The keynote. The podcast. The webinar. All of these rely on the spoken word as a way to communicate with your audience. And they all rely on strong written copy.
Sure, you may be a great off-the-cuff speaker, someone who can think on their feet in front of the mic. But when your brand’s reputation is riding on what comes out of your mouth, you can’t take chances on improvisation.
Here are some key tips for writing effective copy for spoken presentations. And if you’re in the market for words that literally speak to your audience, you should first speak to us.
Lead with your ears
In general, people don’t write how they speak and don’t speak how they write. For the most effective out-loud content, you have to be able to write how the speaker talks — whether that speaker is you, your boss, or your client.
- Listen to recordings of the speaker. Get an audio or video recording of the speaker talking for several minutes. Familiarize yourself with their word choice and their diction, the phrases they use and the ones they avoid. Do this even if you’re writing for yourself — you might be surprised by what you learn.
- Listen to how people talk to the target audience. How your CEO talks to employees is different from how she talks to investors or a webinar audience. Find examples of presentations to the audience your speaker is addressing (their own or one that’s well regarded) and take note of specific elements relevant to that audience.
Don’t be Cormac McCarthy
Resist the temptation to pen the “All the Pretty Horses” of webinar scripts. While it’s a joy to read a masterfully crafted sentence over and over and over again, spoken-word copy must be written so that its message is delivered, heard, and understood in the same moment.
- Read it aloud from start to finish. Scripts and speeches have a different flow than copy on the page or screen. Some spoken words simply don’t work well together, and you don’t want to inadvertently give your speaker a tongue-twister exercise.
- Read it aloud to someone else. Just as every writer needs an editor, every speechwriter needs an audience. A friend or a colleague can catch audible errors — the clumsy phrase, the unfinished thought, the non-sequitur — that you’ve glossed over in your mind.
Consider the non-words
Is the spoken-word presentation being made before a live audience? If so, the writer may need to keep a number of special considerations in mind and notate them for the speaker. A meaningful pause isn’t meaningful if it’s not there… or in the wrong place.
What else to keep in mind?
- Soundtracks: If a presentation is backed by music, the writer needs to have access to those tracks. They will affect the cadence, the emotion, and possibly even the content of the script. And be sure the speaker knows about the soundtrack, too, especially if they’ve decided to delegate production decisions.
- Audience responses: Asking a webinar or seminar audience a question mid-flight can lead to potentially embarrassing dead air. Instead of putting them on the spot, lead in with “In a minute I’m going to ask you about X,” to give them time to think about their answers so the speaker won’t be left hanging.
- Don’t forget the CTA. You can’t put a link in a keynote speech, but you can give listeners a way to follow up. Whether it’s “you can find me on LinkedIn” or “we have more information on our website,” make sure the speaker provides the audience with the means to learn more.
Do you want to hear more about writing for the spoken word? Email MarketSmiths to find out how we can make you — or your executive team — sound good.
