Why the Close is More About Emotion Than Logic in VSLs Most ecommerce operators believe the close is where you hammer home logic: price comparisons, guarantees, proof. They think the close is where you convince. That belief costs them sales. The truth is this: by the time you reach the close, your viewer has already made an emotional decision. The job of the close is not to convince with logic—it’s to validate their emotional decision and push them to act now. The Psychology of a Close:...
8 days ago • 2 min read
The Current State of the Market (Ecom & Supplements) When it comes to performance marketing in ecom/supplements, I see 3 main top-of-funnel ad types. First, image ads. Image ads can crush it at the top of the funnel, going to a listicle or advertorial (I prefer image to long advertorial). The best images drive curiosity clicks from the target audience. This means they are related to the niche in their visuals and first line of ad copy (calling out the problem in copy), and they incorporate...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Here is my take on the core fundamentals to succeeding in this industry. And there are many technical answers, but the overarching truth I keep coming back to is that skills combined with time in the game guarantee success, it's just a matter of time. Skills come from deliberate practice/learning and putting your learning to the test in the real world (in our case by launching ads, getting feedback, and iterating). The core skills in my career have been: 1) Direct response copywriting 2)...
13 days ago • 1 min read
How to Actually Use Problem Agitation in VSLs Most people misunderstand problem agitation. They think it’s about exaggerating pain until the viewer feels overwhelmed. That’s false. Problem agitation is powerful because it does something much deeper: it forces the viewer to emotionally experience the real consequences of inaction. Until your prospect truly feels the weight of their problem, they will not take action. They may nod, they may agree, they may even believe in your product, but they...
17 days ago • 2 min read
🚨 New Course Released! "The AI VSL Playbook" I've released a new course inside Ecom Blueprint outlining everything AI-related. This is how my team pumps out high-quality VSL scripts, hooks, and leads in minutes every week on autopilot with our AI workflows. The course includes detailed modules for using AI for the entire VSL creation process, from prompt templates for hooks and leads, prompts for breaking down scripts into structures, and generating 3D animations & AI avatars! Plugging these...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
DR Podcast #6: Nick Theriot (10 years in ecom, millions of dollars spent) On episode 6 of the Direct Response Podcast, I sat down with veteran media buyer and ecom expert Nick Theriot. Nick has spent millions of dollars on Facebook ads and knows the industry better than almost anyone. On this episode, we covered almost every facet of media buying and Facebook ads, from funnel structure to AOV boosting. Nick also shared his winning media buying philosophy and why most ecom founders still...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Why the Close is the Single Biggest Driver of CTR in Your VSL Most ecommerce founders obsess over hooks. They pour weeks into crafting the perfect first 10 seconds that will stop someone mid-scroll. And yes, the hook is crucial to buy attention. But attention without action is just giving money to Facebook. The part of your VSL that moves the most money is the Close. It is the final few minutes where belief, desire, and urgency must be converted into one simple behavior: clicking the CTA and...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The #1 Mistake Brands Make When Writing VSLs Most brands that try to write VSLs or direct response creatives fail before they even get to the offer because they pitch the product too early thinking they need to "capture" viewers/traffic as quickly as possible. When you name your product in the first 30 seconds, you break the psychological process that makes VSLs so powerful. Instead of feeling like they are watching an interesting story or learning something new, the viewer immediately feels...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
The VSL Mastery Method Inside the VSL Mastery Method, I've compiled all of my knowledge, strategies, and tactics I've learned from generating over $12 million in ecommerce sales and selling 2 brands. This course is packed with information on writing, producing, and structuring ecom VSL ads, and going through it will put your skills ahead of most copywriters/founders/agency owners. 📈 20+ chapters, including: VSL hooks & leads The best products for VSLs Scaling VSL ads 📊 100+ modules: In-depth...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read