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Does Anyone Like Video Sales Letters?

by Mark-Dickenson
31 replies
Hello everyone

I just wanted to get some perspective from both a consumer point of view and a product creator view regarding video sales letters.

As a consumer..I can't stand them. I would much rather scan thru the sales letter to see what the product has.

As a product creator, I really don't understand why they supposedly convert better...and here is why.

Lets say you are a product creator in a desperate buyers niche(ie it solves and embarrassing problem)

So lets say the niche in this case is erectile dysfunction(just could easily be how to get more dates, how to get rid of acne etc)

And the consumes does a search and finds your site...and immediatley the video starts playing and the fella on the video says "If you suffer from erectile dysfunction, this will be the most important video you ever see.."

So if this consumer works in a cubicle, assuming he is surfing while working, now those within earshot know about his issue.

Secondly, even if it wasn't an embarrassing niche, a lot of people can't view these videos during work...unless they wear headphones so they aren't distracting others.

And most, unless you are a full time internet marketer, spend most of your day at work...so it just doesnt seem like an effecient means of reaching everyone

Am I missing something?

Just would like to hear some thoughts on this

Thanks

-Mark
#letters #sales #video
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Mark-Dickenson View Post

    Am I missing something?
    Not sure, Mark ... but possibly the fact that more people who have tested it carefully in their own businesses agree with you than you might think from the general forum chat about video sales letters (and indeed about video in general).

    http://www.warriorforum.com/off-topi...ml#post7790018

    As a potential customer, I don't watch them. As a marketer, I don't instinctively expect them to convert very well. As a ClickBank affiliate I won't normally send my traffic to video sales pages, after what my subscribers and customers collectively say about them.
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  • Profile picture of the author datingworld
    Persoanlly i dont Like vidoes specially when its lenghty and not to the point , as I have come across that the creator is just trying to sell his product instead of providing upto the point information.
    Most of the sales videos starts with non sense....

    I would personally go for sales letter instead of video...
    in case you are creating video, please make sure it is upto the point and it provides information which the viewer is interested in... dont push the viewer to buy instead provide appropriate info, the vierwer will automatically impressed when you fulfill his requirement...

    think as a viewers point of view, not as a seller
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  • Profile picture of the author clever7
    I hate spending my time with videos, but this method seems to work for many people. There was a discussion about this matter here and many Warriors proved that videos are very efficient.

    I guess it depends on your niche.




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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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      Originally Posted by clever7 View Post

      seems to work for many people.
      I suspect the key word there is often "seems": the people I know who split-test methodically and properly always decide to abandon the video idea ...
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      • Profile picture of the author Indecision
        For me it comes down to the fact that most people who try video sales letters come over as "boring as ****", I exit the video after the second time they say "erm" in the first sentence.
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  • Profile picture of the author clickfund
    I dont care for video sales letters. Most that I have seen really do not provide in depth benefits about the product. IMO they are simply a sales pitch (at least most that I have seen) and not informative
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  • Profile picture of the author hustlinsmoke
    I do not like them when I get them. This is me and I seem to hate change. I actually read a sales page from top to bottom myself which most do not.

    I do know that the statistics state that Video info and pics far out surpass text by any means. So I do use them, But lets say someone like Gary Ambrose who is notorious for videos and the ones you can not pause or rewind ect, send me one. I click off of it, if he doesn't have a sales letter he lost me, which he usually does.

    I mean the man does great products and launches but if he is not going to give me something to read then forget it.
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  • Profile picture of the author RobinInTexas
    I rarely watch a video sales pitch to the end. I can't remember buying anything as a result of one.

    I also hate video documentation/tutorials. You want to find the issue you need to address and are forced search for the needle in the 60 minute haystack.
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  • Profile picture of the author SShip
    It completely depends on the video. If you go on and on and on and on about nothing until you get to the point of why I want to see your video, NO I don't like them. If you can give me what I'm looking for at the beginning of the video, Yes I like them. If you can do a video that I can start and stop when necessary, that's also a plus. Those that make you watch the entire thing without a stop/start feature, I just delete.
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  • Profile picture of the author lotsofsnow
    The solution is to provide a video and a sales letter.

    Just a video that immediately starts when entering a site is selling by overwhelming the potential customer.

    It does in fact work in some cases and there are some marketers that are desperate enough to try it.

    If a marketer has to resort to overwhelm and does not dare to ask the potential customer for permission it sheds a rather pity light on that marketer.

    Real sales letters and real videos that the user can control work much better (provided the product is good). With the overwhelm it is possible to sell any junk as the customer is basically almost killed before clicking the "buy now" button out of sheer desperation.
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  • Profile picture of the author RogueOne
    The solution is to provide a video and a sales letter.
    I agree. Pages that provide "optional" videos have worked better for me than text only pages.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nighthawk22
      I always to do both. There's a segment of the society that will watch a video as opposed to reading. I personally don't want to sit through one. Maybe it's the marketer in me.

      Providing the option does lead to better conversions overall.

      Just my 2 cents...
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  • Profile picture of the author briankno
    I like sales letters if they are demonstrating how something works but usually I never watch them.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dburn
      I for one do not like video's either. Especially the ones where you can't skip or at least see how long it is. It seems like on those sales video's you have to sit there for an hour just to figure out if you like the product or not. I would much rather read a sales letter. Just my opinion.
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  • Profile picture of the author gregorydrake1
    I guess I am against the grain. I like video sales letters. The make money niche is filled with lazy people who don't like to read. If the video gets them hot and bothered enough they normally pull out the credit card faster on a video than they do a sales page.

    But like others have said, just my opinion
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Don't like em. The majority of sales videos I've seen are produced by people who don't know how to deliver a message. Same goes for video instruction and courses. Most often people ramble on and on (this is most often because they're looking to make the silly thing longer thinking longer is more valuable) and never say a thing.

    I almost never click on a video unless I know who made it and that it won't be a waste of my time.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    It all depends really on what market you are in but what I do is lead with the VSL and an exit page strategy of directing them to a shorter video but with a sales letter below it.

    From there another exit page strategy directed towards a recap of the offer and what you are going to get which consists of a video, graphic eye catchers to lead the customer down the page and text. At the bottom of that page they have 2 options... 1) Buy the product or 2) Subscribe for free information.

    Of course I change things up time to time to test other variations...
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    I personally hate videos..

    But to be honest webinars are the best converting medium I've ever produced.. Better than my sales letters, better than my copywiting, better than my emails.

    Maybe I just suck at everything elese?

    Or maybe.. Maybe the large percentage of people love video?

    I'm not sure. I just know what my experience dictates.

    Personally, I prefer written word, for what it's worth.

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    • Profile picture of the author operationbob
      Since there are so many of them, I assume they convert well. I wouldn't think all of those marketers would be using them without testing, but who knows.

      Personally, the only place I want a video is when I need to see something mechanical - i.e., a car repair video that's showing me exactly where to find the whatchamajig under the hood. Otherwise, I prefer text.

      I do my 'learning' at odd times and places... like while I'm sitting in the Dr's office waiting room. I have bought right from my phone or tablet in those situations, but if a video loads... I'm outta there.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I dont like video sales letters... especially the ones that are 40 minutes long. I could read the entire "text" sales letter within 5 minutes. If i want some visual stimulation, i hope that the product owner has a nice header image, ebook design, and overall site appearance.
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberAlien
    The ideal solution would be to have a video that doesn't autoplay, but also a sale page with all the info below it for the people who don't want to watch the video. I've tested both with and without videos on a sales page and have never seen it increase my sales.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jsollee
      Originally Posted by Chase Watts View Post

      The ideal solution would be to have a video that doesn't autoplay, but also a sale page with all the info below it for the people who don't want to watch the video. I've tested both with and without videos on a sales page and have never seen it increase my sales.
      I agree with Chase. I am not a fan of the videos on the sales pages. I usually just pause them or if they auto-play, I will just mute them and read the sales copy first. Most of the time by the time the videos are done playing, I could have bought the product, installed it, and started using it.

      I personally don't like sitting there watching videos that never really get to the point. Just my 2 cents
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      • Profile picture of the author TerranceCharles
        I don't too much care for them either. But, one of the biggest reasons being, if I know I was about to watch a video, then I'd be prepared, just clicking a link and having a video pop-up that you don't know what it's for get's a automatic close (especially when my volume is on 100% with my headphones on). But, the BIGGEST reason for me is that most videos don't allow you to fast forward or rewind etc - it forces you to watch the entire video to the END.
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        • Profile picture of the author igorGriffiths
          Personally I hate all video content whether its sales letters or training material.

          Video forces me to work/learn at the creators rate and if they do not have player control enabled then they have effectively taken me prisoner due to my curiosity.

          Far better to have short precision titled videos integrated into your copy, that act as walk throughs.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Ning Lo
    It all depends on the niche.

    Got great success with videos in the dating and weight loss niche. But failed miserably in the IM niche.

    Understandable as i hate wasting time watching video sales letters.

    Cheers,

    Gary
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  • Profile picture of the author alvinchua91
    I'm pretty sure they work for a good number of webmasters. After all, they cost quite a bit to produce and there are some big product creators with video sales page like the guy from Tao of Badass.

    You can't just impose your opinion on everyone and immediately that everybody do not like video.. I guess providing a video with navigation plus a transcript should be the best solution.
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  • Profile picture of the author movemaker
    I totally disagree here. Depending on what I have read so far on this thread, its clear indication that the video sales letters you are speaking off are for IM products.

    Those are utter bullshit and dont offer an real value. From what I have seen in other markets is the complete opposite. Most of those VSL's are either actors or someone reading the words off of a screen.

    But when someone actually "puts their face on camera" and talks about what they have to offer you and really do what they said they were going to do that goes a long way...

    Videos that actually engage with the potential customer and actually provide value to the end user convert much better. Easier to build trust and rapport especially if your actually helping them solve their problem.

    But if your just aiming after a quick sale and a buck I couldn't tell ya. So in closing, I think it depends on the market and what kind of customer you are looking for...
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  • Profile picture of the author Igor Fridrihs
    Video sales letter works well if you can catch the attention of person since the beginning and make it curious enough to force the person watch it to the end. Same as traditional sales page.
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  • Profile picture of the author mikemeth
    I like animated video sales that show the exact process of a service. What I don't like are those long video sales that you can't pause watching or fast forward
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  • Profile picture of the author SEO Eddie
    Video sales letters tend to annoy me. I generally won't watch them through.
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