Michael Mignogna

My Business Brain / Job 4 of 9

Video Ads

Make short video ads with motion, captions, and on-screen text that names the service. Plan the script first, and never cut the music short.

For contractors and agency owners9 principles7 playbook steps

Most people watch video ads with the sound off and decide in the first two seconds. The text on screen has to say what is on offer, and the sound has to be clean for the people who turn it on.

Every job also follows the 12 ground rules.

How to use this page: read the principles, or copy the starter prompt into ChatGPT or Claude. Other ways

Principles

  1. Put on-screen text that names the service in the first two seconds.

    Why
    Most people watch with the sound off. If the first seconds do not say what the ad is about, they scroll.
    How to apply
    Show the service and the offer as text from the first second, and keep a version of it on screen. End on a card that names the offer and the next step.

    GoodThe first frame says Bath remodel price range, texted to you, over real footage of a finished bathroom.

    BadA slow drone shot of a house with no words until the last second.

  2. Use the full music track, and never chop it.

    Why
    A song cut off in the middle of a line sounds broken and makes the business look careless. People notice a bad edit before they notice the offer.
    How to apply
    Pick a track that fits the length, or make one at the right length with an AI music tool. Let it play from start to finish. Cut the pictures to the music, not the music to the pictures.

    GoodA 30-second track plays from its first note to its last note, and the cuts land on the beat.

    BadA two-minute song is cut off after 30 seconds in the middle of a word.

  3. Show song lyrics on screen word for word.

    Why
    Lyrics on screen that do not match the singing look like a mistake. People who watch with the sound off still read the offer in the lyrics.
    How to apply
    Write the lyrics around the offer in plain words before you make the song. Put every sung line on screen exactly as it is sung.

    GoodThe singer sings get your roof quote by text, and the screen shows those exact words.

    BadThe screen shows a shorter, different line than the one being sung.

  4. Plan the script and the format before you make anything.

    Why
    A video made without a script drifts away from the offer, and fixing it later costs more than writing it first.
    How to apply
    Pick one format: a short scripted video, real footage with a voiceover, or a captioned slideshow of real photos. Write every line and every shot before you open an editor.

    GoodA script with seconds, shots, on-screen text, and spoken words for each line, approved before filming.

    BadA pile of footage edited together, with the offer added at the end as an afterthought.

  5. Use motion, and change the shot often.

    Why
    Still photos under a voice look like a slideshow from a meeting. Movement holds attention.
    How to apply
    Change the shot every one to two seconds. Use real footage of the work when you have it. Add slow movement to still photos when you do not.

    GoodFootage of a crew working, a close shot of new shingles, a wide shot of the finished house, each about two seconds long.

    BadThree still photos, each on screen for ten seconds, under a voiceover.

  6. Keep every photo and video in its original shape.

    Why
    A stretched photo makes a house look wrong and the business look careless.
    How to apply
    Crop the photo, or place it on a plain background. Never stretch or squash it to fill a tall frame.

    GoodA wide photo sits in the middle of the tall frame with a dark background above and below.

    BadA wide photo stretched tall, so the house looks thin.

  7. Put captions on every spoken word.

    Why
    People who watch with the sound off miss the offer without captions.
    How to apply
    Add captions that match the spoken words exactly. Check them against the script.

    GoodEvery word the speaker says appears on screen as they say it.

    BadCaptions that skip words or say something the speaker did not say.

  8. Make speakers sound like a neighbor sharing good news.

    Why
    A sales voice makes people tune out. A relieved homeowner sounds believable.
    How to apply
    Write the lines in a homeowner's words. Say starting at before a starting price, and write the price in words the way a person says it out loud. Film a speaker on the ground near the finished work, never on a roof.

    GoodWe got a price range for our roof before anyone came over, and it was less than we feared.

    BadAct now for unbeatable savings on premium roofing systems.

  9. Watch and listen to the whole file before anyone else sees it.

    Why
    One wrong word, a glitch, or a cut-off note makes the business look careless.
    How to apply
    Play every finished video from start to end with the sound on. If one word is wrong, make the take again. Do not send it with an apology.

    GoodThe editor hears a mispronounced street name and records the line again before the approval step.

    BadThe video goes to the client with a note that says ignore the part where the voice glitches.

Agent playbook

Steps an AI agent can run in order. Each step names what it needs and what it hands to the next step.

  1. Read the offer sheet.
    Inputs
    The offer sheet.
    Output
    The offer, the allowed phrases, and the banned phrases.
  2. Pick the format and the length.
    Inputs
    The offer and the footage or photos you have.
    Output
    One format and a length of 15 to 30 seconds, made at 9:16 with a 4:5 version.
  3. Write the script.
    Inputs
    The offer and one homeowner worry.
    Output
    A script with one row per shot: the seconds, what is on screen, the on-screen text, and the spoken or sung words.
  4. Choose the music.
    Inputs
    The script and its length.
    Output
    One track that fits the length and plays in full, made with an AI music tool or licensed for ads. If it has lyrics, they name the offer.
  5. Gather the footage and photos.
    Inputs
    The business's real footage and photos.
    Output
    Shots for every row of the script, each in its original shape.
  6. Edit the video.
    Inputs
    The script, the music, and the shots.
    Output
    A cut that changes shot every one to two seconds, names the service on screen from the first second, has captions, and ends on the offer card.
  7. Check the finished file.
    Inputs
    The video and the script.
    Output
    Pass or fail. The video passes only if every word matches the script and the music plays in full.

Final output

  • The script with timing
  • The on-screen text for each shot
  • Captions that match the spoken words
  • The music track, used in full
  • The end card text
  • Final files at 9:16 and 4:5
Starter prompt

Read https://byminyona.com/brain/playbook.md first and follow its Video Ads rules and its ground rules. Write a 30-second video ad script for <service> in <city>, with the on-screen text and the spoken words for every shot. The offer is <offer, such as a starting-at price or a price range by text>.

If your AI cannot open links, paste this page's principles into the chat with the prompt. You can also paste the whole playbook or download AGENTS.md.

Next job: Landing Pages