Marketing Tips: Stick to the Script

Marketing Tips: Script it!

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Many marketing tips would provide you with insight into how to make your business shine best, or even what to do technically with the equipment you are using. But so many people forget to give time and attention to one of the focal points of all videos: the speaker. The best speakers are always the ones that seem to be coming up with their ideas on the spot. Interviewees, public orators, and comedians alike—an audience is attracted to a person when they feel that they are being candid.   We want the conversation, however one-sided, to feel unrehearsed, unprompted, and natural.

But there is a secret that all the great interviewees, public orators, and comedians know, and that is one of our marketing tips of the day: always prepare a script.

Seems counterintuitive, right? But the truth is that very few of us have the gift of spontaneous, articulate conversation. Which is why a tight script is essential for your marketing video.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to recite word-by-word a long, prewritten monologue. Quite the opposite, in fact. A structured, well-written script will in fact free you up as a speaker: to be comfortable in front of the camera, to be affable for your audience, and even to give you room to improvise.

That’s right: improvisation relies on a well-planned script.

Those new to live marketing pitches will often err on the wrong side of this logic. “I know what I’m talking about,” the thought might go, “I know how to wing it.” But even the most confident speaker can falter when it’s time to hit the record button. What one hopes to convey as candor may, unfortunately, read as ineptitude.

There are several ways to go about scripting your next marketing appearance, whether it’s for a video interview, a public forum, or any other speaking event. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is to literally write a script and learn it. Physically writing out a script gives you the chance to articulate your thoughts into words, to really consider about the best way to phrase each sentence, and to craft a clear eloquent dialogue. A solidly memorized script is perhaps the most surefire way to entire an interview scenario relaxed, confident, and ready to speak.

Of course, not everyone enjoys, or is good at, memorizing script. Consider writing instead for a teleprompter. This gives you the same opportunity to craft a lucid script without the pressure of memorization and recall. And if that’s still a little high-tech for you, there’s always the old “intern-holding-up-cue-cards” method to fall back on!

The teleprompter is great for the strict planner who doesn’t who intend to go off-book or throw in a little extra flair. But this device is designed to let you perform your script exactly as is, so if you’re a little more loosely bent, it may not be right for you.

If you’re in an interview setting, of course, reading off a teleprompter or memorizing script probably won’t work, as you’ll be expected to answer questions and hold a conversation. This is where writing outlines will come in use. Instead of crafting a full speech, prepare talking points, and learn them intrinsically. Think of your favorite talk-show interview: while that conversation between Jimmy Kimmel and Ashton Kutcher appears completely spontaneous, it is almost guaranteed that both parties have prepared potential talking points—including stories, product plugs, and jokes—beforehand. A great interview does not hinge on great subjects—it depends on great planning. So when your getting ready to jump into the spotlight for your company, remember Marketing Tips 101: Stick to the script.