Ditch the Script

by Olivia Torres

It’s good to be prepped and ready for anything but there is such a thing as over-preparation. Shocking, right? But all too true when it comes to video interviews.

In a time when “watching” videos means little more than scrolling through a Facebook or LinkedIn feed, brief interviews are a popular and effective way to get in front of your audience and create a connection with the people that make your company what it is.

No flashy product shots. No disembodied statistics. Just one person talking to another.

The biggest mistake companies make? Scripting the conversation.

You’ve seen these videos – a successful company leader, seated in the most aesthetically pleasing room in the office with a strategically placed plant in the background, shot on the nicest camera, delivering memorized statements with the authenticity of a robot.

Zero smiles. No emotion. Zapped of confidence. Just a talking head trying to remember which word comes next.

Video interviews are an opportunity for your company to break down barriers. To be visibly and genuinely human. Don’t waste time reciting over-rehearsed lines that feel unnatural to say. When you feel uncomfortable, you look uncomfortable. Your audience will see right through it.

Instead, set aside the folded sheet of carefully crafted sentences and reach deep into the experience and passion that drives your work. After all, you are the expert. If the questions are worth asking, your answers should come naturally.

This is not to say that scripted video doesn’t have its place. A formal internal announcement or a public message following a company crisis must be carefully constructed and presented with a tone befitting of the content.

But if the goal is to share your expertise, your values and your company’s positive impact with your audience – ditch the script. It’s worth it.

Need help developing your next video series? No sweat. Send us a message at dreambig@levitatenow.com.