I filmed a Q&A last week so I could respond to as many of your recent scriptwriting questions as possible.
So while I'm "taking it easy" on my newsletter for the next few weeks to help me focus on my scriptwriting app...
...I've decided to share my response to three of those questions per week over the next few Fridays.
(Full Q&A releasing on my channel soon!)
How should I adjust my scripts based on my YouTube Studio analytics? I assume AVD is the main metric?
My response:
- I pay almost 0 attention to average view duration (AVD) or even average percentage viewed (APV) because these are so affected by the type/length of video.
- For example, longer videos tend to have higher AVD (yay!) but shorter APV (oh no!)
- But shorter videos tend to have lower AVD (oh no!) but higher APV (yay!).
- In both cases, one metric seems like a "win", but the other seems like a "loss". So looking at those metrics feels like you can't win.
- Retention graphs are, therefore, the main piece of data to pay attention to from a scriptwriting perspective. Pick 3 videos and review the spikes, dips and flat segments from each. I guarantee you'll notice several matching patterns (good and bad), and therefore something to improve in your next script.
- The caveat (and where AVD is useful) is when comparing videos of similar length. But, again, to actually diagnose why the video with the worst AVD was worse... you'd have to look at the retention graph.
My videos involve an element of "discovery", so how can I write my payoffs before I film when I don't know what's going to happen?
My response:
- This is very common on entertainment channels, and even educational channels like "review" channels that test products "live".
- In these cases, focus on writing just the hook and segment setups. These are the parts that rely on your actual curiosity as the YouTuber, and which help you plan the structure before you film.
- For example, in a video reviewing a pair of bluetooth headphones, one of my setups might be something like: "Next I wanted to test the [headphone name]'s noise cancelling. But honestly... I was going in with pretty low expectations after their demo at CES."
- Writing just the hook and setups before filming frees you up to act naturally during filming, while still establishing a clear structure to guide you.
- Then, edit brutally after filming to remove rambling, and write additional voiceover to tie things together.
Is scriptwriting dying?
My response:
- This question intrigued me, but despite the rapid advancement of AI, I don't think it is at all.
- I still get asked for writer recommendations as frequently as ever... that truly hasn't changed in the last 5 years.
- But something has changed. When I started doing this in 2021, I grew my personal brand quickly because there weren't many people doing YouTube-specific writing-for-hire. I also stood out because I had worked for Ali Abdaal.
- But today, the market has been absolutely flooded with YouTube scriptwriters (and Ali Abdaal has hired half the known universe). Therefore, the supply has increased more rapidly than the demand, which makes it harder to stand out.
- My advice - learn to use AI "responsibly". Ergo, don't entirely outsource your scriptwriting to AI and expect clients to love it. Work with the AI to write faster. Then share what you're learning publicly (YouTube, X, personal newsletter) so when new clients come around, they don't have to read 10-page scripts you wrote to assess your quality...
- ...they can simply scroll your socials and see that you think deeply and carefully about this stuff.
That's all for this week.
Speak soon,
George 👋