How Do You Make a Video Message That Actually Lands?
Jul 11, 2025Start by defining three things: what you do, who it is for, and why they should care. Match that message to each stage of the buyer’s journey rather than using one version everywhere. Then script it with structure instead of guessing, and write it in the audience’s language, not yours.
This episode is a recap of the messaging pillar, the first of four pillars inside the Video Confidence Collective, after nine weeks of members working through it live. It is less a talk about messaging than a look at what the work actually looks like, week by week.
Why does a good message still fail to land?
Because nobody understood it. Chris opens on exactly that point, and it is the reason messaging is taught before performance, before tech, before anything else.
“Messaging is where everything starts, because a great message that no one understands. That’s just noise, isn’t it? You can’t scale with confusion. You can’t build confidence on guesswork.” – Chris Schwager
Clarity is the first creative advantage. Everything that comes after it, the delivery, the lighting, the publishing schedule, is amplifying whatever the message already says. If the message is vague, better production only makes the vagueness louder. The same problem is worked through from the other direction in getting a clear video message.
How do you define the message in the first place?
Three questions, worked over weeks one to four: what do you do, who is it for, and why should they care. Then that message gets matched to each stage of the buyer’s journey, so it is not one size fits all.
The fourth move in that block is the one people skip. The script gets flipped into audience-first language, so it is about them and not about you. That switch is the difference between a profile video that sounds like a CV and one somebody actually finishes watching, and it is the entire argument in stop talking about yourself.
How do you stop staring at a blank page?
Structure first, then checklists, then AI. Weeks five to nine replaced gut feel with a checklist used to review every script, which is what makes the writing repeatable rather than inspired.
Then AI came in to speed it up. One member arrived ready to start his on-camera training with nothing written down.
“I said, great. Show me your script. He goes, I haven’t got my script. I was like, here’s the QR code scan that put your URL in. Boom, minutes later, he sent me the script.” – Chris Schwager
A personal profile script, from nothing, in minutes. Chris’s own reaction is worth keeping: “My life’s work of script writing has now been reduced to an AI prompt, but hey. I’m good with that.” The structure still has to be right underneath it, which is why the things to settle before you start a script matter more once the writing gets fast, not less.
Where do testimonials and webinars fit into messaging?
Both are messaging jobs rather than production jobs. Client stories get turned into structured testimonials, so proof builds on autopilot instead of being chased every time it is needed. Week eight maps out a full webinar framework that can be repeated rather than rebuilt from scratch.
Chris is blunt about why the webinar piece sits in a messaging pillar at all: webinars are done so poorly, and a structured approach is the fix. It is the same principle running through the whole nine weeks. Simplicity wins.
Is clear messaging enough on its own?
No, and the episode says so directly. Messaging is pillar one of four. Performance is pillar two, and it covers cadence, tone, teleprompter technique, body language and energy.
“Because messaging gets attention, but performance keeps it.” – Chris Schwager
That is why the two are taught in that order and not together. Clarity earns you the first ten seconds. Delivery decides whether anyone is still there for the rest of it. How the pillars stack up, and what each one is actually for, sits in the video coaching pillar.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four pillars of the Video Confidence Collective?
Messaging, performance, tech and implementation. Messaging is the first major focus and the one this episode recaps, after nine weeks of members working through it. Performance is second, covering cadence, tone, teleprompter technique, body language and energy. The order matters, because delivery work on an unclear message only makes the confusion louder.
How long does it take to get your video message clear?
Nine weeks inside the program, worked live rather than read. Weeks one to four define what you do, who it is for and why they should care, then match that to each stage of the buyer’s journey. Weeks five to nine add script checklists, testimonials and AI drafting, with a full webinar framework in week eight.
Can AI write my video script for me?
It can get you a usable draft in minutes, which is what happened on this episode when a member turned up for on-camera training with nothing written. He scanned a QR code, entered his URL, and had a personal profile script back before the session had moved on. The structure behind the prompt is what makes the output any good.
Do I need a different message for every video?
No, you need one message expressed differently at each stage of the buyer’s journey. Someone who has never heard of you needs a different version to someone already comparing you with two other options. Writing one version and using it everywhere is why a message that reads well on the page still fails to move anyone.
Transcript
Read the full transcript
Chris Schwager: [00:00:00] Messaging is where everything starts, because a great message that no one understands. That's just noise, isn't it? You can't scale with confusion. You can't build confidence on guesswork. Clarity is first creative advantage, and the pros know that, which is why. We've spent the last nine weeks dialing it in, layering it up, and scripting like we mean it.
But we're only just getting started. Have you ever Hi. I'm Chris Schwager, video coach and founder of the Complete Video Success System, and I've spent decades helping professionals create high impact videos that build trust, generate leads, and drive business success. And if you've ever felt unsure or under-prepared.
Or just plain awkward with video. This is for you. I'll give you the mindset and strategies to take control, build video confidence so that you show up like a pro. It's time to make your videos work for you. What goes into making a message that actually lands the kind of message that cuts through the [00:01:00] noise gets remembered, and more importantly, makes people want to take the next step?
Well, that's exactly where we started inside the Video Confidence Collective. And before I get into that. Recap. Yes. It's been a while between podcast episodes. We've been deep diving in our live coaching, building something real. Sometimes the best work doesn't just get posted, it gets practice and the results, well, they speak for themselves.
So in this episode, I wanna bring you into that world just for a moment. A quick recap on the messaging pillar. There's four pillars, but the messaging pillar is the first major focus of our program. This is what our members have been working on over the last nine weeks. Let's run through it. Weeks one to four, we define the message.
What do you do, who it's for? Why should they care? We match that message to each stage of the buyer's journey, so it's just not one size fits all. We stopped guessing and started scripting with [00:02:00] structure. No more blank pages. We flipped the script into an audience, first language, making it about them. Not you.
Weeks five to nine, we stopped trusting our gut and used checklists to review every script. We turned testimonials into trust machines, stories that build proof on autopilot. We bought in AI tools to speed things up faster scripting, faster selling. Oh my God, you won't believe how quick scripting is now.
I had a client, one of the members in the group, he said, uh, he was starting on the on camera training. He goes, RA, I'm ready to do my come training. I said, great. Show me your script. He goes, I haven't got my script. I was like, here's the QR code scan that put your URL in. Boom, minutes later, he sent me the script.
It's a 32nd personal profile, but there it was. That is sensational. My life's work of script writing has now been reduced to an a I prompt, but hey. I'm good with that because it is the future and [00:03:00] it's certainly helping everybody get a move on when it comes to scripting. So moving on weeks eight, we mapped out full webinar frameworks for a repeatable, scalable, and seriously valuable webinar.
Webinars are done so poorly, and we've just straightened that out with a structured approach and all of that. That's what this system is, the message mastery. You might be thinking, oh, okay, that sounds like a lot. It is, but it's doable when it's broken down like this step by step, week by week. So. What you've been building is message clarity, structure strategy.
From one-liners to long form webinars, you are now speaking with purpose and as we say inside the program, simplicity wins. It helps you magnetize the right opportunities and say yes to growth. So what's next? Well, we're moving into performance, baby out. Second pillar in the program performance, because how you say it matters just as [00:04:00] much as what you say.
We'll work on cadence, tone, teleprompter techniques, body language, energy, all of it. Why? Because messaging gets attention, but performance keeps it. So if you are feeling like you're finally nailing what you wanna say, it's time to focus on how you say it. This is next phase where you turn clarity into confidence, where your structure turns into storytelling, where your message starts to lead.
So you've done the work, you've built the bones, and now it's time to bring it to life. And if you've just been listening on the sidelines, watching the results, rolling it in for others, this is your cue. No more overthinking, no more waiting for the right time. You want clarity, you want confidence. You wanna finally show up and be seen.
Then come join us. You'll find a link in the show notes, or better yet, DM me on LinkedIn. I'll give you a [00:05:00] free limited trial, a sneak peek. No pressure, just progress because that's the kind of guy I am. Because this is where it clicks for so many people. This is where the min momentum lives, and you deserve to be a part of it.
Thanks for listening to the Video Confidence Collective Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribe to us on YouTube so you never miss an episode. For more resources, check out the show notes and follow me at Chris Schwager All Ridge Films and see you on the next episode.
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