• By michelle
• In Copywriting

Video Sales Letter Hacks: 101 Guide to Higher Conversion

Video sales letter hacks—yep, we want to make it seamless for you to create VSLs that convert like crazy.

If you haven’t thought about integrating a VSL, where have you been?

Video sales letters serve as conversion machines that optimize your sales funnel, and our professional copywriters have learned the video sales letter hacks that help you make your script a winner.

Take note.

VSL Hack #1: Use a video sales letter formula.

Before you begin, sketch out where the content needs to go. Even though your content must be specific and relevant to the audience, keep in mind that there are broad overviews that VSLs must touch on to see a higher conversion rate. Sketch out different sections of your script prior to writing, and you’ve given yourself a compass that leads to VSL success.

VSL Hack #2: Be dead honest, and grind the pain.

Here’s the deal: you’ve got to be really, really, really honest about the pain element. I use the term “honest” to mean, “hey, this person gets me.” The pain points must be described in deep, visceral detail.

Tell stories and give case studies about why the audience’s specific situation is so bad, and what they can do to course-correct.

And yes, this VSL tenet even works for product-based industries. If you sell natural shampoo, the pain is wanting to have shiny hair with a product that has no toxic chemicals or animal testing.

VSL Hack #3: Exchange their time for value.

Yes, there is value in your product or service offer, but if you ask the audience for their time, you’ve got to give them something.

To do this, use your VSL to teach something. Begin your script by explaining to the audience that, if they watch the video until the end, they will discover how to improve their lives in some way or another.

Be brutally candid about the results they’ll get from your strategies. In giving them value up-front, you leverage your expertise, and steer them toward the purchase point.

VSL Hack #4: Write for the audience, not for a product.

Your product or service is remarkably transformational—but nobody watching your VSL will care all that much. We know, this is a real bubble-bursting moment. But, it’s not so much of a bummer when you factor in simple human psychology.

That is…People like to hear about themselves!

Given this fact of life, your VSL will work wonders if you take the spotlight off your business, products, and services. Instead, shine that spotlight right on the audience, and write about them.

VSL Hack #5: Don’t write a VSL without a purpose.

Sounds like a no-brainer, but believe it or not, many small business owners begin copywriting without much thought to the purpose behind their words. Writing VSLs serves as no exception.

Really think about the purpose behind your VSL. Is it for lead generation? Is it your core offer? Do you want to sell a low-cost item so that prospects enter a buying mentality?

Once you have the purpose, you get a clearer sense of direction.

VSL Hack #6: Figure out where the video sales letter falls in the sales cycle. 

This is a biggie. For many business owners, the VSL is the very last straw, but these sales tools are very beneficial in the middle of a sales cycle.

For starters, VSLs break up marketing monotony, so if you’ve been sending your list a series of white papers for the last few weeks, then it’s time to break the cycle of repetitive content.

Surprise is a good thing—especially when it comes to higher sales figures.

VSL Hack #7: Implement audience-centric storytelling.

No secret that it’s a simple human trait to engage with story. No matter how mediums change, we spend our entertainment time devouring stories in one way or another.

Imagine if a story was about your own pain and the benefits you seek. You’d pay attention, and so would your target market. (After all, you’re the expert on that very thing.) When you accomplish that audience-centric mission for your customers in your VSL, that’s when your conversion rate rises.

VSL Hack #8: Write in natural speech tones. 

There’s a difference between the spoken word and the written word. What’s particularly tricky about VSL writing is that you’ve got to write in the tone of human speech.

And that’s mind-shreddingly difficult to do.

When in doubt, hire a professional.

VSL Hack #9: Determine the appropriate length for your target market.

Alfred Hitchcock once said that a film’s length must coincide with the endurance on the human bladder. He’s got a point there! While there are certainly different principles between film and VSLs, too long equals low conversions.

But…

Too short might not get the point across, especially when the content is focused on pain and frustration.

Really think about your target market, and what’s on their plate. Think about their pain, and what they need to hear.

VSL Hack #10: Formulas are great, but templates are meant to be broken.

Trademarks of great copywriting include…

• A focus on the audience, not on an individual.
• An understanding of pain and frustration.
• Storytelling techniques that captivate, compel, and convert.
• Developing strategies for speaking to very specific target markets.

But the caveat is that no two industries are alike, and a professional copywriter never forgets that. If something isn’t working, but it’s part of the “plan,” it’s in your best interest to cut and replace that element.

VSL Hack #11: Read the First Draft Aloud.

When your professional video sales letter scriptwriter sends you the first draft, it’s an exciting experience.

But no matter how enthusiastic you are about going off to record your VSL, you must proofread it first.

Reading your first VSL script aloud will help you make it match your or your brand’s voice (or the voice of whoever is speaking in the VSL).

VSL Hack #12: Take Notes While Reading.

As you read the VSL, have your preferred note taking method ready (e.g., pen and paper, Word doc, etc.).

When you encounter an idiosyncrasy in your script, make a note of it.

Another way to take notes while proofreading your VSL is to simply express it orally while recording your read-through.

This recorded and instant expression of thoughts is very helpful for your writer because he or she can listen to both the script AND your feedback.

VSL Hack #13: Things to Keep in Mind When Proofreading Your VSL Script.

So you have your draft and you’re going through it, but you’re not sure what to look for.

While you should trust your VSL writer, there are some things to pay attention to that he or she might have missed:

• Audience. Does the script speak to the right audience? Your marketing will differ depending on whether you’re speaking to college students or seniors, so the copy must match the demographic.
• Pace. Does the copy have the right speed? When you read it aloud, you will notice when some parts seem too fast (or too short).
• Transition. Does the VSL transition well? The intro of a VSL should grab your attention. After that, there’s usually a big promise made. If your VSL has a story, it should sound natural — as if you’re talking to a friend.

Integrate a High-Conversion VSL Today!

Let Our Professional Copywriting Team Handle It.