A few weeks back, top-shelf copywriter Dan Ferrari sent out an email with 35 direct response lessons he’s learned in his 35 years on the planet. At no. 29, there was the following:
29) The best copywriters are able to work in really high-production formats. You’re now a creative director. Get used to it.
Honestly, I didn’t really know what the hell Dan was talking about here. But fortunately, I listened to a podcast a few days later, with another copywriter, and it all became clear.
The second copywriter is named Brandon Shrair. Brandon is all of 23 years old. In spite of that, he has a nice, deep, resonant voice and more importantly, he also has high-level marketing experience as the Director of Marketing at Jumpcut.
Never heard of Jumpcut?
They are an online training portal, started by the guys who ran the popular Simple Pickup YouTube channel. They sell $1k+ courses that teach people how to become successful YouTubers.
Anyways, the interesting bit is the kind of marketing that Jumpcut is doing. That’s what Brandon is responsible for, and that’s what he talked about on the podcast that I listened to.
Jumpcut is using long-form video sales letters to sell their courses. This, in spite of the fact they are targeting 20-something-year olds, who grew up on the Internet, who are supposed to have the attention span of a horny goldfish, and who are immediately allergic to anything that has a faint whiff of salesy stank.
So how does Jumpcut do it?
How do they sell 8 figures’ worth of information products to broke millennials who don’t wanna watch ads, much less a 45-minute VSL?
Well, they use the fundamentals of copywriting and direct response marketing. And they wed this to high-production formats, just like Dan Ferrari wrote above. Here’s what I mean.
If you listen to a Jumpcut VSL, it will sound much like any other bizopp promotion. “I was broke… I was doubting myself… then by accident, I discovered a powerful secret that I’ll tell you about in a moment… and good God, look at me now… so much freedom it’s practically pouring out of my pants.”
But here’s the thing. If you watch that same Jumpcut VSL, it won’t look anything like your run-of-the-mill bizopp offer.
There are actual people talking on screen, and not just a series of typed-out sentences. It’s professionally edited, with multiple camera angles. Most importantly, it’s shot on location, such as a fancy villa or a yacht, giving credibility and color to the big claims in the VSL script.
So is this the future of video sales letters? I think so, at least if you want to work with big brands or with businesses that have the potential to make lots of money.
Of course, Jumpcut isn’t the only company that’s already using this style. But they are a good example of it. And if you want to see what the direct marketing of the future looks like, you can get it delivered to your inbox by signing up below: