The Startup Videos » Script Writing

10 Steps To Avoid In Any Pitch Deck Presentation

bhuvana — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 05:54:51 +0000

What is Pitch Deck?

A “pitch deck” is a selling technique, with a planned sales presentation strategy of a product or service designed by an entrepreneur in order to raise funds from (“pitch”) investors.

They can be sent to investors as a stand-alone document (e.g., via email) or visual presentation or as an explainer video.

But, Pitch Deck Presentation in the form of explainer video will be the best way to convey your product and your ability to raise fund.

How Your Presentation Should Be Or Not?

A well presented pitch deck gives a positive first impression to the investors and Vc’s that you have the ability to execute your project well.

Being an entrepreneur you might be in touch with many investors and now is the time to convince them that your product will give solutions for some big problems and

It is going to change the world — or is at least worth investing in it. Since pitch deck is likely the first time, an investor will come to know about your product.

The pitch deck for a startup needs to be a summary of what they are doing in this project, and what they need to do to make it happen.

So the Pitch givers should be aware of avoiding some common mistakes in their presentation:

10 Common Mistakes in Pitch Presentation:

1. Using More Slides:

A pitch should have a number of 10 or less than 10 slides. Using more slides will worsen the presentation; this is one of the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make.

“Like many things in life, less is more in fundraising slides” -Fred Wilson.

Allow one slide for a cover slide which should have your name, your company logo and a single line explanation of your business.

2. Brief Content:

Avoid using too many words. Decks should have more visuals with charts, tables and pictures, or can use explainer video, so that each slide can convey its purpose in few seconds. Since Investors are not interested in reading memos and rows of bullet points.

3. Lack of storylines:

Everyone loves to hear stories, even the investors. So tell an exciting story about your startup and arrange your slides to reflect that story.

This may impress your investors in a better way.

4. Not Recognizing a Problem:

What’s the big problem? And how your product have the opportunity to give solution to that problem?

You must address this issue in your pitch deck. Only the investors get exicted if you identified a big problem in the market.

5. Not Giving Solution for a Problem:

This must give a crystal clear vision of how your product solves the problem, and an opportunity for you to show them its features.

Make sure your presentation make the audience relate your product with their problem,and the need of using your product, and how it will make their lives easier.

This may be a good time to introduce a demo or screen shot of your product.

6. No Proper Product Demo:

If you are presenting in person, you must give a demo of the product. Demo may be in the form of pictures or visuals or most likely an explainer videos.

Demos trump every form of presentation. Lack of demo will be a disappointment to the investors.

7.No Business Model:

Most of them are failling to explain how will you make money and where your revenue strength are.

The startups also need to show the size of their market and how much they have the potential to make.

8. Failing to show your Team Strength:

Give description about the strengths and skill set of your founder and tell how your skill sets complement others in team.

Because investors wish to see a range of technical and non technical skills between founders, and their team.,so that they can develop a product quickly and can make changes quickly.

9. Not Projecting about the Competitors:

Who is your competitor and how will you compete? How you are different from others? And what is better about your business?

They expect you to explain these things; lacking of this will spoil your pitch.

10. Lack of RoadMap:

Here is where you need to clear the investors, how long will this product take to build, how much will it cost and when will you start making money?

What are your targets and how long will you need to meet them?

Finally by using visual presentations or explainer videos in pitch deck, will help you to give your product demo and summarize your need to the investors in the effective way.

A well presented pitch deck creates positive first impression and the quality of your pitch can certainly be the difference between getting funded and getting left behind.

Explainer Video Pricing and Budget : How to Invest Wisely

bhuvana — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:43:18 +0000

You may already familiar with all the advantages of having a good explainer videos, like ranks your website better in Google search, increasing conversion rates, clarifying your product and boosting your sales. So, we are not going to bore you again with these points.

Now, then what we are going to talk about? A lot of people are shocked when they hear about the cost of an explainer video for the first time. Without knowing the production process, how much resources involved in it, especially video quality and its instant credibility many of us is misunderstanding that the price is too high.

Well, we understand that the main problem for most startup is the cost of explainer video. So this article will help you to justify how much a proper explainer video cost along with its production process and explains you, How should we invest a right amount?

An Obvious Question: How much Costs?

Is the first and foremost question when we enquire about the explainer videos.

It is actually difficult to place a figure on how much an explainer video would cost, as it has different client and each one having different requirements and that could be unique. So it really based on the length of the video and the animation style it involves.

However, we know people would like to know the price before hearing rest things about an explainer videos. so a typical explainer video will cost about $1000 to $5000 per minute, at the same time you should keep in mind that a sophisticated animation video cost can go as high as $10, 000 per minute.

Have you ever think about the difference between $1000 explainer video and a $10, 000 one? Then what about the difference between $10, 000 explainer video and $100, 000 TV spot? The truth is, “You Get What you Pay For”. But creating a video is not always cheap.

The below figured video production process are the possible expense and that will help you to understand the questions,

How the video production budget split up works? And, Where the cost are going?

In general, a 60-90 seconds explainer video takes 4-8 weeks to complete.

Research and Brainstorming (4-7 days)
Story and scripting (4-7 days)
Voice production and Recording (1-2 days)
Storyboarding (7-10 days)
Animation and Production (10-12 days)
Sound effects & Music design (3-5 days)
Delivery and Promotion (2-4 days)

Are you Investing right amount?

“If your business is looking to increase conversion rates, an explainer video may be exactly the secret weapon you need.” – Andrew Angus

Before investing money on explainer video, it’s essential to understand how much can be the right amount and what happens if we don’t invest a proper amount.

A professionally made explainer videos are trending big now, because they are most likely in between 60-90 seconds and explaining your product for users to grasp features and its advantages. However, explainer videos only work if they’re done in a better way.

A poorly designed explainer video with the consideration of reducing the cost can have adverse effects alone and leaves the viewer confused and turned off. Even we can create an explainer video for just $5. Template makes this possible but they may not have a license to sub-license it to you.

A minimum budgeted video doesn’t mean that you are saving money, because you are most likely going to end up and having to do things twice which can’t only cost you money but also time and resources.

If you try pushing the production houses to get a lowest cost explainer video, sometimes you might be unhappy with your video you receive finally.

Ready to Invest? If not:

When producing a video, production houses don’t do just animation, they really care about producing a video for you that will be more effective, and not only explaining your products, they will also explains the pain of your ideal customers and how your product /service will solve that pain.

So if you are interested to have an explainer video and still you feel not having sufficient money to invest then don’t go for it. Because a poorly designed low budget video may hurt your customers more than not having one at all.

Power of Storytelling in Explainer Videos

bhuvana — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 13:36:42 +0000

Once upon a time – this word gets more attention from us usually, when telling a story. The power of storytelling, and the use of stories to create an effect, no matter if it’s a true or fictive story, simple or extravagant. The key principle for storytelling is more memorable and successful in attracting customers. This principle can be applied directly on explainer videos to make them more effective.

“The stories we are telling are as important as what we are selling.”- Jonah Sachs

And any video people would like to watch just because it’s entertaining, engaging, inspiring or informative. The more the video is about the story – it should have minimal reference to the particular business.

Stories and Storytelling:

Research shows that a good story we’ve heard in the last few months or even years – any story (short story, story in a presentation, childhood bedtime story, etc) we will remember easily than a good statistics we’ve heard very recently.

People love stories. A good story can work wonders when it comes to making the listener understand something and retain the information.

“Scratch the surface in the boardroom, and we are all just caveman with briefcases, hungry for a wise man to tell us stories.” – Alan Kay

Some elements of a good story include:

A clear beginning and the end
Clear message
It’s authentic
It’s relevant
Engaging

If we listen to a PowerPoint presentation with boring bullet points, a certain part in the brain gets activated and hits our language processing parts. Scientists call this Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. Where the viewers decode words into meaning. And that’s it, nothing else happens.

When we are being told a story, things change dramatically. Not only is the language processing parts in our brain activated, although any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.

Storytelling in Explainer Video:

The explainer video is a short video that businesses use to quickly introduce themselves, explain what they do, and tell how they help solve their customer’s problems. It’s a very quick, memorable way to make an impact on your audience and help provide the viewer with the important information they need to make a decision. This is vital to your site’s conversion.

Many brands tell its story isn’t ready for the prime time spotlight. And when it comes to telling your story, you never know who you’ll run into. That’s why telling your story through video is so compelling: it’s always there, and consistent for sharing.

Stories are more powerful today than ever. Why?

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell” – Seth Godin.

We are drowning in information. Good stories can cut through the noise.
Stories capture people on an emotional level, creating a deeper, intimate bond.
Stories are memorable; people forget facts but remember stories.
People use stories to make sense of things.
People learn from stories.

Attention spans aren’t long these days, and after years of research and experience, experts found that 90 seconds or less video is bitter for most. And because less in time explainer video would not include every detail, the details are limited to most important things you need your customer to know about your service/product.

Explainer video takes lot of hours to craft a great story and finding a best story takes some creative work. The process of explainer video production have dozens of moving parts like meetings, creative briefs, brainstorming, script writing, sketches, storyboards, style frames, voiceover, animation, sound effects, music, and so on. Even though, most clients care most about how well you tell their story. Also it cares whether you made it relevant, fun, and entertaining their viewers.

The Best story always wins:

Business explainer video is the number one way to boost sales, remain memorable in your client’s mind because of good story in it and do a lot.

As a marketer, if you want people to remember your explainer video, you have to structure it in best story. People retain stories and have better recollection of things, if it can be put in context. Not only do stories put things in context, they also evoke emotions. People relate to great stories and want to know what happens next. In future they become invested in the storyline and character.

10 Tips on Writing a Explainer Video Script for Your New Startup (video #5)

sangeerani — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:18:10 +0000

A well crafted explainer video can do wonders for a startup. In fact, the results of an effective video can outmatch those of an entire marketing campaign. The basis of a great video is a great script hence you need to make sure the script is as good as possible. Here are 10 tips on writing an explainer video script for your new startup.

1. Keep It Short

The first and most important tip you have to follow is to keep the script short. The ideal length for an internet video is two minutes so don’t exceed it. The shorter it is, the more likely it is to attract viewers.

2. Start with the Message

Put the message you want to deliver in the beginning of the video so the viewer is hooked immediately. Delaying it might cause the viewers to lose interest and click away.

3. Be Conversational

Make the script formal but the tone should be conversational. The viewer shouldn’t think of it as information overload. Rather, the viewers have to be addressed in a friendly manner.

4. Empathize

The key to forming a connection with your audience is by empathizing. Place yourself in the viewer’s shows when you are writing the script and imagine yourself viewing the video.

5. Don’t Fluff It Up!

The length constraint makes it all the more important for you to keep the script fluff-free. Include only the message and other vital information you have to convey, nothing else.

6. Include Some Humor

Internet users have a short attention span. Believe it or not, they can get bored during a two-minute video. Adding some humor to the video helps keep the viewers engaged and more importantly awake!

7. Brand It

The video is for a new business, not an established brand. Hence, it is the perfect medium for you to create a brand presence. Make sure the video speaks for your brand and not just for you.

8. Solve a Problem

People love getting solutions to the everyday problems they face. Be the problem solver by raising a problem in the video and then telling them how to solve it. The best way to go about doing this is explaining how your products can improve their lives and solve their problems.

9. Pace Yourself

Keep the word count of the video limited to what a listener can digest within the given time frame. One of the reasons people lose interest is because the speaker is going too fast. Learn to pace yourself.

10. Add Call to Action

It is very important that your video conclude with a call to action. Get the viewers to visit a website, call a number, join a Facebook page, etc. If you don’t add a call to action, the people are likely to shut the browser down once the video is over.

These are 10 tips on writing an explainer video script for your new startup. There is no doubt that explainer videos are great for lead generation and increasing sales but only if they are made effectively. Getting the script right is your first step towards achieving that!

Viral Video Script Writing Tips and Tricks (video #4)

sangeerani — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:14:21 +0000

Viral videos are the ‘in’ thing. They go a long way towards helping businesses establish an online presence. Yet, simply making a video is not enough. The video has to be of a certain standard and quality to convince viewers to watch it. The best way to enhance the quality of your videos is by learning viral video script writing tips and tricks. There are actionable steps you can follow to learn how to make viral video script in no time at all and make killer videos.

Figure Your Message Out

An extremely important tip for writing a viral video marketing script is to know exactly what you have to say. Often people have ideas that they want to convey to their audience but it does not have a definite shape. The idea keeps floating around in their mind and they try to put it on paper. With such a disjointed mindset, it is impossible for you to convey your message properly. So, before writing decide on what you want to say and exactly how you want to say it.

Choose the Type

There are several types of videos you can make for your business, including animated, live action and music only. You have to decide the type of video you want to make so that the script is written accordingly. There are different considerations for the various types of viral videos which is why your decision is crucial. Make sure the type you choose works well with your intended audience.

Read Video Scripts

You can gain valuable insight into how viral videos are written by reading scripts. This is extremely important if you have no prior experience of writing scripts for videos, viral or otherwise. You will get to see the kind of writing which is required and the guidelines that have to be followed. In short, this helps you get an idea of how viral videos are written. Also watch the videos for which the scripts have been written to have a better idea of how the writing is portrayed on screen.

Write the Script

Once you are done with reading scripts, it is time to start writing. In the beginning, you can take the luxury of jotting down whatever comes to mind. You don’t have to follow a formal structure or be clear. Simply writing the draft gets you started off with the process. You will develop a flow after a while and the words will come flying out.

Read & Edit It

The ideal length for a viral video is two minutes, which means roughly 300 words. Read the draft you have written to make sure there is no fluff or content that offers no value to the viewer. Edit it and cut down the wordage and verbosity. A catchy and punchy viral video requires a concise script which carries the message for the business and other vital information, nothing else. This is the kind of script that helps you engage the audience.

These are actionable steps you can follow to write a killer viral video script.

6 Ways to Improve Your Written Script (video #3)

sangeerani — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:44:32 +0000

So, you are trying to write a script for your business’ explainer video. For someone with any experience of script writing, the job would not be too difficult. On the other hand, beginners are bound to make some mistakes which ruin the impact and quality of the video altogether. Anyone can make errors, for that matter. Hence, it is crucial to have a script writing checklist for you to check your script against. Here are six things a great script must have.

1. The Language

Write your video in the language your audience is familiar with. You cannot use technical or business jargon with laymen. They wouldn’t have any inkling what you are talking about and are likely to turn the video off than watch it till the end. It is a classic example of the message getting lost in translation. This is most important for businesses in professions with their distinctive vocabularies, like medicine and law.

2. The Content

An explainer video is meant to explain something. There is a difference between explaining to the audience what your business and its products do and praising them. People can see through the self-praise immediately and you don’t retain credibility in their eyes. Focus on the content and make it valuable to the viewer. In short, the content should compel people to watch the video.

3. The Length

The length of your script is a double-edged sword. You have to make sure the video is not too long as the audience would lose interest and click away. At the same time, you have to ensure the number of words being spoken by the narrator/actor is easily comprehendible for the audience. Talking too fast or being verbose is not the way to go about improving your written script.

4. The Medium

Animated videos seem to work for all ages but an infographic is unlikely to attract young audiences. There are several types of videos you can choose from and the script has to be written accordingly. You have to decide whether there will be spoken dialogue or the information would be in the form of text and images only.

5. The Message

You have to work out the message you want to convey to the audience. There is a difference between saying you are the best at what you do and that you can solve the problems the viewers have. The viewers are more likely to be impressed by the latter. The message should be the basis of the script and included in the first few lines.

6. The Call to Action

Last, but certainly not the least, you need to put in a call to action. Else, you don’t have anything to gain. You have to ask the audience to do something. They are likely to just close the video and move on to something else if you don’t do so. Ask them to visit your website, join your Facebook page, call you, etc.

This is a script writing checklist you can follow when writing an explainer video for your business. These are the 6 things any great script must have.

Types of Script Writing: Choosing the Best to Engage Your Clients (Video #2)

sangeerani — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:44:07 +0000

Explainer video production works pretty much like a movie production. You need a strong and engaging script first. Whether or not the audience can be engaged depends on the quality of the screen play and viral script writing with humor. However, depending on your marketing message and the type of video you want, the style and type of script vary greatly from video to video.

Knowledge and understanding of different types of script writing proves extremely helpful in writing a killer script that best engages your clients. You always have the creative freedom to experiment but here are some of the most common types of script writing you can choose from.

Storytelling

Storytelling script is one of the most common types of script writing and it can go along with almost any kind of video. Apart from its versatility, the reason it is very popular is because it engages the audience without sounding too pitchy or pushy. It is extremely beneficial for startups as it can serve as a very compelling introduction that is professional but not too formal or serious.

Story telling script also works great when selling a product or service that provides a solution to a common problem faces by the target audience. With a story depicting a problem they can relate too, the audience will definitely respond to the call to action.

Live Action

Like most of the television ads/commercials we see, Live action videos make use of real people. A script is written and the performers deliver the lines which are recorded on camera. In this regard, the people will start the conversation on behalf of your business. You can restrict the scale of production to keep costs down, something you have to factor in when writing the script.

Getting people to talk to your audience is perhaps the best way to get your message across unadulterated, but without catchy lines and bits of humor, it might become boring or even annoying. It all depends on the quality of the writing. Yet, this is not the kind of script you can use again and again.

Testimonial

A testimonial comes in handy if you want to keep the budget of your video to a minimum. All you need is a person speaking about your business in a positive light, sharing his/her experiences. The key is to get a person who falls into your target audience rather than someone chosen at random. Hearing from someone about your business can convince other people to check out your products as well. Testimonials must sound honest, credible and believable and that is exactly why you should restrict their use to once or twice.

Music Only

The script for your business video can be based on music only. It’s a language universally understood as well as appreciated. The music plays in the background as text and other images related to the business come up on screen. Usually, the music is used as a directing tool to maintain a certain flow throughout the video. However, this kind of script requires a very well-made video whose impact is not hindered by the absence of narration.

Infographic and Statistics

A script for video featuring infographic and statistics is typically the same vain as for music only videos. However, you can opt for a narration or voiceover to guide the viewers through the information being shown to them. This type of video is ideal for a business which wants to show financial data and other facts & figures to their target audience.

These are the types of script writing you can opt for when making a video for your business. If used effectively, all these videos can help engage the audience.

7 Easy Steps to Write a Script: How to Write a Great Explainer Video Script (Video #1)

sangeerani — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:57:52 +0000

Explainer videos have become powerful marketing tools. However, they are not just about attractive animation and amazing visuals. The reason demo videos do not take a whole lot of time to capable of creating a greater impact in the shortest time is because they make the best use of pictures as well as words. That is why script is one of the main elements of explainer videos.

However, when creating startup animated videos, entrepreneurs often lose the plot and their focus deviates from the script.Without the knowledge of step-by-step writing techniques or script writing tips, all of their endeavors become fruitless and the video fails to deliver the desired results.
If you are investing in an animated explainer video and want it hit the target, keep in mind these seven easy steps for writing a powerful script.

1. Reach Out For Research

Research is the first and foremost step for script writing for any kind of business. It is extremely important to know your business as well as your market. You must keep in mind your target demographic and try to learn about things they want to know rather than what you want to tell. You can use social media surveys, polls forums and even more formal research methods to get a better understanding of how you can make your message appealing for your audience.

2. Watch the Competition

This phase requires a good amount of research once again. Knowing what your competitors are doing is also a good way to determine the direction you must be heading. Watching videos created by your competitors is a great way to learn the kind of script writing required for a startup business. Make notes while watching the videos, understand the way the message is delivered, extract ideas and points you need to emphasize and learn how it appeals to the viewers.

3. Compile the Points

Now that you have enough knowledge and information, it’s time to gather and sort it out. Put the points you have collected down on a piece of paper. They should cover everything ranging from the business, its products, its goals and its target market. The competitors’ videos will enlighten you as to the additional information which needs to be provided to the viewers so use that to add to the list.Once you think your list is complete, shuffle the points up and place them in order of priority.

4. Create Idea from Message

While a script should be kept short and simple, it does not mean you should plainly and bluntly say it outright. You need to say it in a way that appears attractive and appealing.Now that you have a complete and clear list of points and priorities, think of an original and creative way to deliver the message. This step might require the most of your time and efforts. This is also where you turn a simple marketing message into a creative idea that sells. Once again, the key is to stay creative and original.

5. Determine the Tone & Style

Before you start writing the first draft, it is important to determine the tone and style that will best suit your video. These explainer videos must necessarily be interesting and appealing but that does not mean you have to be all chitty-chatty and casual. You must research several popular styles of script writing. Remember, while you must reach out to your audience on a personal level, it is extremely important to sound professional.

6. Write the First Draft

With a focus on the idea you have crafted out of your message, write the first draft of your script. You don’t need to spend too much time over. You have to keep it simple and you would have to edit it later. Make sure you add the information you have compiled, not missing out on anything. Keep in mind the tone you chose and make sure your words go with that tone as well as the visuals that play. Once the draft is complete, read it at least two times and cut down any content which feels out of place.

7. Add Humor

Now that you have cut the script down to its bare bones, it is time to add a dash of humor to it. This ensures the viewers don’t feel bored at any point. Even if the video is around two minutes in length, you want the viewers to pay full attention to what is being said. However, make sure the humor in the script translates well onscreen.

These are seven easy steps to write a great explainer video script. Following these tips, you can write a script which will be the basis of a great explainer video. It is not as difficult as you thought, is it?