Anyone ever do VSL in addition to written copy?

Yea, it's been done countless times. If you think it'll work for your market, then test it.

Based on what you've shared, I don't see any real benefit to this strategy and several ways it might work against you...

A great VSL communicates both the emotional and logical case for buying. Not one or the other. They work in tandem... yin and yang. Hot and cold cognition (look it up).

You can exit pop to a written version of the copy (or link to it beneath the video).

This is definitely one of those areas that does need testing.

There are plenty of variables to test.

I hesitate to say it doesn't matter whether it is short or long copy, VSL or VSL with exit pop to copy.

Some markets respond better to VSL and others to copy and I've made the mistake more than once of second guessing the market and thinking one thing will work without testing.

Either manually test different pages or invest in split-test systems like Visual Website Optimizer or Optimizley and let them run until they have sampled a number that they deem to be significant.

You will see various results with different levels of traffic but you need to keep going and get volumes that deliver enough valuable statistical data. I'd say 40 is too small...but it depends on the audience.

Keep testing and modifying relentlessly ...I was going to say until you get the desired result...but really testing never ends..

Back about 5 years ago I did a lot of "hybrids" and they did work. But these days I prefer exactly what Brian said. With a VSL you control the whole flow, but some folks would rather read than watch (myself included) so the exit pop is great (look at the end of america vsl from stansburry). I do however have a hybrid up right now that is selling, but that's only because I can't find a damn wordpress plugin that functions the way I want it to for the exit pop.

When you test though, there's a lot of variables to consider such as is the traffic cold, or have they opted in to a list and been warmed up first? Have they been pre-sold and how targeted is it? My traffic converts way better from affiliates who do a pre-sell vs cold.

not to overly generalize here... but typically I have found that VSL's convert better than anything. Especially for higher priced items.

Sure, you canvas warriors and they will tell you that they hate them and just skip it and just want to scroll the bullets and check the price.

But the numbers don't lie. If you do a good job of grabbing their attention and the offer is spot on, they will sit through you vsl. I have some over an hour long that convert better than any text sales letter I have ever written.

There is no way to really pull of the emotions in text like you can in video. Plus you are hitting them on all modalities: Visual, audio and emotional/feeling with a video.

The only thing is, a video embeded on the forum will still just have people fastforwarding through it. I typically put a headline and a strong call to action and host my vsl on my own site so I can control the play and delay content.

WORKS!

This is not speaking in theory. I have been selling for over a year with the same VSL's and text sales letters. This is base on my actual numbers.

Hope that helps