13 Scriptwriting Tips For Voiceovers

Learn how to write and format better voiceover scripts with our expert-recommended tips.

Whether you’re writing a script for a social media ad, YouTube video, or podcast intro, your goal remains the same – make it sound good out loud.

The best voiceover scripts are written to be heard, not read. This means you need to pay extra attention to your writing style and pacing to produce the most natural and engaging result.

Below, we share our top 13 scriptwriting tips for voiceovers, including advice on preparation and formatting. Whether you’re writing for yourself or someone else, this guide will help you nail your next voiceover script.

Preparation

Know your audience

Understanding exactly who you might be speaking to will not only help inform the language you use in the script, but also how it might be delivered.

For example, you may wish to speak more slowly for tutorial videos, use kid-friendly language for children’s content, or keep things fast-paced and exciting for social media.

It may help to create customer avatars for this step. Ask yourself specific questions about your typical viewer’s age, location, interests, pain points, and how they usually consume media. This will help you add nuance to your script and understand what sort of language and tone to use.

Use the AIDA model to structure your script

AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Do a little research and you’ll find that lots of advertisements follow this structure – it’s popular because it’s so effective!

The idea behind the AIDA model refers to the different stages a customer goes through when buying a product or service:

• Attention: Grab your audience’s attention straight away with something intriguing or dramatic.
• Interest: Show them why they should care about what you’re about to say or offer.
• Desire: Paint a picture of how your product, service or content could change their life.
• Action: Let them know what to do next.

You can use the AIDA model as a guide when structuring your scripts – they’re especially useful if you’re trying to sell a product or service. It can help you get the point across quickly and effectively, without long-winded introductions or conclusions. It’s also great at building momentum, and each section flows seamlessly into the next.

Writing your script

Start with a hook

Remember the ‘attention’ part of the AIDA model? You’ll want to open with a good ‘hook’ – something that stops your audience in their tracks and convinces them to pay attention to your content. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Create drama or tension: “What if I told you that your perfect setup is actually ruining your audio?”
• Ask your audience a direct question: Speak to the listener’s pain points (based on your audience research!). “Want to know why your videos aren’t getting views even when you follow all the rules?”
• Surprising facts or statistics: “The average viewer decides whether to watch your video or scroll within the first 3 seconds.”
• Share a relatable pain point: “Editing used to take me so long I dreaded even starting a project.”

The point of a hook is to spark curiosity and build interest before diving into the details. This is what will convince your audience to stick around and watch the whole video.

Write like you talk

What looks good on paper might not necessarily sound natural when read out loud. You’ll want your voiceover to feel authentic – like you’re having a conversation with your target audience, rather than speaking at them.

The easiest way to do this is to write like you talk in everyday conversations:

• Use contractions: ‘You’re’, ‘they’ll’, and ‘can’t’, etc.
• Speak directly to the audience: Instead of *“this product can help reduce stress levels”**, ***try “This will help you feel less stressed.”
• Avoid formal phrases: No one says words like ‘hence’, ‘thus’, and ‘therefore’ in real life.
• Don’t use long or complicated words: You want to ensure everyone can understand and keep up with what you’re saying. You also want to keep your script short and snappy so your audience will stay engaged. 
• Don’t be afraid to break the rules of grammar: Some of the best advertisements are memorable for their use of ‘bad grammar’ e.g. Apple’s slogan ‘Think Different.’

Keep sentences short

If you’re scriptwriting for social media videos or ads, keep your sentences as concise as possible. This will help ensure that every word delivers value and that you’re getting your point across in the quickest and most engaging way.

If you’re writing a voiceover for an ad or social media video, aim to keep sentences around 15 words or fewer. This will keep things digestible for both the voiceover artist and the audience. If you struggle to read a 20+-word sentence in one breath, then you shouldn’t expect it from your voiceover artist!

Grammar doesn’t matter

Just because you have to keep your sentences short doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get your point across effectively. Remember, you can break the rules of grammar in your voiceover script. If you have a particular long list of benefits to list, but can’t cram them all into one line, just break them up into separate sentences:

Before: “This is the holiday booking site that lets you book everything from Caribbean cruises, to all-inclusive hotels in the Maldives, to hiking holidays in Cambodia.” After: “This site helps you book it all. 5-star Caribbean Cruises. All-inclusive hotels in the Maldives. And even hiking holidays in Cambodia!”

Give your script rhythm

Adding rhythm to your script can hold your audience’s attention and help it flow better. Using punctuation and a mix of longer and shorter sentences will keep things dynamic and engaging. Short sentences are direct and snappy, whereas longer sentences can build suspense.

Stylise your text to guide the voiceover

Stylising your text is a great way to indicate to your voiceover artists how certain words or lines should be delivered. Here are some ways you can stylise your script:

• Bold, italic, or underline: Indicate where the reader should emphasise or inflect words. These can be particularly helpful for highlighting key benefits that should be read with extra weight.
• Capital letters: Indicate when the reader should raise their volume, shout, or sound more excited.
• Ellipses (…): Indicate where the reader should pause to create suspense before moving on to the next point.
• Dashes (–): Indicate a change of thought or extra detail – encouraging the voiceover artist to shift their tone or pace.
• Brackets: You can also add explicit directions to your script using brackets, such as [smiling], [whispering], or [looking worried].

Avoid words that aren’t used in everyday conversation

When was the last time you heard someone say ‘hence’ or ‘therefore’ in a real-world conversation? Words like these make sense on paper, but feel unnatural when read in a voiceover, so you should avoid them in your script. Instead, use simple alternatives like ‘but’ and ‘so’ to get your point across. Remember – you want your voiceover to feel like you’re talking to someone, not reading to them.

Read it aloud

Reading your script aloud will not only help you make sure it sounds natural – it will also let you know if it fits into a certain time limit. For example, your client may request that their social media ads remain under 30 or 60 seconds. The average speaking rate is around 150 words per minute, so this is a good benchmark to refer to when writing for your script. Remember to read your script aloud in the same tone and pace as you envision it in the final version!

Use a teleprompter

To test how your script will sound, plug it into a free teleprompter app like Teleprompter Pro. Teleprompter Pro allows you to import and make changes to your script within the app. You can even adjust settings like your scroll speed and text styling, so you can test your script exactly how you envision it being read.

Teleprompter Pro also has a built-in selfie camera, so you can record yourself looking at the camera while reading your script. We recommend using Teleprompter Pro to test different tones and pacing by adjusting the scroll speed and text styles directly within the app. You can then watch your recordings back and choose the version that best fits your message.

Formatting

Use a dedicated scriptwriting plugin or software

Formatting your script can make a huge difference to how easily your script is read and delivered. The last thing you want is a messy script or confusing layout hindering your voiceover artist (or yourself!).

For professional voiceover work (films, games, etc.), there are handy add-ons like Screenplay Formatter and Fountainize that you can plug into Google Docs. These programmes can streamline the formatting process to produce professional-looking scripts without you having to do it all manually.

You could also use a dedicated software like WriterDuet – a professional-grade scriptwriting tool that offers a free version. WriterDuet allows you to focus on writing and structuring your scripts properly, rather than getting bogged down by fonts, margins and spacing.

Create a table for simpler formatting

If you’re just writing voiceovers for yourself or for social media, you may want to opt for simpler formatting. In this case, you can create a table in Google Docs with separate columns for timing, script lines, and directions. Your table should look something like this: