STOP Ruining “John’s” Nightmare!

Avoid this Conversion-Killing Mistake in Your Sales Letters and VSLs

3 Incredibly Powerful Page Optimizers that Can Improve Conversion Rates

Recently, I worked with a client on a VSL (video sales letter) for their joint pain supplement. The initial results of our work did pretty well, especially when compared to the old control. However, the conversion rate was still below what we were all expecting. We came up with a plan of action but there were several on-page issues that may be the cause of a low conversion rate.

Looking at the funnel, sales page, and where they were sending their traffic — I was able to identify immediately the on-page issues that were responsible for the less than desirable conversion rates.

If you’re a fellow copywriter or an owner of your own health supplement company, it might be tempting to dive right into the sales copy and VSL to see where you’re missing the mark. And if this issue sounds a little too familiar to you… you might want to take a look on your sales page to see if these 3 powerful, yet simple, on-page optimizers are in order.

1st Conversion Rate Optimizer: Your Headline

The headline on my client’s sales page read “Use this 10-second trick to kill joint pain”. The main issue here is the headline has nothing to do with my VSL. What’s more, it’s way too hyped up. The chronic pain market is already skeptical and bitter because they’ve been in pain for years, tried so many different options, and haven’t found a remedy. In other words, their BS meter is through the roof. Claiming you have a 10-second trick that can solve years of joint pain is going to turn off a lot of your audience. They won’t even bother watching the VSL.

On the other hand, there may be a small group of people who felt compelled enough to pass through the headline and click play. Here’s where the next issue arises: there is no 10-second trick anywhere in the VSL. Your headline has now become a bait and switch. This is going to upset a lot of your viewers who clicked on the VSL, hoping to learn a 10-second trick that solves their problem, only to be disappointed when there isn’t one.

2nd Conversion Rate Optimizer: Your Video Thumbnail

Video thumbnails often get overlooked as a conversion rate optimizer. This is a particularly important element not to neglect, especially if your VSL isn’t on autoplay. The truth is, your thumbnail could either help or hurt you. You can always place an eye-catching image that relates to your target audience or use text as a point of persuasion.

The problem with my client’s thumbnail was the text they used. It read “the world’s greatest joint pain solution.” If you’re like me, you’re probably chuckling to yourself. Not only is this a very vague statement, it is also an incredibly generous one — which makes it kind of unbelievable.

Keep in mind, our prospects have yet to consume any of our statements yet, so why would they believe such a great claim? Ultimately, our thumbnail could have been a huge turn off for our prospects.

If you run into this problem, here are a few quick fixes that are sure to work. First, you could always use a great image if it relates to your ideal audience and their pain points. However, if you have a great headline, repeat it in the thumbnail, verbatim. Or, simply repeat the text used in your email if that’s where the source of your traffic is coming from. If the email text is compelling enough to get them to the sales page, it’ll get your audience to hit play on your VSL.

3rd Conversion Rate Optimizer: The Timing of What Appears Below Your VSL

My client had a cart button and FAQ immediately appear right below the VSL as soon as the sales page loaded. This sends your page viewers a message that yes… you do in fact have something to sell them. This is an immediate turn off and it will prevent them from watching any of your VSL.

Thankfully, the remedy for this is simple. You’ll want to delay the appearance of the add to cart and FAQ until the product has been introduced. But ideally, you’ll want it to appear at the point where you reveal the price and state the first call to action.

Not Seeing the Conversions You Want?

Before you dive into your copy, make sure these 3 simple on-page optimizers are working in your favor. It may seem obvious, but sometimes the most skilled professionals tend to overlook simplicity. Instead, they work on the hard stuff over and over again, without noticing that simple on-page optimizers may be their problem after all.

Use This “Secret” Lead in your Sales Letter to Hook your Visitors Immediately

Ask any copywriter what the most important part of a sales letter or VSL is and you’ll get a different answer. Some would say “it’s all about a powerful, emotional story.” Others will say “it’s all in the offer!”

I’m here to tell you that they’re all wrong! The most important part of any sales letter is in the headline and the lead. How can I say that with so much confidence?

Well think about it this way â€” if your prospects can’t get past your headline or lead, they’ll never get to your offer or your story, no matter how great they are.

Is Your Headline or Lead Working For You?

We all know what a headline is. But as for a lead, that is the first 100–600 words of your sales letter. For a VSL, that usually tends to occur in the first 4 minutes of your video.

Thanks to the internet, you can now track how long your prospects are consuming your sales letter or VSL for. An effective headline and lead will keep your prospects on your sales letter for more than 30 seconds. And your VSL? A great headline and lead will keep them viewing for 4 minutes or more.

Here’s Why Your Headline and Lead Are the Most Important Parts of Your Sales Letter or VSL

If you botch your headline or lead, you’ll lose visitors right off the bat. If you miss the mark, you have not succeeded in grabbing your prospect’s attention. They are not going to continue reading and watching and you just lost that potential customer. If you’re screwing up your headline and lead, they won’t get far.

If you’re writing your own copy or you’re hiring someone to do it for you, you need to know what makes a great lead so you know what to look out for.

The Secret Lead

You need a compelling headline that moves into a great lead.

This is why the Secret Lead is a simple and effective method to start off your sales letter. It’s a great technique for converting cold traffic with lots of universal appeal.

The secret lead is a commonly used technique in direct response copywriting. It’s similar to dangling a juicy carrot right in front of your prospects. For the secret lead to work, it needs to:

• Be intriguing — there needs to be curiosity, shock, and excitement that grabs your prospect’s attention.
• It needs to communicate a desirable benefit — it needs to be something that your ideal customer actually want.

Here’s an Example

Let’s take a look at how you can use this technique directly in the headline, using an example from Michael Masterson and John Forde’s book, Great Leads.

This example is a headline from a real sales letter that is targeting investors.

Example headline: “Closed to new investors for the next 6 years, now open again. The Chaffee Royalty Program that turned every $1 into $50.”

That first sentence alone is incredibly intriguing. If you’re an investor, you may be thinking “why was it closed? Was there controversy? What happened?”

Additionally, the very mention of the Chaffee Royalty Program also piques your readers’ curiosity. It’s mysterious and has a sense of exclusivity.

Now to the benefit — as an investor, you’ll be interested in turning $1 into $50. That’s a 50 times ROI!

See how this simple headline is jammed packed with lots of factors that raises curiosity?

A Few Tips

The secret lead is universal and can be applied to any sales letter or VSL you write. However, less experienced copywriters tend to make this one mistake — spilling the beans a little too early.

They come up with a great secret lead in the headline, only to reveal all their secrets 2–3 sentences into the lead. If you do that, you scratch your readers’ curiosity itch. And once that happens, they’ve got what they needed and will leave before finishing the rest of the sales letter.

If there’s no more mystery and intrigue left, your prospects are going to leave. So do not spill the beans too early! Study successful direct response sales letters to see how the greats hold on to that sense of intrigue until the very end.

Why Use the Secret Lead

If people who don’t know who you are come across your sales letter, they have no preexisting trust built with you or your brand. The secret lead will get their attention right away, hooking them into your sales letter. If your offer is strong, and you have an emotional story you know will resonate with your target audience, the secret lead will keep your prospects around longer. And as they keep reading or watching, that sense of trust with you and your brand be instilled at the end of it.

How Negativity Can Help You Stand Out When Writing Your Copy

If you’re a marketer, entrepreneur, or small business owner… you’re probably writing a lot of copy. Whether you’re writing a headline or hook for your website, a sales letter, an authoritative blog post, or a social media post — there’s a simple technique that not a lot of your competitors are using right now.

If you want to write engaging and captivating copy, here’s why you should consider using a little negativity.

Why Negativity Works

We tend to write copy that blatantly expresses the benefits of what we offer. We write headlines that include phrases like “Book More Clients” or “Increase Revenue.” It’s the obvious, common thing to do. There’s nothing wrong with including these phrases in your copy, but it doesn’t help you stand out from the competition. Instead, you end up blending in with everyone else.

In fact, a negative spin could work in your advantage when it comes to writing copy.

Imagine This…

Say you’re selling social media management services for dentists. These dental professionals and practices are your target audience, so you’ll probably write a headline like this:

“Discover how to generate 20 new patients every month using these simple Facebook techniques”

This isn’t a bad headline at all. It will stimulate curiosity and maybe land you a few dental clients. The problem is your competitors are writing copy that look just like this. And your target audience (dentists) are probably used to seeing and being pitched to with types of headlines. Sooner or later, you’re going to be lumped in with everyone else they come across.

It’s All About Standing Out

This is where you’ll be able to use a negative spin to help you stand out from the crowd. Using that same headline, you could reword it like this:

“these 3 common mistakes cost the average dentist at least 20 patients every month. How many patients are you losing out on?” Or “how many patients are you losing?”

This isn’t a perfect example, but you can already see a huge difference.

There’s a reason why this headline is making you slightly anxious. You may even be feeling a sense of urgency.

Reframing That Same Concept in a Negative Light

That one simple change shifted the focus on a loss instead of a potential gain.

Negativity is a simple and powerful tool to intrigue and engage with your target audience, because the fear of loss is often more motivating than the idea of a possible gain.

Fear of loss, or fear of missing out (FOMO), is an extremely powerful motivator. And to be honest, I don’t see this technique being used often enough.

If you aren’t utilizing negativity in your copy, you’re missing out on capturing more of your audience’s attention. You’re also lumping yourself in with the rest of your competitors. Start implementing this simple, yet powerful technique to your copy. Not only will it help you stand out, it will help you increase conversions as well.

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Why “Blending in” is a BIG Mistake for Your Brand

One of the biggest reasons why businesses struggle to grow and bring in new clients and customers is because they pay too much attention to their competitors. You’d be surprised at how many people suffer from copycat syndrome.

Imitation is Not Flattery

Let me explain — whether a new brand is just starting out, or an established brand is going through some difficult times of struggle and stress, they tend to turn to their competition to analyze what their competitors are doing.

These business owners look at their competition, track their steps, and end up copying what they’ve done whether they mean to or not. They think their competitors have figured it all out so why not save some time and do what they’re doing?

Here’s the Issue…

From a customer’s point of view, this is one of the biggest mistakes any business owner can make. Why? Because you make it a hundred times harder for your potential customer to choose you.

If you end up imitating what your 10–15 competitors are doing, you lump yourself into the sea of similarity. Suddenly, your customer is forced to sift through all these identical businesses to decide which one is best for them.

Not only does it make it extremely difficult for your potential customer, it means you’ve lost your brand’s mission, clarity, and what ultimately makes you the best possible choice.

Head in the Opposite Direction

I’m not saying don’t scope out the competition to see what they’re doing — instead, look at what they’re doing and head in the opposite direction! You need to position your brand in a way that is completely unique and will set yourself apart from everyone else.

By doing so, you place yourself in a league of your own. You’ll make it so easy for your customers to pick you and not your competitors. You separate yourself from the herd, no longer having to worry about your competitors.

So keep an eye on your competitor, but don’t fall for the imitation trap. Instead, use that information to help you create a unique and engaging way to connect with your audience. Grab your visitors’ attention and appeal to them in a personal way, cultivating the know, like, and trust factor.

Position yourself in a way that helps you break through the noise and clutter, leaving your competitors in the dust — making it easier for your customer and clients to always choose you.

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Why Clarity is King When You Want to Sell

I’ve been writing and producing a lot of content about copywriting. I’ve shared powerful strategies to help you maximize sales and revenue, how to amplify emotional impact in any story, even sharing techniques you should avoid. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t matter if you’re lacking one thing — clarity.

If this seems pretty obvious to you, I understand. But I’m still amazed at how many times I’ve seen people make this huge mistake in their sales copy. Not having clarity and not knowing your customer is a surefire way to kill sales.

What is Clarity?

I’ve seen tons of businesses make this mistake. They release a great product but when asked who it’s for, they start to pause. Maybe they’ll stutter. Or if they’re being honest, they’ll say “I’m not sure… I think a lot of people can benefit from this product!”

That is a recipe for losing a lot of money in paid advertising.

Before you even bring your offer to market, before you start paying for ads, you need to do your market research.

You Need to Know Who You’re Speaking to

Conducting your market research means you’re finding out who it is you’re speaking to. Gaining clarity on this is a must before you start to write any copy for your sales letter. You need to understand their pain, struggle, and how they’re looking to fix the problem they have.

If you don’t know how to speak directly to them, they’ll leave your sales page or VSL in a matter of seconds.You’ll kill your chance of ever making a sale if you don’t take the time to gain clarity on who it is this message is intended for.

Take the time to do proper market research before you try to sell.

No Time to do the Research? Hire a Professional!

As a copywriter, market research is a part of my job. I was working on some copy for a new information product in an entirely new market. Because I didn’t have the time to do the research myself, I hired a professional to get the job done.

He put together a great research document and highlighted the different pain points, what they struggled with, captured the language they use, and all the things you need to write effective sales copy.

This Goes Without Saying…

Before doing anything and spending any money on marketing, you need to get clear about who you or your product is serving. Clarity is king when it comes to selling your product and knowing who your ideal customer is.

And if you ever need a cheesy reminder, remember this sentence: Clarity is king when you want to sell your thing.

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How to Turn Your New Product Announcement into a Powerful Sales Email

So you have a new product you’d like to announce to your email subscribers. I hate to break it to you but generally, people aren’t that interested. Unless they’re sitting around, patiently waiting for that specific new product, the man of your subscribers just don’t care unless there’s something in it for them.

What should you do if you have a new product to announce and you want to capture the interest and intrigue of your readers?

Let’s take a look at Dr. Gundry’s new ProPlant Complete Shake flavor announcement as a great example of how you can turn an announcement into a powerful sales email.

The Intro

The intro starts off strong by emphasizing the benefits of their product. Phrases like “first (and only) weight management shake,” and the description of each serving delivering a boost of energy, management of cravings, and hitting weight loss goals builds interest in the reader.

Additionally, they’ve used urgency and scarcity as an incentive to strengthen the close.

Had this been a simple announcement, the email could’ve ended right here. But they took the opportunity to turn this into a sales email to help improve conversion rates.

Confronting the Common Enemy

In this section, the copy dives into the specifics of a popular protein source — red meat. It starts off by throwing stones at the common enemy, discussing how consuming too much red meat isn’t healthy.

It is pretty common knowledge that red meat contains the highest amount of protein. The copy throws out some frightening (but common) assumptions about red meat consumption with terms such as “heart disease, diabetes, and even death…”.

To drive the point further, they use a strong proof element — a study from Harvard. This establishes great credibility and trust with readers.

The transition in this section is great as it enters the on-going conversation in the reader’s mind.

“Ok Dr. G — so where SHOULD I get my protein from?”

To which they reply â€œcertain plants and their seeds.” This is a somewhat controversial statement, as many consumers don’t think of plants as a rich protein source. This sentence keeps the reader’s attention and sets up the next section of the email nicely.

Not What You Think It Is…

To those in the know, it’s no great secret that certain plants and seeds are packed with proteins. If this wasn’t the case, there wouldn’t be vegans or vegetarians. Generally, when we think of plant-based proteins and food in general, we thi nk it’s good for us!

On the contrary… Dr. Gundry says, “Sadly, most plant protein powders and shakes are loaded with health-destroying lectins,” leaving readers at a loss for where to turn next.

Introducing the Unique Mechanism!

Dr. Gundry’s answer (or unique mechanism) are his 3 “power hitter” proteins. Not only do they get the job done of delivering healthy protein and avoiding lectins, but they bring additional benefits such as fighting aging, fatigue, and aiding in comfortable bowel movements as well.

The first sentence of t he 3rd slightly controversial protein “power hitter” — hemp, quickly dismisses objections and puts readers at ease. Since many people still associate hemp with feeling a high, the copy addresses the objection before stating the benefits, which keeps the reader around longer.

The Close

After introducing the “power hitters” or the unique mechanism, the close is strengthened by reinstating a sense of urgency, while reminding readers of the benefits that crush cravings.

Announcement Turned Powerful Sales Email

All in all, it’s a strong sales email. The copywriter took the opportunity to turn this ordinary announcement into a compelling piece of persuasive copy. They dug into the benefits and unique mechanisms while instilling a sense of urgency in their readers, making the email more interesting and ultimately — more persuasive.

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How One Simple Statement can Transform Sales Copy from Good to Great

The other day, I watched a video sales letter that took me by surprise. Within the first 30 seconds, one brief statement caught my immediate attention and hooked me in right away. This one sentence is a prime example of the difference between average, or good copy, and great copy.

Let Me Explain…

To preface this, the video sales letter by Dr. Gundry addresses the issues of toxic plant protein. The copy begins in a pretty standard format, until Dr. Gundry says: “plants don’t like us”.

To the average person who isn’t well-versed or experienced in copywriting, this sentence is easy to overlook. For copywriters, we recognize this as a great and highly effective piece of A-level copy.

What’s the Big Deal?

This seemingly simple sentence is a powerful contrarian statement that interrupts the pattern and adds strong emotional impact for the consumers. The copywriter sets the stage for the unique mechanism of the problem (toxic plant protein).

Most of us consider plants to be one of the healthiest things that we could possibly consume and put in our bodies. When the average consumer hears “plants don’t like us,” it is reason to pause and ask follow up questions like “why” or “what do you mean?”

Not Your Average Copy

What makes this statement so remarkable is that the average copywriter would not think to communicate this idea in such a way.

Most copywriters go into description mode. Instead, they’ll say something along the lines of “when you eat plants, they don’t react well inside our bodies. There is actually this protein that penetrates the walls of our intestines and can cause a lot of harm…”

They’ll throw facts, details, and descriptions to explain how toxic plant protein can harm us. In fact, this isn’t bad copy at all. They are explaining in a clear way the negative side effects of eating plants.

However, it doesn’t carry the same emotional punch as saying something as simple as “plants don’t like us.”

“Plants Don’t Like Us”

The statement “plants don’t like us” humanizes an inanimate object and brings it to life. It goes a step further by producing a strong emotional reaction. It’s almost equivalent to someone saying, “Bob doesn’t like you.”

Why doesn’t Bob like me? Did I do something wrong?

Wait…what? Why don’t plants like us? I thought they’re supposed to be healthy for us!

See how such a simple statement grabs attention and forces an immediate inner monologue?

Pack an Emotional Punch

This simple sentence is the difference between good sales copy and great sales copy. In so few words, the copywriter was able to hook the consumer in, trigger an emotional response, and convey the idea that consuming plants may not always be the best for us. This is a great example of a hard-hitting contrarian statement.

Keep it Simple and Effective

Some of the most effective sales copy keeps it simple while packing an emotional punch. For more tips on how you can amplify the emotional impact of your sales copy, check out these 4 simple tricks.

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A Powerful Strategy to Maximize Sales and Revenue for Health Supplement Companies

If you own a health supplement company, pay close attention! As a copywriter, I’ve worked with numerous 7 and 8 figure companies in the health supplement industry, helping them write long-form sales copy that converts ice cold prospects into customers.

Over years of experience, I’ve learned one powerful strategy that helps maximize sales and revenue through health supplement companies’ advertising efforts, especially in long-form sales copy.

Let’s Address the Problem First

A problem I see far too often in supplement ads is that people are glossing over the problem that their prospects are currently experiencing. They rush over the problem their prospects want to solve so they can get to the solution and rush into their product pitch.

This is an instant turn off. Especially to cold audiences.

While providing a solution to your prospect’s problems is necessary, rushing into your product pitch is an issue because you’re not focusing on building a relationship with the reader.

The Better Approach

The better and more effective approach is to establish your authority, credibility, expertise, and trust is by focusing on the problem your prospects desperately want to solve. The best way to do this is by attaching a unique mechanism to it. Ideally, this should be something your prospects have never seen or heard about elsewhere.

Implementing this Strategy

Say you have a brain health supplement, you might say something like this:

“Every single brain cell has critical omega-3 fatty acid in the cell wall. This keeps our cell walls strong and flexible so that they can protect our cells and keep them safe. But over time, we tend to lose some of these fats. If we don’t replenish them, our brain cells start to shrivel. They become weak and this leads to damage that causes the decline of brain health as we age.”

This gives your prospects an “a-ha” moment. Your prospects reading this think “that’s why I’ve been having memory trouble!”

It’s not that they’re getting older and can’t do anything about their declining brain health, it’s that they’re deficient in omega-3 fatty acids.

A Simple Solution to Maximize Sales and Revenue

Revealing a unique mechanism in regards to your prospects’ problems will warm your coldest readers up in no time. If you need more help adding credibility and attaching a unique mechanism to your sales copy, check out my article on how you can add instant credibility to your health supplement copy.

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A Simple Trick to Breathe Life into Science-Heavy Health Supplement Copy

If you’ve ever written copy for a health supplement, there is a particular portion of your supplement sales copy that can get a little boring.

I’m referring to the portion that goes into detail about the mechanisms or physiologic processes going on inside the body at a cellular level.

Can’t read it now? Pin it and read it later!

• 

• 

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Why Your Readers Hit the Snooze Button

Unless your reader is interested in biology, chances are this is the portion of your copy that will have your readers flip the page (or exit out). This is because this particular portion of any health supplement copy is science heavy.

The language used is often dry and boring, and you run the risk of confusing your prospect.

When your prospect is bored, they’ll take off.

This portion of your health supplement copy is important enough that you can’t just do without it. So what’s the solution? How do you hold the attention of your prospect, making sure they stick around and consume the rest of your sales message?

Interesting Copy in One Easy Step

Here’s a simple strategy sure to “liven up” science heavy sales copy: focus on strong action verbs.

Here’s an example:

Sentence 1: Studies show that this protein makes us age faster

Sentence 2: Studies show that this protein accelerates our age at an alarming rate

See the difference?

A minor tweak in wording makes a big change in impact.

Accelerate is a strong action verb that conjures up vivid imagery. This makes me think about street car racers or that one time I was driving down the highway and had to punch the gas pedal to overtake another driver. It is a very visual word that engages your mind and imagination, and your prospect will start visualizing themselves in different scenarios.

When you couple a visual action verb like accelerate to a process like aging, it drives home how fast and urgent this process or problem may be. It’s a powerful concept guaranteed to bring your sales copy to life, helping it jump off the page.

This one simple trick can liven up the most boring portions of your copy.

Strong Visual Action Verbs to Include in Your Health Supplement Copy

I hope this simple technique helps you reinvent the way you tackle the dry, science-y portions of your copy. But to help you just a little bit more, here are a few more examples of visual action verbs you can use to spruce up your health copy. Use these to get your creative juices flowing!

• Ignite
• Rev up
• Slow to a crawl
• Glide
• Slide/slid
• Slices
• Flow
• Slip
• Floods
• Stokes the flames
• Extinguish
• Coats
• Gobbles
• Short-circuits
• Break free

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