(And we’ll get into all that in just a sec…)
But first we want to invite you to a FREE live YouTube ad Q&A call we’re doing this week:
Want to get your most urgent YouTube ad questions answered, LIVE…
...PLUS get a sneak peek inside our all-new VidTao 2.0 software?
Join the VidTao team to see what's working (and not working) right now on YouTube and other video ad platforms.
PLUS VidTao Co-Founder Brat Vukovich & team will be doing a walk-thru of the all-new VidTao 2.0 Software that we'll be publicly releasing soon!
This free, LIVE call is this Thursday August 10th at 11am US Eastern.
Claim your spot here:
https://blog.vidtao.com/august-2023
(And if you have questions you want us to cover? Just hit REPLY to let us know & we'll do our best to cover it on the call)
Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday’s call!
Now let's dive in to today's content...
What this Secretive Swiss Ecomm Company Can Teach You about Offers & Ads that Scale...
One of the best things about our all-new VidTao 2.0 isn't just that we now have:
- Over 8 million video ads indexed
- And over 65 million search & display ads now in our database, all indexed by advertiser...
(Want to see everything that’s inside VidTao 2.0? Go here to claim your spot at the free, live walk-thru we’re doing this Thursday August 10th)
With VidTao 2.0 you can see the actual legal entity BEHIND each of the ads...
Which leads to some very interesting discoveries.
Like the multiple ecomm blockbuster offers from this Swiss Ecomm advertiser, “Digital Innovation Ventures” (DIV) hiding in plain sight:
Over 16 million in adpsend this past year? Nice!
They must be doing something right...
Let's take a look at what we can learn from their successes (and failures) behind what's likely a 50+ million / year eCommerce business, all driven by direct response advertising.
Lesson 1: When You Find a Winning Offer Formula, Stick to It
Let’s take a look at 2 of DIV’s top offers from 2023:
Offer 1: Cozislides
Cozislides are “the world's softest massage sandals”:
…And DIV has spent nearly half a million on this one Cozislides ad to this landing page these past 30 days:
Now here’s what’s interesting…
Go ahead and take a look at Cozislide’s top YouTube ad and landing page, and you’ll see it’s extremely similar in format to another one of their products, Baerskin Hoodie.
Baerskin has been one of the top performing eCommerce offers on YouTube for 2022 & 2023, with YouTube ads like this top-performer with over 31 million paid views (that’s probably around $1.5M usd in adspend), driving to this landing page.
Notice that for both Cozislides and Baerskin, the offer / landing pages follow the same formula, with common elements like:
- Irresistible Discount / Deal: Prominent 60% off deal announcement throughout the page, including the header at the top of the page:
- Implied Scarcity/Urgency: Notice how the current date auto-populates, to create implied urgency)
- Overwhelming Social Proof: Both offers display large and varied positive customer ratings and reviews in similarly structured sections:
- Comfort Features: Emphasis on thickness and comfort as key selling points
- Versatility: Showcase both as lifestyle product for all situations
- Easy Sizing options: Eliminate the “will it fit me?” objection by include sizing guides with tips on finding the perfect fit, plus free returns to reduce risk further
- Risk Reduction: Offer free shipping and returns to reduce risk for customers
- Aggressive Email Followup thanks to 2-Step Checkout Form w/ Email Capture: Both offers have the same “Save 60%” email capture popup and 2-step checkout flow where the customer’s email is collected before moving to checkout step. This allows them to be very pro-active with cart abandon and follow up email marketing to non-buyers:
Are you missing any of these elements from your own offer & landing pages?
If so, go ahead and plug it into your offer, test it and see how it boosts results.
Now here’s the thing…
DIV’s offer & landing pages aren’t the only marketing piece that DIV has boiled down to a specific formula…
Let’s take a closer look at the actual YouTube ads - and the specific formula they use - that DIV is using to drive scale right now…
Lesson 2: The Power of the “Mini VSL” as a YouTube Ad
Let’s take a look at DIV’s current top performing YouTube ads from inside VidTao 2.0.
Notice anything that they all have in common?
All their best ads are right around 3 minutes in length.
We’ve seen this play out time and time again across ecommerce, SaaS, beauty and even certain supplement markets:
A “Mini VSL” that delivers a full sales argument in around 3 minutes can scale to the moon, both on YouTube and Facebook.
Here are some general guidelines:
Where to use the “Mini VSL” as an ad:
For products where:
The value proposition is clear and easy to show on video…
The desired front end CPA is in the $60-$120 range…
DIV’s YouTube ads are a great starting point to use as a model for your own “Mini VSL” ads.
So let’s take a look at structure DIV uses to consistently produce winning Mini VSLs:
DIV’s YouTube Ad Building Block #1 - First 10 Seconds
Nailing the first 10 seconds of your YouTube ad is critical to creating an ad that works.
Here’s why the first 10 seconds of your YouTube ad are so important:
Why Your YouTube Ad’s 1st 10 seconds Matter:
“hook” the user’s attention and get them to stay past when the “skip ad” button becomes clickable
acts as an “ad quality” signal to Google that when done correctly will drive down your cost of traffic (and drive down your CPA as a result)
(Want more explanation on WHY this is all the case? We go into way more detail on all this in a blog post we did here)
Let’s start by taking a look Baerskin’s top YouTube ad:
Audio Hook:
The first 10 seconds of the Baerskin Hoodie ad are crucial in capturing the viewer's attention and setting the stage for the rest of the ad. Watch how the ad effectively highlights the "Problem" and "Promise" persuasion elements here by identifying a relatable and urgent problem and immediately offering a unique and appealing promise. The language and pacing are crafted to engage the viewer and create interest in the product:
0:00 “Are you still wearing enough layers to insulate Alaska?
0:04 that's why you need the new and improved Baerskin hoodie
0:06 the six pocket bare skin police tactical hoodie that blocks wind
0:10 and regulates heat for incredible Comfort wherever you are…”
Let’s take a closer look at what it does well:
Identifies an Urgent Problem (0:00-0:02)
The opening line, "Are you still wearing enough layers to insulate Alaska?" immediately identifies a relatable problem that many viewers might face: the discomfort of wearing too many layers to stay warm. By using a humorous and exaggerated comparison to "insulate Alaska," the ad makes the problem feel urgent and significant.
Introduces a Unique Promise (0:04-0:10)
The ad quickly transitions from the problem to the promise by introducing the "new and improved Baerskin hoodie." It highlights unique features like six pockets and the ability to block wind and regulate heat. This not only offers a solution to the problem identified earlier but also sets the Baerskin hoodie apart from regular hoodies.
Creates Interest and Curiosity
The description of the hoodie as a "police tactical hoodie" that provides "incredible Comfort wherever you are" creates intrigue and interest. It hints at a multifunctional and versatile product that appeals to a wide audience.
Visual Hook:
Watch the gif below with the first few seconds of this Baerskin ad:
Notice how:
Strong Visual Hook = More Viewers Past 10 seconds: The visual gimmick illustrates the “Layers” problem highlighted in the copy, which grabs the viewer’s attention visually and provides a focal point for their attention, to get them past that initial 10 seconds.
Immediate Branding = Branded Search Lift: Notice the BRANDING elements that are prominent in every frame. This will increase branded search (paid and organic) even for viewers who skip the ad, capturing more of the attention that the ad drives and decreasing CPA overall.
How does Cozislides Do It?
Here again is Cozislide’s top YouTube ad:
Go ahead and watch the first 10-20 seconds of the ad.
A couple quick questions for you:
Question 1) What similarities do YOU notice in the first 10 seconds of this Cozislides ad and the Baerskin ad?
Question 2) Notice that QR code and easy-to-read “noskinnysandals.com” CTA url? Any thoughts on WHY these might be shown here, so early in the ad?
Go ahead and reply to let us know your thoughts…
…And stay tuned for tomorrow where we’re going to continue to break dow DIV’s YouTube ad Mini VSL formula, share more secrets…
…AND cover one of our favorite topics:
Attribution (which is often the “missing link” to massive scale)
So stay tuned for tomorrow…
And in the meantime, make sure to sign up for our free, live YouTube Ad Q&A on this Thursday August 10 @ 11am US Eastern…
Where we’ll be answering your questions & sharing what’s working right now on YouTube & other video ad platforms…
...PLUS giving you a sneak peek inside our all-new VidTao 2.0 software.
Go here to sign up:
https://blog.vidtao.com/august-2023
(And if you have questions you want us to cover? Just email us and let us know.)
Have a great week!
The VidTao Team
- Sponsored -
Inceptly: the performance video ad team behind $950M+ in direct response revenue
Inceptly High-Performance YouTube Advertising Agency
Inceptly builds YouTube ad creatives & manages over 5M USD/month in YouTube ad spend for companies like ClickFunnels, Descript, MindValley, Advanced Bionaturals, Organifi, and many more.
Are you spending over $1k/day on ads and looking to scale your business with YouTube ads?
Schedule your free YouTube ad brainstorming call here:
inceptly.com/call
What are your YouTube ad questions?
In the meantime, what questions do YOU have about YouTube ads?
Let us know in the Comments section below, and we’ll make sure to cover your question in an upcoming post.
Have a nice day!
The VidTao Team
Sign up for VidTao.com: The Free Tool to Discover & Track Your Market's Best YouTube Ads.
Are you spending over $1k/day on paid traffic and want to scale with YouTube ads? Schedule your free YouTube ad brainstorming call here: inceptly.com/call
VidTao.com is brought to you by Inceptly.com - High Performance YouTube Ad Creative & Media Buying Agency Managing $5M/month+ in YouTube Ad Traffic
[…] entities behind your favorite brands, which can lead to some very interesting discoveries like this one we uncovered last […]