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Product Launch Video Copy Problem

by Dietriffic
9 replies
So, with the rise in video product launches, has there been a rise in specialised launch copywriters?

I know you're going to say copy is copy, whether it's written or spoken, and I agree.

But, as I see it, while scripts are still copy, there is many more variables to cause problems. Voice, personality, appeal, confidence, execution, presentation, etc, are all far more exposed in video than written copy.

So, do copywriters advise the product owner on how to present the copy via video?

How are all these variables addressed to increase conversions (if at all)?

Surely with video there's the chance that good copy could be ruined by some of the many other variables which are brought into play through video.

Thoughts?
#copy #launch #problem #product #video
  • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
    Coming from the screenwriting industry into copywriting, I can tell you that's exactly why so many movies and TV shows fail.

    The script is good, the show has a great cast, the directing is fantastic. It's given a poor time slot and gets canceled due to low ratings.

    The script is phenomenal, the director renowned, but it's poorly cast.

    Or everything is great - things clicked into place from the moment the original script was sold to the final rendering of the finished film - but it wasn't marketed well and flops at the box office.

    These things happen in entertainment all the time, which is why the industry is such a crap shoot. The more variables you add, the more risk you've introduced. But those home runs make the more risky endeavors worth it I say - after all, you improve more after failing than you do after some minor success.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ken Hoffman
      Originally Posted by angiecolee View Post

      Coming from the screenwriting industry into copywriting, I can tell you that's exactly why so many movies and TV shows fail.

      The script is good, the show has a great cast, the directing is fantastic. It's given a poor time slot and gets canceled due to low ratings.

      The script is phenomenal, the director renowned, but it's poorly cast.

      Or everything is great - things clicked into place from the moment the original script was sold to the final rendering of the finished film - but it wasn't marketed well and flops at the box office.

      These things happen in entertainment all the time, which is why the industry is such a crap shoot. The more variables you add, the more risk you've introduced. But those home runs make the more risky endeavors worth it I say - after all, you improve more after failing than you do after some minor success.
      I don't think that doing a video sales letter is nearly as complex as a movie though. The marketing issues of right target market, good way to reach them, and getting the right offer are still going to be the big impact items.
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      • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
        Originally Posted by Ken Hoffman View Post

        I don't think that doing a video sales letter is nearly as complex as a movie though. The marketing issues of right target market, good way to reach them, and getting the right offer are still going to be the big impact items.
        I understand and agree. I was using that as an analogy to illustrate the point I was making - more variables means more potential points of failure. I could write a phenomenal VSL but if the VO guy sounds obnoxious to most listeners, they'll still click off. If the person who hires me can't drive traffic, it won't make money. And as you pointed out in your previous post, if the copy rocks but the design is horrible, it'll just make people go WTF.

        So no, this is not the entertainment industry. But there are definitely parallels when using mixed media to sell.

        And to answer the original question, for me it depends on what the client wants. Some want to control every detail and some want me to. I have an advantage with my previous experience in casting when it comes to VO actors and narrators, and certainly can put that to use should a client want or need my guidance.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ken Hoffman
    There have always been ways to screw up good copy. Design immediately comes to mind. That would be synonymous with production in video. There most likely will be copywriters specializing in video only, just as there have been copywriters specializing in other formats and niches. For example in lead generation letters, space ads, or magalogs. The script is the most important part of the video, however since it is spoken...there is a host of other aspects of communication to deal with such as voice tonality and body language. The words alone are only 7% of the communication. So video I think is a bit closer to face-to-face selling...but without the interactive aspect of prospects asking objections.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dietriffic
    @angie
    I agree with you. I see the parallels, too. And it backs up my initial point.

    @ken
    I agree. I didn't mean that there was only the words in play with written copy. The product name, site design, etc, are variables.

    However, the variables with video seem to be multiplied quite significantly.

    Of course, the personality and engagement of videos certainly give the opportunity for higher conversions. It just has to be executed correctly, I suppose.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ken Hoffman
    Depends on what kind of video you are doing too. Many low budget, simple, IM videos have worked like gangbusters. Some were nothing more than scripted slides on video. Really, video is just another form of media. It doesn't need to be complex at all. I can think of several that were extremely simple, yet sold a lot. Depends on your purpose: sales or image-oriented. I could see someone really spending a lot and making it into a very complex project if it were a corporate video or if they were overly concerned with presenting a certain image/brand.
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    • Profile picture of the author apim
      I recently did a test of a female voice against male voice in the Insurance industry and I can tell you VO casting makes a major impact on conversion in VSL.

      Not only that but the type of VSL, are you doing a full sketch, a sketch powerpoint hybrid or an animation?

      But as always, everything is niche, market and advertising specific.
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      • Profile picture of the author Matt James
        So, do copywriters advise the product owner on how to present the copy via video?

        How are all these variables addressed to increase conversions (if at all)?

        Surely with video there's the chance that good copy could be ruined by some of the many other variables which are brought into play through video.
        Absolutely.

        I try to get involved in every aspect of a launch. Whether it's the guy's vocal delivery, the graphics used in the video... even advising on the traffic source.

        Because, you see, if a launch doesn't perform... and even if it's because the traffic isn't a match or the client is lousy on video... the copywriter still tends to get the blame
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        • Profile picture of the author Dietriffic
          Originally Posted by Matt James View Post

          Absolutely.

          I try to get involved in every aspect of a launch. Whether it's the guy's vocal delivery, the graphics used in the video... even advising on the traffic source.

          Because, you see, if a launch doesn't perform... and even if it's because the traffic isn't a match or the client is lousy on video... the copywriter still tends to get the blame
          That's what I was thinking, Matt.

          It's in the best interests of the copywriter to know how to advise the client on how to deliver the script you've worked so hard to put together, both visually, and audibly.

          You're definitely missing a trick or two as a copywriter if you're not up to scratch on all the nuances of video sales letters.
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