How to Write High-Converting Video Sales Letters

When it comes to high-converting video sales letters (VSLs), you might find yourself with more questions than answers.

Questions such as….

• Do I need a professional copywriter to create the message?
• Should I hire an actor to read the script?
• Will my VSL cause web traffic to exit the page?
• Is there a formula I can use to make sure my VSL produces ROI?

With these uncertainties, it might seem like a lot of time and effort. No worries, because our professional copywriters have formed the recipe for high-converting video sales letters that pay off.

[Related: Low Converting VSLs: Is It Copy or Delivery? (Hint: It’s Not Delivery)]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not sure? Split test it.

[Related: The Most Overlooked Split Testing Variable]

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.

Ready for a High-Converting VSL to add to your funnel?

Work with our professional copywriters.