The Boss says The Boss says a script should be short enough that the viewer does not need coffee first.
Video Ad Scripting Tips: A Checklist and Common Mistakes
Need to write a short video ad script? Start with one audience, one message, and one next step. For a 30 second ad, that usually means about 60 to 90 words. Then cut anything that does not help people watch, understand, and act.
Your idea, ready to go“Write a 30 second ad for Northline Coffee. Open with the pain, show one benefit, and end with one clear action. Tone: friendly, direct, a little playful.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
A video ad script is not a tiny essay. It is a short job with a timer on it. For a 30 second ad, you usually have about 60 to 90 words. If the delivery is slower, the script may need fewer words. If it is faster, you may have a little more room.
The script should do the work before the visuals start decorating it. It decides what people learn first, what they remember, and what they do next. If the words are weak, motion can only dress them up.
Quick checklist for a script you can use today
- Step 1
Pick one audience. Write for one person with one problem. A script that tries to speak to everyone usually lands on no one.
- Step 2
Say the offer early. Put the main point in the first 5 to 7 seconds, roughly. Do not make people wait for the good part.
- Step 3
Keep the middle lean. Use two or three proof points. Not ten. One can be a detail, one can be a benefit, and one can be a reason to trust you.
- Step 4
Use plain speech. Write like you talk to a coworker. Short lines work better than polished slogans.
- Step 5
End with one action. Pick one verb and one destination, like visit, book, try, or sign up. One clear next step beats a pile of options.
- Step 6
Read it out loud twice. If a sentence trips your tongue, your viewer will trip too. Cut the knotty bits.
Start with the first 10 seconds
The opening line does the heavy lifting. A simple shape works well: problem, result, or surprise. Pick one. If you open with a warm-up line, you spend the best seconds on wallpaper.
Show the product or service early. Do not hide it behind a long setup. People decide fast if they are still watching. The opening should answer, “Why should I care?”
If your opening line could fit five other ads, make it sharper. Add the real situation, the real pain, or the real win. “Save time” is fog. “Book in one place” is a picture.
What to say in the middle
The middle is where many scripts get greedy. They try to list every feature, every use case, and every nice thing the team said in the meeting. That is too much for a small screen.
Use one framework and keep moving. Problem, answer, proof works. So does pain, fix, next step. If you have a demo, show the thing doing the thing. For example, “Tap once, and the form fills itself.”
If you are turning a document into a film, Turn a Script Into an Animated Video can help you shape the text before you make the film.
If your team keeps asking for one more feature, put those features in a notes doc, not the script. The ad is an invitation, not the product manual.
How to end without rambling
The ending should not wander off looking for its coat. Repeat the main benefit in a shorter way, then ask for one action. That is enough.
Say exactly what the viewer should do next. Visit the site. Book a call. Try the product. Download the guide. The CTA should match the page it leads to.
One CTA is enough. Three sounds messy. If you need two actions, you probably need two videos.
If the ad is for a landing page, use the same promise there. If the ad says “book faster,” the page should not start by making people hunt for the point.
Common mistakes people make, and the fix
| Mistake | What it does | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Trying to say everything | The ad turns into a pile of claims | Choose one idea and cut the rest |
| Starting too slowly | People leave before the point arrives | Put the strongest line first |
| Listing too many features | The message gets muddy | Turn features into one clear benefit |
| Using vague CTA words | No one knows what to do next | Use one verb and one destination |
| Writing like legal copy | The ad sounds stiff and distant | Say it like you would to a coworker |
Another common mistake is writing for the narrator, not the viewer. The script may sound smart to the team, but the viewer needs quick help. Smart is fine. Clear is better.
One more: too many brand words too early. If the ad starts with your internal language, people have to decode it first. Start with the problem they know, then bring in your name.
How to tell if the script worked
You do not need a fancy dashboard to judge a first draft. Use three quick checks. First, can someone tell what the ad is about after one read? Second, can they say the main point in one sentence? Third, do they know what to do next?
If you only have a table read or one reviewer, watch for the same things. Do they ask what the product does? Do they ask where the CTA is? Do they repeat the benefit without help? If yes, the script needs another cut.
Read the script to someone who does not know the project. Ask them what they think the ad is for. If they miss it, the script needs a cut, not a louder voice.
For a brand-style example, compare your message with a simple spec film like Kavli: MagerOst, tube without the cap. It keeps one idea, then stops.
When to turn the script into a film
When the words are tight on the page, they are ready for motion. A film can start from a sentence, a script, a document, a voice recording, or a website address. That gives you room to work from the material you already have.
A finished film can still be changed by hand. You can adjust colors, pace, framing, word size, music, and where it starts and ends. Every change can be undone, and every saved version is kept. That helps when the first pass is close, but not quite right.
Films come in wide, tall, and square shapes, so one version can fit a website, a phone, and a feed. A film of your own comes with a plan, and the details are on /pricing. If you want a broader start, What is Nine (nine.film)? The film studio, not the 2009 film explains the basics. Nine makes short animated films with a voice, music and sound effects.
Ideas you can make
- The 30 Second RescueA short ad for a fictional scheduling app called Northline Desk. Open with “Still chasing meetings by email?” Show one benefit, cut one step from the booking process, and end with “Book faster today.”Make this film
- One Problem, One FixA clean animated ad for a made-up payroll tool called LedgerFox. Start with a messy payday scene, show the one thing it solves, and end with “See your numbers in one place.”Make this film
- Before the Coffee Gets ColdA playful script for a fictional morning delivery service called BeanDrop. Open with a slow, tired kitchen, then show coffee arriving on time, and finish with one simple action.Make this film
- The No-Jargon VersionA straightforward ad for a made-up software service called ClearPath Forms. Write the script as if you are explaining it to a busy coworker, with one plain benefit and one clear button to click.Make this film
- The Problem in Frame OneA punchy ad for a fictional inventory tool called ShelfSignal. Start with an empty shelf, say the pain in the first line, then show the fix and end with “Check stock before lunch.”Make this film
- The Too-Many-Features CutA funny ad for a made-up project tool called TaskNest. Begin with a long list crossing itself out, then replace it with one message and one action: “Try the simpler way.”Make this film
Questions people ask
How long should a video ad script be?
For a 30 second ad, a good target is about 60 to 90 words. That changes with pacing, pauses, and voice style. If the read is slower, the script may need fewer words. If it moves fast, you may have room for a little more.
Should a video ad script sound like a sales pitch?
Usually not. People can hear a sales pitch coming, and they brace for it. A better script sounds plain, direct, and useful. Say the problem, the result, and the next step in normal words.
What makes a strong call to action in a video ad?
A strong CTA uses one verb and one destination. It tells the viewer exactly what to do next. Visit the page. Book a call. Try the product. If you add three actions, people hesitate. If the CTA matches the landing page, it gets easier to act.
How many ideas should one video ad script cover?
One main idea is best. You can add one small support point if it truly helps. If you cram in too many features, the message gets blurry and the viewer has to work too hard. If you want to cover several angles, make several short ads.
Can I turn a document or webpage into a video ad script?
Yes. That is often a smart way to start, because the facts are already there. Pull out one message, one audience, and one next step before you write the script. If the page is doing too much, your video should not copy all of it.
Your idea, ready to go“Write a 30 second ad for Northline Coffee. Open with the pain, show one benefit, and end with one clear action. Tone: friendly, direct, a little playful.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
Keep reading
- What is Nine (nine.film)? The film studio, not the 2009 filmnine.film is an online film studio called Nine. You give it your website, an idea, a script or a voice recording, and a small crew of film helpers makes a short animated film in your own colours and typeface while you watch. It is made by NorwAI AS in Oslo, Norway, and it is not the 2009 film called Nine.
- Farewell video for a colleague who is leaving: ideas and how to make itA good farewell video for a colleague is short, about two to three minutes, built on one idea that fits the person, with a few short messages from the team. Collect clips by a set day, keep each message under twenty seconds, and play it at the leaving drinks.
- Product launch video: what to show, how long, and when to post itA product launch video should show one product, the one problem it solves, and where to get it, in 15 to 45 seconds. Lead with the problem, show the product doing its job, end with a date and a place, and make a tall and a wide version.
- Training and safety videos: how to make a procedure people followA training or safety video works when it teaches one procedure, in the real order of the steps, shows the dangerous moment clearly, lasts one to three minutes, and is checked with the people who do the job. Split long procedures into short parts.