Script reads: a service UGC creators should include in their UGC portfolio.

"Making $1,000 in 10 Minutes: The Secret to Profitable Script Reads"

By now, I'm sure you've seen a TikTok of me discussing script reads and how profitable they can eventually become. For example, in a recent video, I posted on TikTok, I shared that I was making $1,000 in 10 minutes doing a script read (which comes out to a $6,000 hourly rate). Since posting my first TikTok about this a few weeks ago, I've quickly received hundreds of comments asking follow-up questions about this service. It wasn't until a wonderful newsletter subscriber (hey Laura!) suggested I dedicate a newsletter to this.

So here we are!

So what exactly is a script read? A script read is, by definition, what it sounds like. A client provides a pre-written script for you to read either on-camera or as a voice-over. For me, the client I work with that assigns me frequent script reads requests, I am on camera, saying my lines as a persona, for them to use both audio and visual.

This is what an example script read looks like:

Hey! Thanks for answering those questions! If you're struggling to reach your fitness and health goals, and nothing seems to work no matter how hard you try… then you'll want to pay close attention to what our team of resident doctors recommends in a few short minutes.

They'll share why high levels of cortisol may shut down your metabolism, draining your energy and disrupting your sleep… luckily, they will share a personalized roadmap based on your unique hormone type. It'll speed up your metabolism, increase your energy, and improve your sleep while shrinking and toning in as little as 24 hours.

Your female hormones can be leveraged to reach your health & fitness goals once you know how to use them. Our resident Doctors have spent almost 30 years getting women results with a female-specific approach that doesn't require you to restrict your eating, count points or calories, exercise 4-5 times a week, or take any pills or patches!

Before you know it, you'll not only be reaching your fitness and health goals but also surpassing them. Here are our doctors with more...

What does filming a script read look like? So typically, what I'll do when I'm assigned a script read is I'll read over it to see if there's anything in the lines of copy that wouldn't sound natural for me to say on camera. If some phrases feel or sound forced, I'll adjust the phrasing to something that still reflects the original line but sounds natural for me to say. After this, I'll email the script to myself and copy/paste the lines into my teleprompter app on my phone. I use BigVu; other creators use CapCut - there are others to choose from in the app store. I'll do a practice round where I read through the lines, similar to reading a book, so I can absorb what I'm really about to say.

After doing my practice round, I'll film roughly 5-8 takes with varying energy levels of the script, and generally, after that time, I'm happy with at least 3-4 versions and would share those versions with the client. I share 3-4 takes to ensure that the client will be happy with at least ONE of my takes. Everyone has their preferred delivery and overall preferences, so providing at least 3-4 different deliveries of the script (ranging from average energy to high energy), it helps guarantee quality control.

Applying this abundance exercise to my business has strengthened my long-term working relationships. I say this because some creators may argue, "you provided them 3-4 different deliveries?? Can't that be 3-4 different ads??" Maybe? Sure, I guess! That said, it's all about perspective. Because the way I see it is, if I only provide one take, the client could be disappointed in my delivery and be forced to trash the concept entirely, making them hesitant to rehire me for future projects. In contrast, filming multiple takes and providing the best 3-4 options enhances the likelihood of them LOVING at least one of the deliveries (or choosing the first half of one take and the second half of another variation).

As a disclaimer, UGC creators are their own business owners and can choose how they prefer to run their business. I'm simply communicating a personal experience I've had and how applying this practice to my workflow has helped me make MORE money in the long run; by taking the extra step to guarantee that the client will be happy with at least one of my takes in any project.

*As a note, this process will take 10 to 30 minutes to start and finish. I upload the footage to Google Drive directly from my phone and share the folder with my point of contact. There is no video editing involved!

How can I start doing script reads? Now, this isn't going to be the answer you WANT to hear; I say this because I don't have a magic URL to a website that will hook you up with 3/4-figure UGC script-read opportunities. Like all services, you'll want to include this in your UGC portfolio under your services section, titled something along the lines of: "script reads for landing pages or ads." The UGC script reads I film for one of my clients are for landing pages and the post-purchase funnel - but I've also done script reads for other clients in the past that were voice-overs for ads.

Additionally, for your pre-existing clients, let them know that you now offer this as a service if/when it applies to the topic of conversation. Say, for example, you're having a call with a client where they reference they’re A/B testing landing pages; you could let them know that you offer script reads for landing pages.

Where will these script reads live/what are they primarily used for? To date, any script I've done, the video or audio UGC, has been used further to introduce the product, service, or brand. Specifically, this can help further solidify why the potential customer should purchase this product or service - with the end goal of taking them from the landing page (where they viewed your UGC script read) through the checkout process, all the way through to clicking the purchase button. Outside of landing pages, script reads can be used for ads and other branding or marketing initiatives the company might be testing.

Is this still considered UGC content if it's a script read? In short, YES! I've seen some people comment on that viral TikTok introducing UGC script reads, saying something along the lines of: "that's not UGC, it's acting.." - sure, I might be on-camera as a specific customer persona, but it's still user-generated content being shot on my iPhone by a UGC creator for a digital marketing initiative that follows the customer journey (from scrolling, to being targeted with the ad of me, to clicking the link to the landing page, to watching the follow-up video of myself, through the checkout process, to again, clicking the purchase button).

Why do brands pay "so much" for script reads? There are a few factors at play here. For one, these landing page script reads need to be more on-brand and reflect a premium look and feel that's congruent to the product and company. Now traditionally, actors would be the only route to go. But now, thanks to UGC and the nuances on social platforms like TikTok, it makes more sense to hire a UGC creator that can deliver a script read on-camera as a persona associated with the brand. ESPECIALLY if it’s a script read for the landing page that the same UGC creator did an ad for.

The script reads for UGC may sound "too good to be true," but if the brand tries to work with actors or models that agents, managers, or unions represent, it not only gets time-consuming but EXPENSIVE! And being these script reads are used for A/B testing landing pages, ads, and other marketing initiatives, the average DTC brand (aka direct-to-consumer brand) does not have the budget to afford traditional talent. Not to mention - not all actors or models are skilled content creators. By hiring a UGC creator specializing in script reads, they get the delivery they're looking for and the production value they're looking for; at a fraction of the price.

Alright! Please comment any follow-up questions you might have! I will be doing a Youtube video where I address them in a Q&A format and would love to prioritize the questions from my subscribers. Outside of that, in honor of my second Youtube video, I'm doing a giveaway for a new digital product - that isn't yet in my Stan Store. I plan to release my Portfolio Guide next week, but in the meantime, I'm gifting three guides to anyone who likes and comments on this recent Youtube video, subscribes to my channel, and turns on my post notifications (submission deadline is 2/12/23). As always, I wish you the best of luck on your UGC journey, continue to use me as a resource; I'm here to help!

*The winner from the recent giveaway was Emylee Grace!