How To Write a Television Promo Script

Television promo scripts are short blurbs of promotions that are often read out during a television program. These scripts should last not more than a couple of seconds since there is an ongoing program or the director will be shortly cueing for a commercial. Writing a short, concise and yet effective promo script takes a bit of skill and talent. However anyone, even with no experience in writing one, can easily learn to do it. If you need to learn how to do this, then read the outlined steps below to serve as a guide when writing your own script.

* Knowing what your promo is all about. The first thing you need to do is to know the purpose of the promo script you need to write. Ask the product or brand manager what exactly needs to be said, especially if there are contact numbers that need to be broadcasted. Know the mechanics of the promo and at the same time, if the product has any tag line, make sure you get that right.
* Making a draft. Once you know the basic details of the promo, start writing a draft of what needs to be said. When you have all of the basics written down, that’s when you start putting in the promo and catchy words that will make your audience listen. A sample draft for a travel promo can read like this, “Expert Travel announces their 25th year in providing fun and easy packaged tours by having a ‘Fly one, Fly all’ promo! All you need to do is to book a flight from April 1 to June 30 and you instantly get a chance to win an unlimited flight pass for 6 months!”
* Making another draft. Unfortunately, great scripts do not come from one draft alone. You will be writing several drafts, all with a slightly different approach to make sure you get what the product manager needs. Be prepared to write at least 5 different kinds and there will be several revisions on each kind. This is normal in script writing.
* Injecting other materials such as audio clips and visuals. Depending on the type of promo and the amount of time you would have, you can insert brief audio clips like the product jingle to further enhance the recall factor of your commercial script. You can also inject some visual props especially if you know you will be on camera while reading the script. If you have a product sample with you, that’s even better so that the camera can zoom on it or if you are promoting a concert tour, then a sample poster would be great.


Once you have all of your materials positioned and your draft is approved, try doing a mock run of the commercial and record that while you are rehearsing so that you can catch any inappropriate words or actions while reading the script. This is the equivalent of proofreading your work for a commercial script. Remember to keep the brand in mind as you deliver since this is all about the product.