7 Best Practices for Your High Converting Video Sales Letter

I know you’ve seen this to be the case. Video sales letters are everywhere. Have you’ve been using video sales letters? I hope so, or I hope you are finding out how to use them.

Now it is true that not everyone likes video sales letters. It is also true that not everyone likes ice cream. However, in both cases, most people do. Video sales letters have proven over the last couple of years to be the most effective sales method online.

How to Get Started

They are also easy to make. You can use the OpenOffice version of Powerpoint/Keynote and free screen capture video software to make them. So you actually have no financial excuse for not making them.

So what works best in the video sales letter? I follow a handful of the top marketers I know actually test methods like video sales letters (Ryan Deiss, Deagan Smith, etc), and here is what generally are the common success elements.

Video Sales Letter Best Practices

1. Your headline. One thing holds true across the boards for any sales or marketing creative; to catch the attention of viewers you must have a captivating headline. Essentially, a headline capturing them with the conversation already happening in their mind (as Eben Pagan always reminds me). You must have a big promise of getting something highly valuable the viewer gets by watching the video.

2. After the headline, of course you need the video. Dah. Ryan Deiss’ test show that videos from 12 to 24 minutes convert the best. However, folks like Eben Pagan, Mike Filsaime and others have used much longer, yet achieved exceptional results. Nonetheless, you should use Ryan’s numbers as your starting guide.

3. Of course, a buy button of some type is necessary. There are plenty of scripts and programs available allowing you to do the timed appearance of the button. I use Easy Video Suite which includes this capability using drag and drop methods. You don’t have to know any code.

4. Don’t show controls. Whether or not you personally like not showing controls really doesn’t matter. This is about what gets the best results, and not showing the controls gets the best results. Once again, in Easy Video Suites, this is done my checking a button. Making a video clickable is OK, as long as the viewer can’t click ahead or back.

5. Auto play is most effective. Once again, this isn’t about whether you like this or not, it is about what makes the most sales. Auto play makes the most sales. In advertising online, there are limitations. Some ad servers don’t permit auto play, so you have to adjust. Just know that auto-play works best for sales. Again, this is a check mark selection in Easy Video Suite.

6. Video presentation format actually isn’t something new. In general, the same things that work in formatting a text sales page, work for your video. Here is a general outline based on the best videos of top marketers…

a. Your video should have it’s own headline in the video.

b. Hit them with the problem first. One of the most effective ways to do this is like Dave VanHoose says, ask them questions in which the viewer will quickly agree. The “have you ever wonder…” approach works great.

c. Include scarcity in the introduction of the problem. Let the viewer know this won’t be around for long.

d. Irritate the viewer by really rubbing the problem in. As Eben Pagan has emphasized, this is simply restating the problem in different ways and even letting know what will happen if they don’t solve this problem now.

e. Introduce the product as a solution. Include a short story of why or how this is the solution to the problem.

f. Give your credentials, and why they should listen to you.

g. Talk about the benefits. Then cover the features. Be sure to use the benefits repeatedly, and emphasize how they eliminate the problems.

h. Include a call to action. You will actually need more than one.

i. Use scarcity. This is a major element in getting more sales. You must decide what your scarcity will be.

j. Make sure you provide guarantee. Let the viewer know there is no risk up front.

k. As Dustin Matthews always says, show an irresistible offer. This is an offer so good, you almost don’t have to show the sales video to get the sales.

l. Emphasize again what will happen if the viewer doesn’t get the solution now. One of the best ways recommended by Ryan Deiss is using warnings or make them feel guilty about their life if they don’t take action now.

Note: Another cool thing about Easy Video Suites is it now contains screen capture apps so you can record your video sales letter.

7. Don’t host you sales letters on Youtube. The only place I use is Amazon S3. It is dirt cheap, and your video will always play. Yes, Amazon S3 can be a little complicated. Once again, it is why I use Easy Video Suite: ESV integrates at a touch of a button, so I literally never log into my S3 account.

5 Other Secrets You Must Know

1. Ryan Diess and many have shown that entertaining sales videos don’t necessarily convert best. In fact, more often than not, the video sales letter that spells out the entire text converts best. You should test. There are always exception. But start with what is proven to work.

2. Is pretty better? Once again, this counter intuitive; but ugly wins more often then pretty. This is particularly true with “cold” traffic” (folks you have no relationship with). You should split test, but know that being artfully beautiful does not equate, in most cases, to more sales.

3. The so-called short-form videos sales letter converts best with cold traffic. This means your page shows only the video and no text.

4. The timed appearance buy buttons work best. Another reason to use Easy Video Suite; it works without you knowing any code.

5. Deagan Smith taught me this, but Ryan Deiss confirmed it… show the text page after the video. There are a number of ways to do this. In Easy Video Suite, you can do it with a simple automatic re-direct at the end of the video, or have a timed appearance of the text version on the same page.

The bottom line here is, video sales pages convert better than long form text sales pages, so you are truly leaving money behind if you don’t start applying this in your business. When you combine the essential techniques above with the “5 Other Secrets You Must Know,” you get the most powerful sales weapon online today.