Introduction
Creating a sales letter that will convert is tricky. There are so many things that can go wrong, from your headline to your graphics to your bullet points and so much more. It’s no wonder a lot of products seem to convert so terribly! This is especially true when people who have no experience with writing sales copy try to write their own.
Most people are content to just be a sales letter zombie. They look at their dismal sales and shrug and say, “I guess people don’t like my product.”
This kind of complacency is a real killer in business. If you’re content to wonder why your product isn’t selling, then you’re already doomed to fail. Don’t let this be you!
It’s time to wake up to the world of video sales letters, the latest (and greatest) trend in sales pages!
Video sales letters often convert several times better than standard sales letters, even if you use the same basic sales copy and techniques! Why? Because it’s a lot more personal when people can hear your voice and maybe even see your face. And there are other reasons. Even if you don’t want to appear on camera, just hearing a voice actor can make a huge difference.
So, let’s find out how you can get started with your own video sales letters!
Why Use Video Sales Letters?
You’ve surely noticed by now that video sales letters are all the rage. It’s no wonder that these sales letters are so popular because they can convert many, many times better than traditional sales letters.
And there’s a lot of reasons for that:
- They are more interesting, thus holding attention longer than text.
- They are easier to trust because you can hear and possibly see the product creator.
- Those who watch an entire video presentation are much more likely to spend money than those who can’t or won’t.
There are a couple of minor drawbacks to consider:
- Some people prefer to “skim” a sales letter and don’t have the patience to sit through a video.
- Some people on slow internet connections won’t be able to view the video even if they want to.
- Video uses more bandwidth, so you need to make sure your server can handle the load if you get a lot of traffic.
Video truly converts, and if you’re not using video sales letters, you are missing out on potential sales. You can always have an alternate sales letter for people who leave your page without watching the video. Just set it up to open if they click the back button or close the window.
Video can also work well on squeeze pages, so if you have been having trouble getting people to opt into your email list, you might try a short video on your squeeze page.
Tips for Engaging Video Sales Letters
The few people who claim their video sales letters aren’t converting well are often those who put their videos together without as much thought and attention as they should use.
We are going to look at a few things you can do to make sure your video sales letters are the best they can be.
- Grab Attention – Just like your headline, you need to make sure the first few moments of your sales video grab attention. Use appealing text, great music, and interesting imagery.
- Be Brief – A video sales letter is generally most effective at between 10 and 25 minutes. Sometimes longer videos are necessary and effective, but most people will lose interest if you go beyond this range. So keep your video to a reasonable length, but also long enough to say everything you need to say.
- Solve a Problem – As in a normal sales letter, your video should focus on at least one problem your product can solve and present that clearly.
- Stay Positive – You may have some negative things you need to focus on, but the overall tone of your video needs to be uplifting.
- Use Auto-Play – I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about how much they hate auto-play. Yes, there are people who truly detest it. But the fact is, it works. Whatever your personal feeling are about it, you should consider using it because you’ll see results.
- Don’t Show Video Controls – Another proven fact of video sales letters is that you shouldn’t show the video controls. Don’t make it so people can click ahead or go back. Don’t make it so they can pause it. Just keep the controls off.
- Use Music Carefully – Music can be a great tool in video sales letters, but it should be used carefully and judiciously. Be sure music isn’t playing in the background when you’re speaking, because it could distract from your message.
Important Video Sales Letter Features
There are a few features that can really make a difference to the effectiveness of your video sales letters. These elements should be included in every video sales presentation you create.
Headline
First of all, you should be sure your video has a headline. This should be in the video itself, in the script, and possibly on the web page itself beside or above the video.
As with regular sales letters, the headline is perhaps the most important element of all, so be sure it’s a good one.
Solving the Problem
In the last section, we touched on the importance of presenting how your product solves a particular problem (or problems.) It’s a good idea to focus on one main problem, but you could present a few other smaller problems, too.
Be sure you really stick that problem in front of the viewer’s nose in a way they can’t escape from. You can do this by mentioning the problem repeatedly in different ways, and even presenting various scenarios that might happen if they don’t solve the problem.
Make sure your product is presented as the solution to that problem.
Use Scarcity
Love it or hate it, scarcity works. Be sure to let people know they won’t be able to get your offer for long. Either the product will be taken off the market, or the price will go up, but let them know that they must act right away.
Don’t Forget a Call-to-Action
Tell the viewer what you want them to do. Don’t expect them to read your mind! Do you want them to buy? Then tell them to hit the BUY NOW button. Do you want them to opt-in to your newsletter? Then tell them to enter their name and email address and hit SUBMIT. Whatever you want them to do, TELL THEM!
Include Social Proof
Social proof is a major key to getting sales on any kind of sales letter. This could be your credentials in your market or your testimonials. (Video testimonials included in the video could work well!)
Don’t Forget a Guarantee
As with any type of sales letter, a solid guarantee can help close the sale. Let people know that if they aren’t happy with their purchase, they can get their money back with no hassle.
Use Graphics Wisely
Graphics can be an important element on a traditional text sales letter, but they can be extremely distracting on a video sales page. Generally speaking, graphics should be used very sparingly on video sales pages.
Learning to Make Video Sales Letters
If you don’t know how to make sales letters, you’ll either need to learn to do it, or hire someone to do it for you. The best option, of course, would be to learn to do it yourself. Not only is that the least expensive option, but your videos will almost always perform better with that personal touch.
Think about it. Who knows your product better than you? You are obviously the best one to present your product. You will gain a lot more credibility if you can look at the camera and say, “Hi, my name is Jane Smith, and this is my product!”
Sure, you can have someone else create the video for you, but it is so much better if you can put your own personal touch in the video and inject your personality into it in the same way you inject your personality into your product.
If you want to learn to create videos, here is a great course that will take you through the entire process using a variety of different setups. It’s extremely affordable, and will have you making professional videos in no time! (And it will save you a fortune on outsourcing!)
>> https://www.udemy.com/video-creation-secrets/
Video Creation Tools
There are some things you will need if you’re going to make your own videos. These tools (software and hardware) will make life a lot easier for you if you intend to make your own videos.
Good Acoustics
The first thing you’ll need is a room with good acoustics. Otherwise, you’re likely to get a terrible echo, or it will sound like you’re speaking in a tunnel. Ideally, you’ll want to film in a small room filled with plush furniture (like sofas and beds) that can absorb a lot of the sound reverberations.
A Video Camera
You don’t need to invest in an expensive video camera. Even a good camera phone will do. (Most high-end cellphones have a decent video camera built in.) Just be sure the video and sound quality are acceptable.
Of course, you won’t need this if you’re going to do a screen grab type video. But if you’re going to appear on camera yourself, or have an actor do it, you’ll need a decent camera.
Decent Lighting
If you’re going to be on camera, you need to be sure the lighting in the room is good enough to ensure your features are well lit and there are no harsh shadows.
A Good Microphone
If you’re using a video camera with a decent built-in microphone, you probably don’t need to worry about this. However, if you’re doing a screen grab style video, or one that focuses on images and slides, you’ll need a good microphone to record your voice.
At the very least, you should hire someone to do the voiceover if you don’t want to use your own voice. Videos with voice outperform those that don’t by a very large margin.
Software
There are many good software packages that are useful for creating your videos. You may want to try out a few to see which format you like best, as they each work in different ways.
Here are a few software tools that can help you create videos:
>> http://microsoft.com/powerpoint/
>> https://www.openoffice.org/
>> https://www.apple.com/mac/pages/
>> http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html
You can learn to use these tools for creating videos through this video course:
>> https://www.udemy.com/video-creation-secrets/
Outsourcing Video Creation
What happens if you don’t know the first thing about creating a video sales letter and absolutely hate the thought of even trying to do it yourself? You’ll have to outsource it, of course.
Outsourcing can be effective, but just remember that you will lose your special, unique voice, and no one but you will understand your product the way you do. For this reason, it’s critical that you work hand-in-hand with your video creator in order to develop a script that really showcases your product the way you would.
If you decide to outsource the creation, be sure you check out samples the person has done to ensure they are capable of creating the kind of video you want, and make sure you have the basics of your script ready.
Here are a few places to look for someone to create your video:
>> http://www.GetAFreelancer.com
>> http://www.WarriorForum.com
Conclusion
It can be daunting trying to learn how to make video sales letters, especially if you’re relatively new to internet marketing in general, but if you can learn to do them, or pay someone else to do them for you, it’s likely you will find that your product converts better than you ever thought it could.
It’s been proven time and time again that video converts. Nothing says you can’t have a backup text sales page, too. But video is just going to convert better in general.
If you can’t create your own videos, outsourcing them can be remarkably affordable. But remember to work carefully with the creator in order to be sure as much of your unique voice is preserved as possible.
Please don’t let fear deter you from learning to create your own videos. It’s a lot easier than you probably think!
Give these tutorials a try and see just how easy it really can be!
>> https://www.udemy.com/video-creation-secrets/
