating Your Life Completely on Vacation is almost IMPOSSIBLE!
Imagine a family going on vacation to the Florida Keys. How many times will they use their mobile devices during the trip?
A-Travel Time
Chances are there will be very little singing in the car and the alphabet game, if played at all, will be short lived. GPS will periodically chirp directions at the driver, interrupting his or her favorite Pandora station.
There will be either a movie going in the back seat or, you guessed it, everyone else will be playing on his or her phone or tablet. If they’re flying, once the airplane hits cruising altitude–guess what?
Long gone are the days when travel time meant being forced to come up with something creative to do while just sitting.
B-Meal and Leisure Times
It takes conscious effort to be present and detached from your cell phone in any situation. This family will likely have good interaction and conversation during meal and leisure times, but with conversation lulls and as family members wind down for the evening, cell phones will come out at least once or twice.
C-No Service and Cell Phone Free Zones
What will happen when they volunteer or are forced to surrender their beloved cell phones for hours on end to “unplug” in a cell phone free zone or an area without service?
SEPARATION ANXIETY!!
Imagine the relief on their faces as screens light up and the buzz of new text messages and emails announcing their existence are heard!
D-Vacation Documentation
Finally, while they are “vacating” their lives they will make sure to post selfies and pictures of the cool food they eat and the fun things they see and do on Instagram, Facebook and their YouTube channels.
How You Can Use Whiteboard Video During Spring Fever Season to Ignite More Interest in Your Business
Let’s face it–dependency on mobile devices is real and is not likely to go away any time soon! So why not utilize this state of the human condition in your marketing plan? It can be a great thing for your business when peoples’ noses are pointed phone-ward.
1-Use Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Ads
Remember Jace’s suggestions in his recent article
“What We Learned About Explainer Videos in 2015”?
This is a fantastic time to start putting them into practice if you haven’t already.
Let’s go back to our traveling family in the last section.
After a fun filled day of deep sea fishing, CEO Joe proudly posts a picture of he and Joe Jr. holding up the 11-foot swordfish they caught on Instagram and/or Facebook. CEO Joe, like most of the general population, will probably glance at his news-feed for at least a few seconds before or after posting, since, it’s really hard to enter the social media world without getting at least a glimpse of what’s going on there.
He will likely revisit and either add more posts or see what kind of popularity rating his post earned among his friends and followers. He might even post a video on his YouTube channel of the glorious moment when the swordfish was caught.
This is where a fun whiteboard video from your company could get noticed, watched and possibly even shared. After all, CEO Joe is on vacation and has leisure time to enjoy social media.
2-A New Season is a Great Time to Make an Online Announcement and/or Launch a New Video
People love “new” things and “news”. They will do a double take at something they haven’t seen before. If you’re planning on releasing a new product or bringing on new programs, aspects or talent, announcing it during a slower season could breathe extra life into your business.
Be strategic and make sure the timing is just right. Your announcement doesn’t even have to be earth shattering or company-changing; news is news and news turns heads.
New seasons can be a great time to consider launching or looking toward creating a new video–just to spice things up!
3-Use a Seasonal Topic to Bring Attention to Your Current Video(s).
Your customers need to know you’re there for them. This means bringing up topics they could be interested in, even if those topics aren’t directly related to what your business offers or sells.
One option is to blog or maybe even create a short newsletter with some helpful hints or healthy summer recipes. You could also post a picture of your amazing office softball team to help reinforce the human side of your business and connect them to you even more.
Regardless, make sure and link your video, old or new, to any form of online communication you put out there. It will get views and repeated views, and repetition is a good thing!
Become part of your audience’s leisure time with a fun distracting and informing whiteboard video that will make them smile.
Approached the right way, Spring Fever won’t kill your business; your whiteboard video really can light a fire under it and help keep it growing!
Thanks for reading How Whiteboard Video Can Keep Your Business from Dying of Spring Fever!