Should you create a script for your YouTube videos? The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes. If you’re not creating scripts for your YouTube videos, then you’re not being efficient. If you think about it, every content has a script. TV shows, movies, news programs, interviews, radio shows and blog posts have scripts. This blog post has a script too. The script for this post is the outline I create before I start the rough draft.

I’m not telling you to write out a whole play. Just at least have an outline of what you’re going to talk about in your video. Here are the reasons why you should create a script for your YouTube video and how you’ll create awesome YouTube videos every time.

Why you should create a script for your YouTube videos

Saves time and energy

For me, this is the number 1 reason you should create a script for your YouTube video. You save so much time and energy. This is why I create an outline for everything I do. Whether that’s writing a blog or giving a presentation, I have one prepared in advance.

For a script, I would recommend having a template so that you can use it over and over again. We’ll go over this rinse and repeat method later because you’re not creating a template with the same exact words, unless you have some signature line you want to use over and over again, like ‘This is Paigon signing off with the Natasha Lane Design Co. daily report. Until the next time’. Cue cheesy wink and finger-pointing. That would be hella awesome!

When you create a template for your script, you’ll just create an outline of what you need for your video, but you’ll still have to think of new content every time.

Building a brand

When you create a script, you’re actually helping to form your brand (Ah, everything relates back to branding *wink wink*). By creating a script, especially if you have a template, you’re creating consistency in your video. Even though the content is different in every video, you’re still keeping elements of your video consistent.

When you create consistency within your script, your audience will know what to expect when you release your videos. It’s kind of like watching those Marvel superhero movies. First, something bad will happen, maybe a villain origin story or a revenge plot, then the superhero (a male lead) will be born or face some adversity to ‘supposedly’ become stronger, and then the superhero beats the villain.

*Warning, useless rambling that has nothing to do with the blog post* Can we take a moment to realize that all the superheroes are men and that the character, Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson is only a normal woman. If a normal woman can keep up with superheroes, then how awesome would a female superhero be. If I had my way though, I would create a female super villain character with awesome character development. Maybe like a female version of Lex Luthor.

*Getting back on track*

Every television show, live or scripted, follows a format, and we the viewers expect it. It’s part of the brand created for that show. As someone who’s creating video content consistently, you should treat your channel like a real television station. This alone will help you stand out from other channels who are creating random things and don’t have any type of format.

How to create a script for your YouTube videos

When you’re thinking about creating a script or template for your script, you need to keep it simple. All you have to do is think of the important aspects you want to add to every video. Don’t think about the actual content, but make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. If you create content without a beginning, middle, and end, you still have content, but it’s probably bad content. Here’s what you need to know to create a script for your YouTube videos.

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Showstopper

If you’re just getting started on YouTube, then this is super important information right here. When I search for your video and click on it because it’s title is relevant to what I’m looking for and your thumbnail caught my attention, I expect to watch a video based on the title and thumbnail.

Just like any other viewer, you have about 5 seconds to wow me if I don’t know who you are. This is why the hook is so important. I should know within the first few seconds what the video is about. If you don’t tell me that I’m in the right place, I’m gone. It doesn’t have to be a long explanation. A question is great or a little teaser. The point is to get the viewer to watch the video. Also, try not to ramble. You can get away with that in the middle of a video, but if it’s seen in the beginning, you’ll look like you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Important note: First impressions are everything. If you give me a video that has nothing to do with the title, you already ruined your reputation. Just like when you’re meeting people in real life. If someone lies to you in the beginning of any type of relationship, that person will forever be branded a liar. Bad impressions are harder to erase than good ones.

The beginning

Now it’s time for the opening. I’m not talking about a branded intro. Which by the way, if you’re a beginner YouTuber who wants to have a branded intro, I recommend that you wait until you grow your subscribers or that you keep them short, like around 5-10 seconds. They make your videos look legit and professional, but the goal, in the beginning, is to create an audience.

The opening that I’m talking about is the opening for your video content. If you’re confused about what to say, just open with the summary of what the video is about. Another option is to open with a story of why this content is important or a backstory for the content. The opening doesn’t have to be long. It can be a second or a minute and then you can jump right into the content.

The middle

Now it’s time to get into the content. This part of the script will always look different because your video content will be different. You don’t have to actually create a script. That might become too time-consuming and please don’t read while recording. You’ll sound like a robot.

Instead of writing things out, I’d create an outline. Just write down the most important things you want to talk about. As long as you know your topic, you’ll be okay. The outline is so that you won’t forget what you want to talk about when you hit record.

CTA

This script format can be used for any video, not just for YouTube. That said, I’m writing specifically for YouTube, and this part is important. You need a CTA (Call to Action) in your video. Even if you don’t have a business yet and are creating videos for fun, this is important.

When you’re just beginning on YouTube, I’d have my CTA be to subscribe to my YouTube channel. You want as many subscribers as you can. Later, when you grow your viewership, you can add a different CTA, like signing up for your opt-in so that you’ll get subscribers on your newsletter.

Make sure you have only one CTA. You don’t want your audience to be confused about what you want them to do after watching your video. When you’re thinking about your CTA, just think about what you want your audience to do most when they watch the video. That could be subscribing to your channel, following your other social media, signing up for your challenge, checking out your website, signing up for your newsletter, signing up for a webinar and so on.

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The end.

Now it’s time for the ending. You don’t want to leave your viewers hanging or just stop the video. You can keep it short and sweet and say ‘bye’ or ‘until next time’. Another option is to tell your audience when you usually make videos. For example, ‘Catch you next time at 4:00 pm central time on Wednesday. New videos post that time so subscribe and keep up to date’. With this end statement, you also smoothly slipped in a CTA.

At the end of the video, always make sure that you point them to your other videos. You can verbally tell them to visit another video that’s related to the topic you just talked about or you can add a graphic at the end of your video and add videos through YouTube in the section called end card.

I don’t have time for this…

If you just want the highlights, then I’ve got you covered. Here’s the outline to creating awesome videos every time:

01 Create a hook.

02 Have a beginning.

03 Create the middle.

04 Include a CTA.

05 The end.

Do you create scripts for your YouTube channel? Let me know in the comments below.

-Paigon

Get more confident on YouTube

Get Your YouTube Script Template for Free!

Grab your script here!