Not all video marketing agencies have scripting sessions in their process, so I am not surprised that you went to Google to learn more about it.

Video ads are more effective today. People’s attention spans are short. They are busy, too. They want to consume content that they can digest with little effort.

Video scripts serve as the foundation of any video. If you work with a video marketing agency that doesn’t offer scripting sessions before the video is created, lots of $$$ will be wasted!

In this article, we will discuss the following:

• How can scripting sessions improve the video creation process?
• How much does a scripting session cost?
• Do scripting sessions last more than an hour?
• How many scripting sessions are required?

Let’s get started!

How Can Scripting Sessions Improve the Video Creation Process?

I worked as a scriptwriter at a video marketing agency in the past. When I first joined the team, the term “scripting session” was new to me. It was a rare word.

Many video marketing agencies today go straight to creating the video ad. If the client has sent them a detailed and well-written copywriting brief, and the agency is really an expert, things may go smoothly.

But if both parties are inexperienced or unknowledgeable about video marketing, let us just pray for them. Dear God.

Writing a video script can be time-consuming. If you are paying the agency by the hour, you may prefer doing the writing yourself because that costs nothing.

But unless you are a video marketing expert, or a marketing expert even without the video expertise, the agency will likely send your video script back to you because the hook point is missing! And where is the pain point?

Scriptwriters’ job may seem easy because they just type words, and anyone can do that. But like I always say, writing doesn’t start with the first letter on the page. It starts with the first thought.

Writers are thinkers, and what you see on the page is just a cleaner version of their super messy thoughts. *shrugs*

If you know that you lack writing skills, creativity, and marketing prowess, you will benefit a lot from scripting sessions. You will find specific benefits below.

1. You Can Spot Mistakes or Ineffective Wordings Because the Video’s Plot Is Laid Out

You may be a bad writer, but you can still be a good spotter of errors, ineffective words, and sentences that don’t make sense despite that.

If you insist on writing the video script yourself because scripting sessions are not your thing, you could be the receiver of criticism. Ouch!

If the agency doesn’t care about anything more than money, they may go with the script you provided even if it lacks power. You don’t want that.

Just do a scripting session and do what you are good at: finding faults (seriously).

2. Scripting the Video Before Creating It Eliminates Confusion That Might Slow Down the Process

You don’t want to spend an hour talking about scripts and ideas, but that one-hour meeting can eliminate a total of 20 hours of nonsense from the creation process.

If there is no plan before the video editors start working, they will ask lots of questions because they don’t know why and for whom they are creating the video.

Consequently, you will pay more money to the agency AND deal with frustrations!

3. You Are Involved Because You Can Share Your Ideas During the Scripting Session

You want the video to be created because you want more sales, blog traffic, customers, or whatever. Be involved in the process to ensure you and the agency are on the same page.

During scripting sessions, you will talk about everything from the purpose of the video to the visual elements in that video.

And your ideas matter because it is for your business!

If you don’t share your thoughts, the creative team will have no other choice but to make decisions, which might result in a disaster or loss for your business.

4. You Have an Idea of How the Video Will Turn Out and Set Expectations

You share your ideas, and the agency does the same. Your niche expertise plus the agency’s video marketing expertise equals an effective video that is worth your money and time!

Everything will be part of the discussion, including the final look and feel of the video. Having that in your mind will allow you to set realistic expectations and provide reasonable feedback.

5. You Can Determine Whether the Agency Is an Expert Before the Project Even Starts

This is probably the most important benefit you will get from a scripting session.

Doubts are inevitable when it is your first time working with anyone. You will know whether you are dealing with a legitimate video marketing agency if you say yes to a scripting session. Yes?

At the video marketing agency I worked at, they offered it for free, so clients could test us out before they spent. I was the scriptwriter, so I had an important role even though it was small compared to illustrators and video editors.

How Much Does a Scripting Session Cost?

Just like any other service, the cost of a scripting session depends on the business structure or the pricing model of the video marketing agency.

Some offer it as a paid service, while some use it as a lead magnet — they offer it for free to attract clients, and then they will do their best to provide an output that will encourage the client to go to the next stage, which is paid.

If you are a skeptic and don’t want to pay a bad video marketing agency only to be disappointed, then look for those that offer it for free. Use Google.

Do Scripting Sessions Last More Than an Hour?

Scripting sessions usually last around an hour, but they could last longer if the discussion has become more intense and both parties are enjoying their time so much that they can’t leave the Zoom call.

Seriously, if it is free, expect that the agency will be quite strict when it comes to time. You are not paying them, so you are a lesser priority compared to their paying clients. You are important, though.

If it is paid, then you will pay the agency by the hour. You can discuss ideas with them for 10 hours if you can afford it. That is exhausting, but they will be happy because it means more money.

How Many Scripting Sessions Are Required?

More scripting sessions don’t equal higher-quality videos. It just prolongs the video creation process. If you are following a timeline, the agency might not finish it by the deadline if the scripting phase is too long.

When I was a scriptwriter, writing some scripts and finalizing them could last as early as one week. In those cases, only one scripting session took place — and that is what is normal.

A second scripting session might be needed if the client decides to change the direction of their marketing. Doing so would change the content, the target audience, or the goal of the video.

Conclusion

Anyone can produce video content by doing ad-libs, but that is mostly for informational videos. If you need a marketing video, like those 1-minute social media video ads you see, you need a script.

You can write it by yourself with the help of ChatGPT, but don’t expect it will hook your audience if you go this route.

A video marketing agency, at least the legit, has worked with many companies outside your industry and has made countless video ads, which they may have experimented with. They know better than you!

They know what works, and they will tell you whether your idea will work during the scripting session. Great!

Liked the article? How about a video script from me?

I don’t offer a free scripting session because I am not a video girl. I am an SEO specialist, but I can help you write your video script. Click here to learn more!