The Rise of ugc and VSL ads...

TELOS STUDIOS, Winter Garden, FL

UGC (user generated content) and VSL (video sales letters) ads are gaining in popularity with marketing firms due to their ability to connect with Gen-Z consumers while maintaining its legacy customer base. UGCs and VSLs focus on robust digital marketing, and sustainability. This is due to the influencing abilities of the Internet and social media, the ability for marketing experts to utilize analytics as they track our every move with respect to our search patterns and online purchases, and the evolving development of AI (artificial intelligence).

UGC ads, or user-generated content ads, are advertisements that feature content created by real customers or “users” rather than the brand itself. They often take the form of testimonials. This content can include videos, photos, reviews, and social media posts that showcase genuine experiences with a product or service. UGC ads are effective in building trust and credibility, as they reflect authentic user experiences. They are often used in paid social media campaigns and can be repurposed from organic posts or influencer content.

VSL stands for “Video Sales Letter” and this is a slightly different marketing strategy that utilizes video content to convey a persuasive sales message to potential customers. They are similar to the older, long-form, high pressure infomercials that air between 12 midnight and 6 am, often appearing as show with a host interviewing an “expert.” VSLs are designed to engage and convince viewers through visual and auditory elements, making them a valuable tool in modern marketing campaigns.

A VSL funnel, or video sales letter funnel, is slightly different. This is a marketing strategy that uses a video sales letter to drive customers to a landing page, where they can then purchase a product or service.

They are often planted as “click bait” in an article you are reading online so that you click on them either impulsively, or by accident. Once you are in, it is often difficult to get out. These ads are based on 6 basic principles:

1)      They give an exact CTA (call to action) by leaving nothing to chance. They guide the viewer to “click the button below the video to enter payment details on the next page.”

2)      They use “future pacing” to get the viewer to imagine themselves in the future. “Think how much more confident you’ll feel around your family and friends when you remember where your keys are, birthdays, the names of those in your life, and you can recall stories with ease and detail?”

3)      They often use “before” and “after” photos to give a nod to transformation. These types of photos are extremely effective as viewers connect with and visualize themselves in those photos.

4)      They are specific, for example, they wouldn’t say: “Learn how to get a job,” they would say: “Wake up to an inbox flooded with job offers,” because the visualization is so much greater with the latter phrasing.

5)      They remove risk, so, when you try to leave the ad for fear of feeling foolish, they switch you to another page that says there is no risk involved. “The guarantee protects you and is easy to use.”

6)      And lastly, they identify common objections and answer frequently asked questions (FAQs), again, leaving nothing to chance. Testimonials are often inserted for this purpose before redirecting the viewer back to the payment page with urgency: “We only have 99 left in stock, and like you, many people are watching this video—order now—don’t miss out,” or, “order in the next hour and I will slash the price in half—so don’t wait—order now.”

The key to this type of advertising is the script as it plays on viewer emotion, desperation, low self-esteem, and gullibility (kind of like our politicians and media outlets). If done correctly, and they all follow a similar tried and true pattern, they can be extremely successful!

I have become in high demand over the past month from two Brazilian marketing firms (A3 Media and Agencia Venti). The first has me film in Telos Studios in Winter Garden, FL, and the second has me film in the comfort of my home. They provide the scripts. The scripts are then downloaded onto a teleprompter, I film, and they edit the raw footage inserting testimonials and other add ins as need be. It doesn’t get much easier than that…and…it’s fun work!