The perfect infomercial is a balancing act between what the problem your

prospective customer faces and how your product solves it. It leads a viewer
to purchase your product while hopefully keeping them entertained along the
way. The script is the foundation of a great video and is the building block for
everything else you will do throughout the course of your video production
project. For this reason, it’s critical to get the script right. Here are a few things
to keep in mind when creating a successful infomercial.

Before Writing Your Script

A great infomercial script always starts with researching the topic at hand. You
simply can’t write about something you don’t know. Remember to always
verify the information you are reading is accurate. When it comes to the
internet, there are many sources that are unreliable.

Once you are done researching, you should begin writing a comprehensive
brief with your key takeaways. These should include your goals, product
benefits, and information gained from your research. Usually, these start with
some guidelines you receive from the company you are writing for. Then you
are ready to start your script writing!

Tips to Consider if You are About to Begin Script Writing

1. Use Testimonials – Show-case studies of the product in use. Let your

prospective customer visualize what it would be like if they used your
product.
2. Keep the story line simple – An infomercial shouldn’t be complicated
and hard to follow. You are writing an infomercial, not a movie.
3. Stay realistic – It’s ok to include an example where a customer has
above average results, but try and include your average results as well.
This is not only more believable but more ethical as well.
4. Be repetitive – The truth is that not everyone will be glued to the screen
while your infomercial is on. It’s ok to be a little repeat your messages
that are important.
5. Read your script – once you are near completion, read your script out
loud. Record the reading and listen to it later. This way you can actively
listen the first time, and identify room for improvement later. If
something doesn’t sound right, trust your gut and change it.
6. Keep your hosts personality in mind – Is your host highly animated? Is
he or she funny? These kinds of questions will help you with the tone of
voice and direction of your copy.
 7. Call To Action – don’t forget include a clear call to action. You should
also add urgency, if possible, for example “Only 20 units left” or “Limited
time offer.”

A successful infomercial has the ability to move your product faster than any
other marketing effort. If your company is interested in a DRTV media
campaign, we’d like to hear from you. Contact us at AsSeenOnTV.pro.

The Critical Steps to Infomercial Script Writing

Infomercial success means many things to different people. Generally companies are

most interested in a positive ROI (sometime referred to as MER – Media Expense
Ratio, in direct marketing terms) from their investment. But branding, building toward
retail distribution and other objectives are often important. Start by understanding those
specific objectives.

Building a great script means having a through understanding of the product, target
market, features, benefits, price points, profit margins and more. Done properly this
analysis will provide good direction for the script development. 

Infomercials traditionally have three segments, because research has shown that
viewers spend about seven minutes (on average) watching a show. Each one of these
“scenes” should contain the critical benefits of the product and end with a call-to-action
(CTA). Build an outline for each segment making sure to include the benefits and
reasons viewers should call.

Beginning to create the script with the host or hosts personality in mind and how they
can best connect with the audience. Remember the copy will be heard – not read. So . .
. as you’re developing it, read it aloud. By the way, strong scripts usually take many
rewrites before everyone (client, producer, hosts and etc.) are happy with it.
Finally, while shooting, if something doesn’t “flow” or sound right, change it. Trust your
instincts. Once the cameras and lights are going, it’s too late to fix problems or change
verbiage.

Step 1: Brainstorming 

Gathering different ideas to come up with the perfect one is what you called
brainstorming. Sit down with your team and share your ideas about the product. Think
of ways you can convince the customer that this product is a “need” and  a “must have”.
You can cite the benefits, solutions or even a miracle for them to buy the product. Get
every idea that falls under the main goal and jot it down.
Step 2: Make an Outline

Start writing an outline towards the goal. An outline can help in organizing thoughts,
save time and facilitates in writing  faster. In infomercial the outline is more likely a
storyboard, a form of illustration that sequence the entire script or it pre-visualizes the
whole scene. This includes what will happen in the script, where will you highlight the
product and etc.
Step 3: Write the first draft

After you have come up an idea and written an infomercial outline, you are now ready to
start writing with your first draft. Don’t rush, let yourself explore the ideas and start
writing, the words will come out easily with focus and perseverance. Aim to get the
whole composition out of your head and write it all in the paper. Once done with the first
draft, leave it. Don’t change anything. Fixing, modifying and improving will be done in
the next step.
Step 4: Finalize the script content

Following the first draft, re-read it and make some revisions with the sentence structure,
grammar, and spelling errors. Check the content, organization, style and format. You
may let your other team member read it and make comments if the infomercial script
achieved its purpose. At this point, your infomercial script is should be precisely
polished.
Step 5: Visualize and Time the material

This means that the script written comes alive, being acted or dramatized and timed. To
insure that the script written is accurately timed, plus the audio and video are
synchronized.
If you have followed this 5 steps in writing infomercial script, chances are you’ll be done
in no time. So, if you like the idea of writing better and faster, consider starting
with infomercial consulting script writing. Happy Writing!

This blog will concentrate on providing tips for writing a script for a myriad of
applications including commercials, training videos, church announcements and more,
and will detail the different ways script writing is one of the most essential parts of a
professional video. We’re also going to share some tricks of the trade with you
regarding ways to ensure that your script is as effective as possible.

Writing a commercial script can be a challenging and thrilling experience, but a

commercial writer must know the guidelines for the company they are going to write for.
Normally, a business will send guidelines for the commercial script before the
assignment, and then ask that a script be written and submitted for consideration.

If you attempt to tackle this project yourself, here are some general guidelines to
follow…
 • Begin researching the commercial’s theme by watching as many commercials as you
can, taking note of how the producers format a commercial from beginning to end while
also looking at the ways actors are staged, posed or what they represent in style and
look.

• Practice writing draft reviews of the commercial project, adding in suggestions and
taking out elements as you keep revising; ask yourself who is going to watch this
commercial and what they will want to take away from the message regarding product
or service.

• Ask yourself if you would watch your own commercial all the way through…WITH
enthusiasm. In fact, ask people to read your commercial’s script back to you and see
what you think about it.

• Locate people to act out your script and see how you feel about it when presented;
test the waters and look at what is effective in your commercial as well as what won’t
work.

• Look your draft over and welcome constructive criticism on your own work. Be realistic
here – ask yourself if your script will garner the attention of your audience or make them
want to purchase the item.

• Make any final changes to your script.

How to Format a Script for a 30-Second Commercial

by Barbara Bean-Mellinger; Reviewed by Michelle Seidel, B.Sc., LL.B., MBA; Updated March 06, 2019

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How exciting that you're venturing into writing a radio or television commercial. Writing for broadcast media

is significantly different from writing a print or digital ad. For the first time, you're adding action to your

words and bringing them to life. Every second is precious in broadcast, though, so learn how to make the most

of your time by using the correct formats.

Begin With Essential Information

You might think the essential part of a radio or television script is the dialogue, and, of course, that's the end

result the public sees or hears. For them, it is the essential part. But when you're in the writing phase, and later

in production, it's very important to relay the name of the spot (that's advertising lingo for the commercial) and

its length.

Name of the spot. There are probably several different spots in the campaign, or you're writing several to

choose from. Every spot is given a clever title to identify it, like "Puppy Faces" or "Granny Goes Tech," so let

your imagination go wild.

Length of the spot. You're writing a 30-second commercial, which is noted as :30. Later, shorter spots might

be written from this idea. They would be noted as :15 and :10, for 15 seconds and 10 seconds in length.

Your name and the company's name. Identify the company the commercial is advertising, even if it's your

own. Your name is important as the writer so when a line needs to be rewritten at the last minute, the director

or salesman or whoever knows who to find in a hurry.

This information should be written at the top left of the script. For example:

 "Granny Goes Tech"

 ABC Company
 Writer: (Your name)
 :30 television
Format for 30-Second Television Commercials

The factor that makes television different from other media is that it has both audio and visuals. To convey that

in a script, it's customary to use a two-column format with VIDEO on the left and AUDIO on the right. Be

sure that video and audio line up horizontally so the action or scene you see while hearing music, sound effects

or dialogue are on the same corresponding lines in their columns. Also, anything that isn't actual dialogue

should be indicated in ALL CAPS. For example:

VIDEO AUDIO
MAN AT OFFICE DESK WORKING, HEAD DOWN HAUNTING MUSIC PLAYS

MAN LOOKS UP FROM DESK, EYES WIDEN MAN: I never thought it would happen to me.

GETS UP, WALKS AROUND DESK AS HE TALKS MAN: We planned in advance, we practiced it ...

COMICALLY OLDER WOMAN ENTERS OFFICE "GRANNY": I told you how it works, but NOOOO ...

Format for 30-Second Radio Commercials

With radio, of course, there are no visuals. Everything is audio, so the two-column format doesn't work.

Radio scripts still distinguish between dialogue and other noises like music and sound effects, however. For

this, they use the same indication as a television script, with ALL CAPS for action. For example:

 "Granny Goes Tech"

 ABC Company
 Writer: (Your Name)
 :30 radio

HAUNTING MUSIC PLAYS

SOUND OF CHAIR SLIDING BACK

MAN: I never thought it would happen to me. We planned in advance, we practiced it ...

SOUND OF DOOR OPENING

WOMAN IN GRAVELLY, OLD LADY VOICE: I told you how it works, but NOOOOOO, you wouldn't

believe me because what would an old lady know about technology? (LAUGHS)

Continue writing the script in this format. At the end, center "-end-" to show the end of the spot; no need to

look for a second page.

Timing Is Everything

Be sure to time your commercials with a stopwatch to make sure they fit in the allotted seconds. Thirty

seconds is not a lot of time; 15 and 10 seconds go by in a blip. There's a natural tendency to read too fast, so

consciously talk slowly and don't rush it. When you think you have it timed accurately, find someone to play

the other person, and time it again.

Now get ready to choose your on-air talent actors and the producer and director, and talk to your local stations.

Let the fun begin!