When it comes to video sales letters, the script is key. If you want your video sales letter to convert, you need to have a powerful and persuasive script.
Of course, employing a new format is never easy in marketing, but it's necessary and rewarding if you do it right.
It goes without saying, though, that it usually takes a few tries to get something right. And video sales letters are no exception.
Considering they're a fairly new way to market, they might seem:
But they’re honestly not as bad as they seem. If you know what steps to take and in what order, things start to feel much easier.
Plus, there’s no denying that they're pretty much necessary in today's market—and there are some good reasons for that, which we’ll touch on next.
But in a nutshell, if you want to stay relevant you're going to have to get the hang of video sales letters. So many businesses are reaping the rewards already and you don't want to get left behind.
So let's discuss how to write a powerful video sales letter script so that you can use it effectively the next time you make one.
In this blog post, we’ll go over how to write a video sales letter script that converts—everything from the opening line to the call to action. By following these tips, you can create a video sales letter that will help boost your business.
Table of Contents
I'm sure it's pretty obvious from the name, but a video sales letter is a sales letter in video form.
Video sales letters (VSLs) are used by copywriters and marketers to create persuasive videos that sell products or services.
And even though the concept is pretty straightforward, it's not quite as easy as just reading your sales letter copy out loud.
Because the script is the foundation of the video, it has to be carefully crafted to engage viewers and convince them to take action.
Otherwise, you’re wasting your time writing something that fails to do the one thing it’s supposed to do.
There are many elements that go into a successful video sales letter script, including a strong headline, an engaging story, and persuasive arguments.
We’ll dive into that shortly, but first, let’s cover some important ground.
Despite what you might think, there are some huge differences between a video sales letter and a regular old sales letter—and these differences elevate VSLs far beyond regular sales letters when done right.
Even though both are surprisingly similar, VSLs are much more appealing to the average prospect. Oversaturation made sure of that.
In today's market people are bombarded by information, most of it in the form of text. And at a certain point, they can tune out which makes it a lot harder to get through to them.
But video sales letters can solve that problem. They afford you the ability to get and hold your audience's attention much more quickly than with text, after which you can get straight into the important parts.
They don't have to look for relevant information, you can give it to them up front to make sure they stay interested.
The key is to appeal to emotions—whether they're positive or negative—because the objective is to get through to your audience and get a response.
This explains why video sales letters work particularly well if you can tell a good story. But it can’t just be any old boring story. It has to connect with your audience and make them feel understood.
So as always it's important to know exactly who they are and how to get through to them. Studying everything from demographics to survey responses is beyond important.
Essentially, creating a video sales letter without a solid script is like building a house on a weak foundation—it's likely to crumble under pressure.
So investing the time to write a great script will pay off in spades when it comes time to shoot the video. A well-written script will make the production process smoother and the final product will be more effective.
It matters because it's the key to creating a persuasive, effective video that sells. If you want to create a video that converts viewers into customers, you need a great script. Period. End of story.
Technically , no one needs a video sales letter. A regular sales letter would be enough for many businesses, especially ones with a limited budget. However, no one can deny that when executed well, a VSL has the potential to drum up interest like few other copywriting projects can.
So for instance, maybe you've hit a wall, and your sales don't seem to be increasing. Or maybe you just want to boost your conversions and take your business to the next level.
There are plenty of ways to do that, of course.
And it's important to use every method at your disposal. Sales letters have always been effective, but the market is always changing, and you have to keep up with it—at least if you want to keep succeeding.
That's where video sales letters come in. Where sales letters fall flat, they shine. Sure, there's a lot more involved and they can take a lot longer, but they’re well worth the extra effort.
Unlike regular sales letters, VSLs help you incorporate a human element into something that might come off as impersonal otherwise. People tend to be more likely to buy from a person rather than a business, and text doesn't always do the job of getting your personality across.
But a video with a voice or even a person on screen can make a huge difference. That shows that you're not just some business entity, you're a real person working to help people.
Granted, you can do that through text too, but that brings us to the next reason video sales letters are effective.
And that reason is that people don't always want to read all the information contained in a sales letter. Especially if they're looking at other offers to compare them to yours. And chances are they're doing just that.
Another important thing to note is the versatility of video sales letters. They can be and are used in just about every industry with great success. So odds are, you could stand to benefit from using them no matter what it is you do or sell.
Many businesses report much higher conversion rates when they use video sales letters, some even see two-fold or even three-fold increases. And that should be reason enough for anyone to give them a try.
Basically, video sales letters take some guesswork out of the equation. You don't have to hope that your audience is going to take the time to figure out if your offer is right for them.
You can just feed them the important information and if they're interested they can click through and get the full picture. They streamline the buying process and cut out anything that might be unnecessary to start the buying process.
Learn more on how to write persuasive video scripts here.
Now you know a little more about video sales letters, but you're probably wondering how to apply that knowledge. Well, before we get into that, it's important that you make sure you're paying attention to detail.
Anyone can throw a video sales letter together, but that's why so many people think they're not effective. If thought and time are put into making them perfect, they can be very powerful.
A VSL needs to shine the spotlight on all the features and benefits of your offer. That's what people want to know, after all. But to reach your audience you also have to come to them the right way. You have to know how to reach them and what kind of language they use.
For example, bananapreneurs don't talk the same way as Wall Street investors, so that's something you always have to keep in mind. Your script has to be tailored to whoever your audience is, otherwise it's not going to do much.
And remember, you're never going to sell to everyone so don't try to.
The quality of the video needs to be professional just like the script itself does. Look at it like this, people spend so much time watching videos, many of them produced by individuals on platforms like Youtube. They expect quality, even from amateurs.
So you can't expect anyone to take you seriously if you're not putting out quality content.
In addition, the visual style of the video is important too. Generic clipart and uninspired layouts aren't going to do much even if they're in HD.
"Good visuals" are subjective, but there are a few things to keep in mind. There should be a balance between trying to grab your audience's attention and keeping a clean look.
You want to keep them interested without overloading them by creating a style that's appealing but still simple.
Of course, every audience likes different things. So if you were trying to sell a product for children you'd probably lean more toward a bright and colorful style.
On the other hand, you'd be better off with a simple, professional look if you're trying to sell to someone like a medical professional.
Now everything I just went over is essential, but it's as good as useless if it's not formatted correctly. Like the copy and the visuals, the script needs to follow some guidelines. Think of them as step-by-step instructions.
But don’t get me wrong. That's not to say that this is the only way to do it. VSLs are pretty much guaranteed to lift more conversions when you get everything else right. So let's see what a good script might look like.
Like with any copy, it's important to capture your audience's attention from the get-go. It's your opportunity to get them on the hook and the rest of your copy doesn't do anything if you can't do that.
So, let's discuss the opening line. This is perhaps the most important part of the video sales letter script, as it sets the tone for the rest of the video.
You want to make sure that your opening line is catchy and attention-grabbing. It should be something that makes people want to keep watching—and yet, it needs to be short and snappy.
Think about it this way: Have you ever watched YouTube, been interrupted by an ad break, hovered over the skip button but didn't click? This is likely because whatever they initially said was good enough to intrigue you from the get-go.
And nothing gets people’s attention like:
Even something like a pattern interrupt or an open loop would work well, but anything surprising should do the job. Most people love surprises, after all—especially if they can get something out of it.
Example:
Why aren't you a bananapreneur yet? If you've asked yourself that question then you probably already are one. But if not, maybe it's time to consider it.
Another way is to start with a question that piques their curiosity. Another is to tell them a story that captures their attention and draws them in.
Whichever approach you choose, make sure it's something that will really grab your audience's attention and keep them watching until the very end.
Now you want to make your audience aware of their problem, whatever it might be. And this is where you’re given quite a few options—depending on your offer and audience.
For instance, if you’re selling a moving service, people may not be all that sure that they need the extra hands. Assuming they’ve been pretty settled into their space, they may not be aware of just how much stuff they’ve accumulated over the years.
Your job then would be to point out how difficult and costly it actually is to purchase enough packing materials, load things up in a large enough truck, unload things into a new space, and unpack.
But on the other hand, sometimes people don’t have an interest even when they know they have a problem. Those same people might opt to toss or donate most of their belongings and start over with a clean slate instead.
They might just bite the bullet and move everything themselves—no matter how hard or expensive that choice ends up being.
It really all depends on where they are in their buying journey in relation to what stage of awareness they're at. Maybe they're simply aware but not in the stage of consideration yet. That's why you need to help them realize why they should solve their problem.
Bullet points can be effective here and in other sections but aren't always necessary. It's up to personal preference depending on how you like to write and what makes sense to you as you're reading.
But the benefit is that there's a little more organization visually and it can help you focus on important points when you're producing your video sales letter.
Example:
Maybe you want to make some more money or you just need a change of pace. Either way, you know you want to do more than you're doing right now. If not, you might end up with some problems you probably don't want:
Learn more on how to make readers care about your solutions to their problems here.
By this point, you've already made them aware of their problem. So now the idea is to drive it home—but not too hard.
In the next step, you’ll get into even more detail (exciting reveals and specifics) so just make them even more aware of how real it is.
Your goal here is to hit on pain points and tease that you know what they're facing. Establish relevancy and credibility. So whether that's something they're missing out on or something they want to stop, make sure they know that you're aware of it.
Example:
It doesn't stop there, though. That's something that can have some real effects on your life, not just your work.
The next step is to make your audience feel like they have no other option unless they want to keep on suffering. I said not to drive it home before but that's exactly what you need to do now. That's because you need to ramp up the tension and build to the worst possible results.
Otherwise, you run the risk of coming off too strong and turning prospects away. Emotion is the best angle here and you should relate what you went over previously to what it actually means to your audience.
Example:
If you're talking about a product that will help improve productivity, you might want to talk about how it can help people get more done in less time. But instead of just listing the benefits, you should focus on how not using the product will make things worse.
You could say something like, "If you don't start using this product, you'll never be able to get ahead at work. You'll always be playing catch-up and falling behind." This statement hits on both the emotional and logical sides of the brain. And it's much more likely to get people to take action.
Another example:
What could this eventually mean for you? Well, in the worst-case scenario you could end up out of luck and kicking yourself for missing a golden opportunity. And that can mean that you're back at square one, or worse.
You might see the very people you've been trying to prove wrongdoing exactly what you had the chance to do. You might not be struggling but you know you have the potential to do a lot better.
So, the next time you're looking to close a deal, make sure you're using emotion to your advantage. It could be the difference between a successful sale and a lost opportunity.
Next, you will want to provide some information about your product or service. However, you don't want to give too much away. Instead, you want to tease your audience and make them want to learn more. Give them just enough information so that they know what you're offering, but don't give away the whole story.
Your product or service should be the solution to a problem that your target market is facing. By presenting your solution, you will pique their interest and show them that you have something that can help them.
Make sure to keep this section short and to the point. You don't want to bore your audience or give them too much information at this stage.
A good way to do this is to appeal to people's emotions. Storytelling comes in handy here. A good story will:
Just make sure that when you tap into people's emotions, you're not outright manipulating them. Too much of a good thing can come off pushy and salesy.
Ideally, you want to strike a balance with your story. You want to make them feel seen and understood, but not made out to be helpless.
After that, it's time to start getting into the nitty-gritty of your sales pitch. This is where you will really start to sell your product or service.
This is going past offering the solution, this is where you tell about what your solution does. All the features and benefits, in detail. But it's important to leave out any fluff, just tell them what they need to hear.
This shouldn't take much work since you know exactly what you're offering. But you do have to relate your offer to benefits. So anything that you're doing for them isn't just a feature, it's actually helping your audience reach their goals.
Example:
So you're probably wondering exactly what I'm offering to help you reach success. Just to name a few things:
In essence, you want to highlight the benefits of what you're offering and explain why people need it. Make sure to be clear and concise in your explanation.
A good way to approach this is to write down a list of features first, and then branch into the benefits of each one of those features. Once you have that, you can organize everything for flow, and write things out in script form.
If this seems a little confusing, think of it like this: most people don’t care about the bells and whistles. They don’t care about features.
But they care what those features can do for them—without a doubt.
First, tell them that you can solve their problem with your offer. Then explain how it can do that.
Just think, what are you offering? What does your audience want and what can you do to help them with that?
Example:
But all hope isn't lost. You can still make your way to the top if you take the right steps. The first of which is becoming a bananapreneur. If you want to turn things around my software covers all aspects of the industry:
Learn more on writing "benefit-centric" copy here.
Tell the audience what makes you qualified, who you are, what you do, and your experience. Basically, anything that makes you a good choice over the other guy. And by now you're well aware that there are plenty of good choices.
So you have to think about why your audience should trust you. This isn't a time to gloat or embellish, you want to stick to facts. Whatever it is that qualifies you to say what you're saying.
If you're an expert on the topic, say so. Have any credentials? Now would be a good time to list them.
Just be humble but firm in your qualifications. Remember, there are other good choices out there for your audience, you just have to make sure they understand that you're the best one.
If you can establish yourself as an authority and credible source from the get-go, you'll be in good shape to win over your audience. If there's no trust between you and your audience you're not going to be winning anyone over.
Not only that, but your audience also doesn't really care what you've done. It doesn't mean anything to them. What they really want to know is how you can help them, so you have to relate your background to help your audience succeed.
Example:
I've been doing this since 2003 and I started from the ground up, before there were any resources available. About 10 years ago I decided to start helping others do the same thing because I know just how hard it can be going into something blind.
After all those years, I've helped multiple clients reach well over 7 figures, and the list keeps growing.
This is the part where you have to get a little bit creative. You need to find some way to show that your offer is legitimate and that it can actually deliver on its promises.
It's as simple as that, just give some proof--and this can be done in a number of ways.
One way to do this is with testimonials. If you have happy customers or clients who are willing to vouch for your offer, that can go a long way in proving its legitimacy.
Maybe you have some success stories from previous clients or some numbers that show what your offer is capable of. Anything that's inarguably true.
This ties into trust because anyone can make claims without backing them up. And people are savvy enough to know when those claims have no real foundation. So make sure you're sticking to facts only.
Example:
Look, I get it. It might sound good to be true, and I thought the same thing when I started out. But now I'm clearing six figures quarterly and I've never looked back. But this is about what you can do, not what I've done.
Take one of my most successful clients for example. Their profits have increased by 130% from their last business endeavor. In fact, 95% of my clients have reached their financial goals, so I can almost guarantee the same will happen for you.
Whatever route you choose, the important thing is to make sure that your proof is rock-solid. It should be something that can't be called into question or easily dismissed. If you can do that, you'll be well on your way to proving your offer and ensuring its success.
Like making any sale, this can make or break your chance at closing. No matter how close your prospect is to making a purchase, they might hesitate for a number of reasons.
It's your job to find that one objection they can't get around and address it. For example, if they're worried about the price, you could tell them about a special deal you're running that's only available for a limited time. This creates a sense of urgency and gets them to act before they have a chance to talk themselves out of it.
If you can find the objection that's holding your prospect back, you can usually overcome it with some creative thinking. By adding a sense of urgency, you can nudge them in the right direction and close the sale.
A few other ideas: you can imply that stock is low, that a special offer is time-sensitive, or offer bonuses. People can be easily influenced by all these methods, for different reasons.
If the stock is low, they might miss the chance to get your offer. If you're offering something like a discount for a limited time, they might end up paying a lot more in the end.
These are things that people naturally want to avoid. But bonuses appeal to what people want because everyone likes getting a little something extra.
Example:
But this offer isn't going to last long. I have a limited number of spots and they're filling up fast. People are catching wind of the booming industry of bananas. Just to sweeten the deal I'm going to throw in a few extras for you:
This is a great example of urgency because it offers bonuses that people would want, and it's time-sensitive. The key is to make sure that your offer is something that people actually want. If it's not, they're not going to bite no matter how urgent you make it sound.
Now, it's time for the call to action. This is perhaps the most important part of the video sales letter script. This is where you tell the viewer what to do next.
You're probably pretty familiar with this step by now. Like with any copy you just need to tell your audience what to do. Everything you went over before should come together here in a concise summary. It doesn't need to be lengthy, it just has to hit on the right things.
Your call to action should be clear and direct. Tell people exactly what you want them to do, whether it's buying your product or signing up for your email list.
Focus on what your audience wants and how your offer does that for them. Then just tell them exactly how they can get in on it. Purely informational with no frills.
Example:
You might say something like, "To get started, just click the link below and enter your information."
Or, "If you're ready to take the next step, just click here."
Make sure your call to action is clear and concise. You want the viewer to know exactly what they need to do in order to take advantage of your offer.
Another example:
Now's your chance to turn things around and make more money than you ever have. If you're ready to climb to the top of a booming industry there's no better time. Get signed up today and see the benefits in no time.
Make sure that your call to action is persuasive and makes people want to take action. That means you should be reiterating the benefits here in some way. For instance, I love a good "Ready to <benefit>, <benefit>, <benefit>?" headline followed by 1-2 sentences that instruct the audience on what to do next.
Learn how to write stronger CTAs here.
Now that we've gone over what makes a great video sales letter, let's take a look at some things to avoid doing.
Just like with written sales letters, you don't want your video sales letter to be too long. You want to get your point across quickly and efficiently. Otherwise, you risk losing your viewer's attention.
Plus, it’s actually quite difficult and expensive to put out a super long video sales letter. Just think about the time it takes to record that, let alone read a script, edit out mistakes, and make it all look good.
Your video sales letter should be informative and helpful, not overly sales-y. You want to build trust with your viewers, not turn them off with a hard sell. Instead, focus on building trust and credibility with your audience.
Remember, things like case studies, testimonials, and video reviews work wonders. If you can record a few of your diehard, loyal customers, and edit those into your video sales letter, you’re on the right track.
If your video is grainy or fuzzy, it's not going to do you any favors. These days, people expect high-quality video. Invest in good equipment or hire a professional to get the best results.
Just think of everything available to us every single second of the day. Between all the streaming services, YouTube, and even top-notch advertisements, people are conditioned to expect a certain quality.
If you’re not able to deliver that on your own, your best bet is to hire a crew that can provide that service for you. It may be expensive, but well worth every penny.
But if you’re just not there yet, and your budget just doesn’t allow for that, you still have some options:
Using silly puns and jokes might be tempting sometimes, but remember what the VSL is meant to do: convert. Anytime you use anything too silly, you risk turning people off and making your video seem unprofessional.
So stick to clean, simple graphics that convey your message clearly. Think streamlined and modern.
You can still add a touch of personality for branding, but “on brand” doesn’t have to mean “over-the-top.” Instead, it can be brand-approved…
Simple is much better than overly elaborate and cheap. Because let’s face it, you could have the best product or service in the world, but if it comes off unprofessional, people won’t take it seriously, anyway.
Always include a call to action at the end of your video so viewers know what they should do next. Tell your viewers what you want them to do, whether it's visiting your website, signing up for your newsletter, or making a purchase.
And obviously, this goes without saying, right? You already know all about CTAs. But here’s something you may not really realize (in my experience, no one really does unless they’re in the copywriting space):
There is such a thing as a weak or awkward (or both) call to action.
For instance, if your call to action happens in the middle of the script, but before the valuable information viewers need to really make a decision, it gets awkward.
Or, if your call to action is overly complicated (both a phone number and an email address), then it becomes a bit of a mouthful.
And a weak CTA happens when there’s no context around the action. Remember, you can’t just tell people what to do—ever. Instead, try re-summarizing the main idea, the big benefit.
Also, make sure to tell them what they’re getting immediately after they take an action. The last thing you want to do is leave any questions unanswered. That just breeds insecurity, which calls your credibility into question.
If your footage looks bad, it will reflect poorly on your product or service. Make sure you use high-quality footage that looks professional.
By following these tips, you can avoid common mistakes and create a great video sales letter that will help you boost your sales and grow your business.
Most people think that a video sales letter is essential in order to sell anything online. However, this simply isn't true! In fact, you can sell just about anything without ever creating a video sales letter. So, why do people believe that they need one? And what are the benefits of using a video sales letter? Let's take a look...
One of the main reasons why people believe that they need a video sales letter is because they think it will help them close more sales. And while it's true that a well-crafted video sales letter can certainly help increase your conversion rate, it's not necessary to make sales.
Another common misconception is that a video sales letter is needed to rank high in search engines. Again, this simply isn't true! You can rank just as well without a video sales letter.
However, that being said, there are many reasons why a video sales letter may be in order. Let’s break some of those reasons down.
A video sales letter can help build rapport and trust with your audience. When people see your face and hear your voice, they're much more likely to trust you than if they just read your written words.
A video sales letter allows you to show off your personality. This is important because people buy from those that they like, know, and trust. And nothing builds rapport and trust faster than sharing your personality with your audience.
VSLs are a great way to deliver your message. You can really capture people's attention and hold it by using video. Plus, you can include things like music and graphics to really drive your points home.
VSLs are much more engaging than a written sales letter. People are simply more likely to watch a video than they are to read a long sales letter.
So, as you can see, there are several benefits to using a video sales letter. But ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use one comes down to you. If you think it will help you close more sales, then go for it. But if you're not sure, then you may want to stick with a written sales letter.
Whether you're struggling with video sales letters or haven't tackled one yet, it's important to learn how to produce them. And there are a few things that go into them like the format and the video quality.
But you're dealing with sales, and sales come down to good copy. That's why it's so important to write a good script. Because without compelling copy it doesn't matter how much of an expert you are at video production.
The offer is what people are interested in, the video is just a medium to get through to your audience. They don't care so much about the video itself, but what the video is explaining to them.
Granted, an amateur-looking video sales letter isn't going to be effective either, even with the best copy. But it all starts with a good script.
So hopefully you have a better understanding of what makes a good script now. Because a solid video sales letter can make a huge difference in your business.
Follow these steps if you want to write a video sales letter script that converts. See the results for yourself.
But if you're still having some trouble or just don't have the time to put one together, don't worry.
A copywriting consultant might be your best choice if that's the case. They're pros at this stuff and can save you plenty of time and headaches.
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