How does a VSL work?

If I ever become famous, this blog is going to be the one that gets me in trouble

Here are my biggest VSL hot takes that I will defend until the day I die (or I'm proven wrong but let's get into it)

A VSL should strictly be between 5-15 minutes long

Yes, I am critiquing Alex Hormozi's VSL. If I remember correctly, the time frame of his VSL is way... wayyyyyy outside of this ballpark.

And there are other examples of this, where most of the VSL is really just the "Offer" part of the VSL

It goes from a VSL to an explanation video where you're basically explaining the entire course that you're selling

The reason why you can have a lot of copywriting is that copywriting is supposed to work in and of itself. Every sentence, every paragraph and every section should be able to be taken apart and still make sense

VSLs don't work like that. There is a very clear "timeline" for the VSL, so in copywriting, you might be able to get away with writing a lot (you should), because if the customer doesn't want to read that much, they can skim it

The timeline of the VSL should have the Offer, the Uniqueness and the Case Studies have equal portions. Sometimes, Case Studies could be longer to explore the characters a bit more. However, too many people focus on the Offer and the Uniqueness too much, which leads to boredom

That's why I think 5-15 minutes is the perfect threshold. The Offer and Uniqueness is long enough where the customer understands you product and they understand that it'll work for them, but not too long where it's so bloated that it feels like some of Drake's old albums (sorry Drake fans)

VSLs should be edited

Feels like I'm really digging Alex Hormzi huh?

Look, I have nothing against the guy, but I truly believe that if he had a VSL that was shorter and edited, it would be better

His VSL is slightly edited, yes, but what I mean by "edited" is that the visuals still have to be appealing

And you might be confused, since I already preach that VSLs should focus on the scriptwriting and the words being said instead of the visuals looking great

That's absolutely true, however at the end of the day it's still a VIDEO Sales Letter

People have their eyes on you, so the visuals should be edited to keep their attention. Moreover, good visuals should be able to supplement your scriptwriting

Let's say you want your customer to imagine their dream life where they move to Miami. No matter how vivid the wording is, it's not gonna beat a literal video of a skyline from a Miami penthouse

So long story short, editing/visuals should be there to keep your customer's attention and supplement what you're trying to say.

Live Action VSLs are not the best for every business

If you don't know what Live Action VSLs are or the difference betewen them and other VSLs, check out this video -> https://youtu.be/8DxkCrhG9IY

Basically in that video, I talk about all the different types of VSLs and what they're good for etc.

So everything I'm going to say here will have already been said in the video

But to sum it up, Live Action VSLs might be too pricey for many businesses. That's the first reason.

And the other reason is that for brands that do not want someone to be the face of their brand, it's also a bad idea to have a Live Action VSL.

The person in the VSL will automatically be the face of the brand, and that might be detrimental to some businesses.

Any product from any business could benefit from a VSL

There's no detriment to having a VSL. Even a pack of tissues from a supermarket could benefit from a VSL

It's just that at that point, the extra 20% sales that contribute to $20 might not be worth the $500 VSL

However, it's still a benefit.

Worst case scenario, people don't click on the VSL, and the sales stay the same.

However, some people will. And a VSL is the best persuasion tool on a sales page

So no matter what, sales will increase.

The only difference is that for most products under $50, it's not worth it.