VSL Lead/Hook Copywriting Psychology

VSL copywriting is first and foremost about emotion. People need a reason to accept new beliefs, even to be open to them. What opens up our minds to consider new information that applies to us is emotion.

This is one of two purposes of our VSL intro.

• First, to get them hooked (capture their attention with unique/relevant/curiosity-driving information) and get them to watch and be interested
• Second, to create an emotional reaction. This is what separates marketing from other non-transactional media; we want to create a personal emotional reaction in conjunction with directing their thoughts to the problem we want to solve
• These two go hand-in-hand. Nothing is more engaging than personally relevant information that causes an emotional reaction

One of the most effective tools for getting people hooked and engaged in our lead is open loops.

• Typically, open loops promise valuable information without fully giving you the conclusion
• Promise a benefit using a trick, method, or new discovery, give some details (only takes 5 minutes, invented by authority figure, etc.) but not the actual thing itself that would make this a complete idea. This is why the loop is “open,” because we’re withholding the one piece of information that would leave their mind satisfied. Because this is missing, they subconsciously want to keep watching to get that missing information
• Open loops can be stacked onto one another. Promise a desired benefit without fully revealing how to get it, promise surprising information about the real cause of the problem, promise a unique discovery/report that applies directly to them
• The key when using open loops is 1) make the promise personally relevant to your target audience (something they really want to know/get) and 2) give something but not everything. For example, you can say “This doctor also shocked social media when she revealed we’ve been wrong about the root cause of [big problem] for 30 years, and it turns out it’s not caused by [old root cause].” So we give them what it is NOT, but not what it is. So they get something, but not everything
• One way to write very good open loops is to write the body first, and then go through and highlight the most valuable/shocking information and then write the lead, using these as open loops (hooks are highly effective when they are compact, concise, and direct open loops)

How to write VSLs most efficiently

• Write the close first
• Write out your mechanism explanations and metaphors
• Then fill in the structure
• Then write leads, and finally hooks

Writing leads and hooks for congruency

• When writing leads and hooks to test on your VSL body, know exactly where the lead connects to the VSL. The last sentence of the lead should flow and “click” with the first sentence of the VSL body. If your VSL body starts by highlighting what is NOT causing the problem directly, the last sentence of the lead should focus on how you may be mistaken or deceived about what’s truly behind the problem you’re dealing with
• Then write hooks last. At this point you should have highlighted the most shocking/interesting/curiosity-provoking information from your VSL, and use these in your hooks as open loops. Finally, make sure the hook flows into the lead
• The more congruence and “smoothness” there is in the transition between the hook → lead and lead → VSL body, the less drop off between each section, the more retention and the less confusion for the viewer

Getting the most “juice” out of your hooks

• One of the best ways to get more stability and scale in your ad account is to have multiple very profitable VSL variations. One way to do this is to have many winning hooks, and let FB decide which one it wants to focus spend on
• When you get a winning hook, there are essentially 2 factors that make it so: the copy and the visuals (scenes)
• Both of these can be iterated on to get 5-10 winning hooks out of 1
  • First, take the copy and try different visuals on it
  • Then take the winning visuals and try different copy (similar to the winning copy, not completely new ideas)
• If you look at Gundry MD, Miami MD, Nooro, they do a TON of hook testing. But they don’t “spray and pray,” mass testing different hooks. They take the same hook copy and run multiple visuals on it
• Use as many 3D animations and split screens in the hooks as possible, as well as videos that look “homemade” and viral, typically lower quality and more “gritty.” Avoid using people, especially stock footage of people’s faces

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