How to write a sponsored segment viewers don't skip (with a 60-second script)

The sponsored segment is the part of the deal the brand is actually buying. A brand that gets a segment viewers skip will not rebook, however good the rest of the video. A brand that gets a segment viewers watch to the end, click through from, and mention in the comments will come back and pay more next time. The difference is rarely the product; it is how the segment is written and where it sits.

This guide covers placement, the structure of a segment that holds attention, what the brand will insist on, a script you can adapt, and the mistakes that cost creators their second deal.

Where the segment goes

Brands usually ask for one of three placements, and each has a job:

• Pre-roll, in the first minute after the hook. Highest reach, since almost everyone who clicked is still watching, but also the easiest place to lose viewers who have not yet decided to stay. Keep it short and promise the video's content before you start it.
• Mid-roll, between two sections of the video. Reach is lower but the audience is committed, and a segment that connects to what came just before feels less like an interruption. This is the placement most mid-sized channels do best with.
• Dedicated video, where the product is the subject. Only works when the product genuinely fits the channel, and it is priced differently; the rate guide explains how.

If the brand leaves it to you, propose the placement that matches the video. A tool used in the project goes where the project needs it; a service unrelated to the content goes after the hook, once the viewer knows what they are staying for.

The structure that holds attention

A sponsored segment that works has five parts, in this order:

• A bridge from the content. One sentence that connects what the viewer was just watching to the product. "While that glue dries, a word about what I used to plan this build." The bridge tells the viewer the segment is part of the video, not a cut to a commercial.
• The problem, from your side. One or two sentences about the situation the product solves, told as something you deal with. Viewers tolerate a sponsor they can relate to and skip one that sounds like a brief read aloud.
• The product, shown. What it is and what it does, with it on screen. For software, show the screen. For a physical product, hold it, use it, show the detail the brand cares about. Say the brand name clearly once here.
• The one specific thing. The single feature, result or moment that would make you recommend it. Not a list of features. One thing, said in your own words.
• The offer and the ask. The link, the code, what the viewer gets, and where to find it. Say it, show it on screen, and point to the description. Then one sentence that returns the viewer to the video: "Right, back to the build."

Aim for sixty to ninety seconds for a mid-roll and forty-five to sixty for a pre-roll. Longer segments are not more valuable to the brand if viewers leave.

What the brand will ask for

Most brands send talking points and a few requirements. Expect:

• The brand name said aloud and shown on screen.
• Two or three key messages, often with wording they want kept close to the brief.
• A link in the description and a pinned comment, usually with a tracking code or a custom URL.
• A discount code or trial, mentioned by name.
• A disclosure that the segment is paid.
• Approval of the segment before the video goes live.

Read the brief, then write the segment in your own voice and cover each point. Brands rarely object to a segment that hits the messages in different words; they object when a message is missing. If a required line genuinely does not fit your voice, say so before filming and suggest an alternative. Most brands would rather adjust the line than get a stiff read.

A 60-second script you can adapt

This example is for a home-office channel with a software sponsor. Replace the specifics; keep the shape.

[Bridge] Before I show you the finished desk, a quick word about the tool I planned it with, because this video is sponsored by [Brand].

[Problem] Every time I rebuild this office I end up with a dozen tabs of measurements, cable lengths and part numbers, and I lose half of them by the time I order.

[Product, shown] This time I used [Brand]. It's a [what it is, in plain words], and here's the board I built for this project. [On screen: the actual board.] Each part has its dimensions, the link to where I bought it and a note on whether it fit.

[The one thing] The bit I didn't expect to like: it tallied the cost as I added parts, which is how I noticed the monitor arm cost more than the monitor.

[Offer and ask] If you want to try it, the link in the description gets you [the offer], and the code [CODE] takes [the discount] off. It's also in the pinned comment.

[Return] Okay. Here's the desk.

Read it aloud before filming. If a sentence sounds like something you would never say, rewrite it until it does.

Mistakes that cost creators the second deal

• Reading the brief. A segment that sounds like every other sponsorship of that brand tells the brand you did not think about it, and tells viewers to skip.
• Apologising. "Sorry, I have to do a sponsor bit" trains viewers to leave and tells the brand you are embarrassed by them. Treat the segment as part of the video.
• Overclaiming. Say what the product did for you, not what it will do for everyone. Brands with any compliance team will cut claims they cannot stand behind, and viewers trust specific more than superlative.
• Burying the offer. If the code or link is said once, quietly, at the end, the brand's tracking shows nothing and the deal looks like it failed. Say it, show it, pin it.
• Skipping disclosure. Mark the video as a paid promotion and say it is sponsored in the segment. It is a legal requirement in most countries, and brands notice when it is missing.
• Never watching the retention graph. After the video has a week of views, look at where people left during the segment. Shorten or move the part where the drop starts. That graph is also useful in your next pitch, because a segment with a flat retention curve is the strongest proof a brand can see.

After the video goes live

Send the brand a short report within two weeks: views, the retention through the segment, clicks or code uses if you can see them, and two or three comments that mention the product. The returning-brand template in the pitch guide shows how to ask about the next video.

If you are still looking for the first brand to write a segment for, DiscoverSponsors ranks the brands that already sponsor channels your size in your niche, with the sponsored videos as proof, so you can see what their segments look like before you pitch.