How to write a script for a short video
A short video is won or lost in the writing. Editing, voice and footage come later: if the script does not hold, nothing rescues it. Here is the most reliable structure, and why it works.
The hook: one line, not an introduction
You have roughly a second before the thumb moves on. Cut the greetings and start inside the subject. A good hook states a benefit ("Here's how to fill your restaurant on a Tuesday"), a tension ("Your listing is scaring buyers off") or a concrete number.
The promise: say what they will get
Right after the hook, one line that frames what follows: "Three things to change", "The method in two minutes". Viewers stay when they know where they are going. It also stops you wandering halfway through.
The content: one idea per video
A single idea, developed over two or three points. The instinct is to say too much, and that is what loses people. If you have five tips, make five videos — that is a month of content instead of one muddled clip.
The call to action: exactly one
End with a single action: follow, comment, tap the link. Two calls to action are worth none. Phrase it as the natural next step from what you just said, rather than as an ad break.
The read-aloud test
Read the script out loud with a timer. Budget about 150 words per minute, so a 30-second video runs around 75 words. If you have to rush to fit, cut words rather than speaking faster.