How to Create Killer You-Tube Scripts for Your Portfolio (9 Steps)

So, you’re reading the job board and thinking…hmmm, another scriptwriting job.

And another one! They must be high in demand!

Ready to learn how to write a killer YouTube script? You gotta feed your babies.

Nervous?

I know.

But you will get it, and this post will help get you there. You’ll see all that a content marketing class gave me below.

And in a flash, you’ll feel confident you can do it.

Before long, you’ll be maximizing every moment of your script and wowing your future clients. But first, click below to get a feel for scriptwriting.

Backstory

But, this video doesn’t tell you everything you need to know to create quality videos. Keep scrolling, and you’ll see how to go step-by-step from study to a finished, killer script.  Oh, and you’ll see a great example too.

Excited?

Ok.

Study the top videos within your writing niche.

“What? How do I know?”, you may ask.  Let’s get basic.

• Look for videos with the highest number of views.
• Transcribe a high-ranking video from that niche.

Transcription help?  Record that video using the speech-to-text, record setting on your smartphone.

Microscopic Break-down

Studying that niche video reveals a basic skeleton of a video. Transcribing, did you notice the following?

• Intro specifics?
• Hints that you were viewing the video’s body?
• Sense a predictable structure?
• Calls to Action (CTA)?
• Conclusion Cues?

If not, listen again to the transcribed video, and review the script. Highlight these above five bullet-points in the playback of the video. 

See the CTA doesn’t come first? Keep reading.

1.Niche Study

Pick Interesting topics.

(Einstein is cliché.) So, no Ada Lovelace’s thinking power at work here.

• Track your niche trends.
• Study the most popular niche video topics.
• Select the best to study.
• Make yours better than that model video or complementary to it.

2.Study Abroad

Best of the Net, Baby!

Here’s a sneaky way to find the select topic.

• Look for the top YT episodes on any high-ranking channel.
• Make that video content specific to your niche.

Sneaky Examples

Follow this example:

Your model topic is How to Make a Smashing YouTube Video.

Make that title niche specific.

How to Make a Terrific (Writing Demo) YouTube Video.

• If there’s a video for writing demos, then narrow it down to a specific writing genre.
• Write that changed title as the topic of the YT video script.
• Count the title’s length of words.
• Shorten your title’s emotion or power words.

For instance, How to Make Top Health & Beauty Writing You-Tube Videos.

3.Pinpoint Universals

Many YT channels tell you to study your genre’s top videos. They say stick with the content that gets the most comments and highest hits in your video script.

That’s half right.

Here’s where the envelope for your quality in the YT catalog opens a bit wider.

• Use the skeleton of that genre content.
• Look for content outside your genre that works.
• Take note if something makes you laugh in any high-ranking video.

If you saw it on a cooking video, (So, what?) put it in your video script.

Tweak your episode script to mix in what you’ll call universals. So, that way, use what you like in other videos.

Change up this content to work in your YT script.

So, let’s add in some more universals seen in all hit YT videos. Wipster.com called these universals, moments. But with the copyright police sirens wailing, call them splashes.

Splashes

Wipster.com tells of three universals in business-related videos. Splashes you’ll include in your killer YT scripts are:

• Splash of brand

• Splash of humor

And a…

• Splash of moolah

Well, let’s say a Splash of business.

To add a splash of a brand, you point out your brand. Viewers expect brand promotion as a hidden cost for free content. Brand promos don’t have to be hard. Showing a slogan with a company logo is an example of it.

But it can be more intense. Learn more about branding here.

Yet, humor splashes are surprises. They enter scripts in many disguises:

• written stage directions
• use of funny words
• sound effects
• presenter mannerisms
• jokes
• slapstick moments

A humor splash adds personality and flair to your scenes.

Last, add a splash of business into your YT script. Business splashes mention products/services or deals. For a limited-time-only is a business cue. Want to impress your clients? And make sure your YT script resonates with clients?

Whip into your YT script a few triggers for revenue.

The tag, we’re hiring, at the top of video’s last screen is a splash of business too.

So, the business splash is a subtle splash. Think of it like this. You are enticing target customers with offers, products, services, and testimonials.

In short, slip in all three of these splashes and the gig yours. It so sets your sample apart.

Calls to Action

These invites ask the viewer to act on video content. Remember these lines?

• “Click here, for another video.”
• “Subscribe to our channel.”
• “Hit the subscribe button.”
• “Click the bell.”
• “Donate.”

Hand over your kids!

Well, take out the last one. YouTube doesn’t say that, but you’ve got the idea. Your script needs to get the viewer to do something This tidbit must be in your script. It shows you understand marketing.

4.Bullet-on-Board

Go back to your skeleton to fill in your topical outline as you watch this video below.

Now, check the script outline below.

Title: How to Make a Killer You Tube Video (7 Tips)

Intro:

• Greeting
• Why are scripts important? YT Metrics
• Desired channel metric Increases with these tips.

Body:

• Tip 1: Short Intro (1-minute max)
• Tip 2: State what how the video will help the view right away 
• Tip 3: Bullet Point and Write the Script  (Sorry its blurry ☹ is a humor splash)
• Tip 4: Time and edit the script
• Tip 5: Omit signal words that video is ending 
• Tip 6: Include a teaser (Business splash)
• Tip 7: Put Call to Action (CTA) at the end

• Teaser: How to Look Confident on Camera 

Conclusion: CTA click subscribe and bell (Brand/Business splash)

Now follow these steps:

• Save the bullet point or outline script doc on your computer or flash drive.
• Open a new document.
• Copy and paste your filled-in outline into a new doc.
• Begin drafting your script by adding on to the bullet points you copied.

5.Rough to Smooth

Now look at your doc.

Here are the bones for your script.

Note.

• Be thorough and continuous.
• Fill all your ideas into this skeleton.
• Make sure you slide in your three splashes.

Finished?

Let the rough draft breathe. Play a game of tennis, chew on some candy cigarettes, and ring the neighbor’s doorbell, and run. I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Return an hour later to fix-up the script.

Edit it, rewrite it, and polish it until the script is ready for posting.

6.Check’er Out

Use this checklist to see if your script is YT ready.

Prewriting

• Pick an interesting topic.
• Choose a well-researched topic.
• Investigate the three most popular sources.
• Design a bullet point outline.
• Create an eye-catching headline, and run it through a headline checker

Drafting

• First off, state what your video is about (Part of introduction?)
• Stay on point from the starting scene forward.
• Keep your intro short. 
• Write each step out in vivid detail. (Act out procedures to be sure.)
• Enter and exit all stage directions
• Add the three splashes 
• Place calls to action at the end
• Avoid writing any video ending cues.
• Tease the next video in series and calls to action.

Everything on target?

7.Timing Metrics

Most viewers stop watching YT videos after 15 minutes. Use that metric to limit your script.

Example:

• Intro: 1:00 (1 min.)
• Body: 13:30
• Conclusion: 0:30

Recite and then revise script to beat or hit within these time-windows.

8.Size ‘em Up

Time a competitor (video like your own) and jot down these specifics. Take note of more details.

Review this example again.

• Intro to How-to: :19
• Intro after How to: :41 
• Body 6 mins 45 secs
• Tip 1 1:00
• Tip 2    0:51 
• Tip 3 : 1:02
• Tip 4: 1:21
• Tip 5:  0:49
• Tip 6:  0:41
• Tip 7:  0:45
• Tease: 0:12 
• Conclusion (Including Teaser) 0:18

Leave out stage directions and read through your script. Hit or beat these competitor video time-windows.

Re-edit.

Ask yourself if each sentence in your script is useful to subscribers.

If yes, then, rehearse the video with stage directions.

9.Which Direction?

Checkout this format to transform your script.

Here’s a stage direction checklist:

Is there a direction for…?

• When to show and vanish a brand logo and a business name?
• When to present a visual bullet point? 
• When the presenter needs mannerisms? (Ex: Holds one finger up.)
• When graphics, pictures, charts, and graphs appear and disappear? 
• When do related videos pop into the screen? (Call this a PIP or picture in a picture.) 
• When to show ending PIP videos? 
• When a presenter is pointing to PIP videos while the episode is ending.
• When the call to action graphics appear and disappear.

That’s It!

Follow these steps to create a killer YT script for your portfolio. Show off your skills to future clients.

1. Study high-ranking niche content

2. Study outside of niche content.

3. Note universals and decide on script content. 

4. Bullet point an outline of your video script

5. Write rough draft and polish using the writing process. 

6. Use checklist to make sure script is YT ready. 

7. Recite and time polished script. Then revise

8. Harmonize time limits with niche videos on same subject

9. Recite and review stage directions to tweak timing

Bonus tip.

• Create and save several YT scripts on the same topic and smaller subtopics in your portfolio.

• Show clients you know how to batch content.

So, are you ready to write a killer script?  Tell me in the comments below if you feel prepared.  You can also drop any questions or share insights you might have about YT scriptwriting.

If you like this post, please like and share.

Until next time, happy practicing, and keep bringing your top-shelf you!