Film a Commercial for Your Business: Part 1

Why Digital Commercials?

Nearly 80 percent of Americans have a social-networking profile, according to Statista. That means you can reach more people by posting a video online than through traditional print or radio advertisements.

Digital videos also offer more flexibility than most traditional advertisements. Plus, they cost less. Instead of paying someone to shoot your video and paying a network to play it, you can shoot and share your video for a fraction of the price. You can also create as many videos as you want, and make them as long as you want.

Fifteen- to 30-second videos work well for Instagram or Facebook, while 5- to 10-minute videos work best on YouTube or your website. Consider creating short teaser videos for social media that link people to your in-depth video.

Videos also include sights, sounds and moving elements, which capture people’s attention better than static images or simple recordings. Videos should tell unique stories or showcase products and customers naturally. Viewers don’t want to feel like they’re watching an advertisement. Ads featuring relatable content make people more likely to share and interact with it.

But before you start daydreaming about the links, shares and followers you’ll score from your awesome business video or commercial, you must create it. That starts with an engaging, inspiring, emotional and entertaining script.

Write the Script

A well-written script is crucial for making a great video, and lays the foundation for production and post-production. Good scripts also take less time filming and editing because you know exactly what you need for the video.

To start, sit down with your employees and videography team to brainstorm for the video. Determine its goal, your target audience and what they like. Is your goal to expand your youth league? Perhaps your video should target parents seeking a fun activity for their children. Is your goal to attract new customers? That might mean showing how much you welcome beginners, and how much they’ll like your friendly and knowledgeable staff members. Make your audience feel like they belong in your shop, no matter their age, gender or ethnicity. A short, tasteful biography helps build trust. Videos that showcase your store and inventory are also good.

Once you select your theme and topic, start writing your script. Include jokes, words or phrases to clarify your selling points and draw in your audience. Use plain language and define archery terms so everyone understands the video and relates to it.

Good videos feature multiple shots, scenes and characters, so specify them in your script to make filming easier. You should also create a storyboard, which is a graphic describing how your video unfolds shot by shot. Storyboards help share your vision for how the video will look, which saves production time later. Your on-camera “talent” must practice the script to work out kinks before you record any shots.