Writing a Voiceover Script

The success of your podcast or radio and TV commercials will largely depend on your voiceover script. Composing an effective voiceover script that gets results is not like writing print ads for publication or online advertisements.

You shoud be "writing for the ear, not the eye". Writing for the ear entails writing in a conversational manner. This technique requires short and concisely written messages. This technique may look unusual initially, but you'll produce very effective messages as you get used to it.

Here are some techniques you can immediately apply to improve things for your voiceover artist:

State everything in the active voice. Using the active voice in your script will make your ad seem to talk to its listeners in real time. This technique can create instantaneous credibility and rapport with your listeners.

Use a popshield to protect the microphone. If your voiceover script contains a lot of words that begin with the letters 'P', 'B' and 'T', the talent may have difficulty reading the sentence without distorting it. A popshield can help eliminate this problem and help them deliver a more smooth-sounding sentence.

Mark up the voiceover copy for inflection. Marking certain words in bold, highlighting parts of the copy or using something simple like underlining can really help your voiceover artist understand the gist of the message and deliver a quality piece. Read the copy out loud yourself to identify what parts of the sentence you want to emphasize, then mark up the copy so that the voiceover artist understands exactly what you need.

Write down phone numbers in word form. Numbers are also words that would need to be read. Spell each number so that you can detect if there are any blockages to your script's overall impact. Be prepare to edit your script if any part sounds inappropriate.

Instantly grab your listeners' attention. Headlines are what lure audiences to listen to any advertisement. Your headline will serve as an opening to your ad's body. A great headline would be composed of less than ten words and contain at least one compelling benefit or statement.

Since a voiceover artist will be delivering the copy, the writer of the script will need to account for breathing and their overall tone and personality. Once you have selected your voice over talent, you may need to tweak the script slightly so that it flows with the talent's strongest skills and abilities. Make sure you're developing a strong and persuasive script using these guidelines, and give the voiceover talent plenty of time to practice so that you can modify your script as needed.