VSL for gut-offers: step-by-step guide to increasing sales
- levidkerington
- Sep 21
- 9 min read
VSL for gut-offers: a step-by-step guide to increasing sales
В аIn traffic arbitrage, every conversion percentage counts. But classic banners and short video creatives are increasingly failing to produce results: CTR (clickability) is falling, CPM (Cost Per Mille) is growing, and CR (% of conversions in relation to all clicks) is no longer pleasing. The situation is especially acute in the niche of gut products – competition is high, and it is increasingly difficult to win the trust of the audience.
The VSL (Video Sales Letter) format has become a working tool that can reverse this trend. According to statistics, VSL implementation increases CR by 20%, increases AR (distribution rate) by 10-15% and at the same time reduces CPM. All of this is due to a deeper viewer "warm up", a strong story, and closing objections right in the video.
What VSL is and how it differs from a regular video
At the heart of any successful VSL is a well-thought-out pitch that combines elements of storytelling, product demonstration and buying arguments. It's not just an attention-grabbing video, but a tool that can hold the viewer's attention for several minutes, gradually leading them to the desired action. The format performs particularly well in niches where it is important to build trust and convey the value of the product until the user is ready to leave an application or make a purchase.
Definition
VSL (Video Sales Letter) is a video sales letter format in which the entire script is structured to guide the viewer through a clear logic: from realising their problem and pain to making a purchase decision. Unlike short videos, where the main objective is to trigger a quick click, VSL uses an extended story, demonstrates evidence and emotionally engages the viewer, preparing them for a targeted action.
Differences from conventional creative
The main difference with VSL is that it's not just an advertising teaser, but a full-fledged story with arguments and facts. There is more content here: the background is given, the story is revealed, expertise is demonstrated through comments of specialists or research results. In addition, VSL answers possible objections of the viewer in advance, reducing his doubts and strengthening the desire to buy the product.
Why it works
VSL gives the audience time to "warm up" – the viewer gradually receives all the necessary information, and trust is formed in the process of viewing. This format creates the effect of personal dialogue: it seems that the story is being told specifically for a particular person, with his or her problems and needs. Thanks to this approach, engagement increases, and with it CR and AR rates.
The foundation of a selling VSL (structure with examples)
A well-thought-out script is the foundation of an effective VSL. It should lead the viewer through a logical chain of steps, gradually increasing interest, trust and willingness to take a targeted action. Each element of this structure works for one goal – to move the user from the state of "just looking" to "leaving an application/purchasing". Here is a step-by-step script of a selling VSL:
Introduction. The goal is to immediately grab the target audience's attention, describe their pain, and promise results. Sample prompt for ChatGPT: "Come up with an introduction text for a VSL that addresses women 35-50 years old who are overweight and fatigued and promises a solution that will give them their energy back."
Issue. Increase emotional engagement by showing the magnitude of the problem and adding statistics. This helps the viewer understand that they are not alone with this situation. Sample Prompt: "Promise the viewer a solution to chronic joint pain without surgery or drugstore ointments that only relieve symptoms. Provide statistics on the consequences of the disease."
Promise. Clearly state that the viewer will learn a specific solution to their problem in 5 minutes. This holds attention and motivates to see the video through to the end. Sample Prompt: "Promise the viewer that in 5 minutes they will learn about the true cause of joint pain that they haven't heard of before because doctors rarely talk about [think of a cause]."
Expertise. Show the character as an expert, a doctor or specialist who understands the topic and is credible. A brief history of the expert enhances perception. Sample Prompt: "Introduce yourself as an expert [from GEO] with a long track record and tell the story of how you found the true cause of your joint pain."
The true cause. Explain the main idea behind the problem: it could be a parasite, a dormant gene, a substance deficiency, etc. Sample Prompt: "Tell us that the true cause of knee and spine pain lies in [main idea], and that the ingredients in [drug from the offertory] neutralise this process."
Testimonials. Add 2-3 short and specific customer stories with before/after results. This creates social proof. Sample Prompt: "Write 3 testimonials from women 35-50 years old about an expert or product that helped them get rid of joint pain, get back to walking, and give up their cane."
Composition. Disclose how the product's ingredients solve the problem. Explain the action of each key ingredient in simple words. Sample Prompt: "Tell us that only the right dosage of [ingredient 1] combined with [ingredient 2] helps to restore cartilage and forget about chronic joint inflammation forever."
Product. Present the offerer: name, form of release, ease of use. Here the viewer for the first time clearly understands what exactly is offered. Example prompt: "Tell that the combination of [component 1] and [component 2] are combined in the product [the offerer]. This is what restores joint mobility. Thanks to a course of [number of days], pain and swelling disappear. Describe the advantages: natural composition, taking it once a day, no side effects".
Objections. Remove doubts in advance: safety, certification, proof of efficacy. Sample Prompt: "Handle the maximum objections the viewer might have to [the offer]: safety for the elderly, compatibility with other medicines, availability of certification in the EU".
Price and offer. Show the benefit – discount, bonus, time limit. Reinforce the value in the eye of the beholder. Sample Prompt: "Tell them that more than [amount and research time] was invested in the development [of the offer]. Say that the real price of the drug is [price increased 7 times], but the viewer can buy it for [price] because the company runs a social programme. Give a money-back guarantee and describe that to order you need to fill out a form with name and phone number and payment is due upon receipt."
Closing. Motivate to place an order right now: remind about the problem, the promised result and the simplicity of the application form. Sample Prompt: "Tell the viewer that they too will get their joint mobility back in [number of days] with [offer], and that the team is waiting for their feedback after completing the course."
Ready to test VSL and make money on gut-offers with high conversions? Join ENSO TRAFFIC, get access to private offers and start pouring traffic today.
VSL creation tools
Creating a quality VSL requires not only a competent script, but also the right tools. Today, media buyers can assemble the full workflow – from writing to the finished video – with the help of online services and AI platforms. This saves time, resources and produces creatives that look professional even without a studio team. Useful tools for creating VSLs:
Video Generation. Pictory.ai, HeyGen, Synclabs – allow you to create a video sequence from text or script, add animation and work with AI characters.
Voiceover. ElevenLabs – allows you to record natural voiceovers and even clone the voice of an expert to personalise the video.
Editing and subtitling. CapCut (free) and Veed.io (paid) – help you quickly edit video, add text, graphics and adapt the format to different advertising networks.
AI copywriting. ChatGPT with pre-made prompts for VSL – speeds up script development and helps test different approaches.
Using these tools is especially effective when you need to quickly test several VSL versions for one offer. This approach allows you to quickly identify bundles with the best CR and AR, minimising the cost of producing creatives.
And if you want to get a deeper understanding of how native advertising works and how to integrate it into VSL bundles, we recommend reading the material about how Taboola works in our blog. There we go into detail about the platform's mechanics, ad format and show examples that can be adapted for gut-offers.
How to test and improve VSL
The effectiveness of VSL directly depends on how thoroughly you test it. Even the strongest script can show different results depending on the pitch, character or key idea. That's why it's important to run multiple versions and collect statistics, rather than relying on a single version. This approach allows you to identify what really hooks the audience and leads to CR and AR growth. Here are some useful guidelines for VSL testing and optimisation:
do at least 2-3 variations of the main idea to test which one goes in better;
change the hero or story pitch, test male and female characters, age and narrative style;
monitor metrics: CTR, CR, CPM, AR – these are the main indicators of the effectiveness of the bundle;
keep only those variants that consistently show a positive ROI (return on investment).
Separately, it is worth considering that VSL can be tested not only in the usual traffic sources, but also in less competitive niches. For example, arbitrage on Reddit, where the audience is actively involved in discussions and trusts expert-like content, gives good results. This opens up additional opportunities to scale successful bundles and get cheaper leads. You can read more about traffic arbitrage on Reddit on our blog.
Don't delay scaling – join the ENSO TRAFFIC arbitrage community and get tools, cases and insights that will take your CR and AR to the next level.
Growth Cases with VSL
The VSL format has already proven to be effective in the most competitive gut-niche markets. Even in challenging niches where traditional creatives no longer work, a well-thought-out video sales pitch can not only hold attention, but also boost CR and AR. Internal tests have shown that correct structure and adaptation to the audience give a stable increase in different areas of the gut:
Losing weight – CR +20%, AR +10%.
Diabetes – CR +15%.
Potency – CR +10%.
Our ENSO TRAFFIC case with Cardioser Low Price | BG in the joints segment was particularly revealing. We propose to examine it in more detail:
GEO: Bulgaria ;🇧🇬
traffic source: Google (Search, Discovery, Performance Max);
bay period: 15.05.2025 – 24.07.2025;
spent: $111,952;
earned: $145,548;
profit: $33,596;
ROI: 30.01%;
total leads: 15,549;
upruv: 5,598 confirmed (~36%);
bid: $26 per confirmed lead.
We also want to tell you why the case study became profitable right now in Google Ads:
Seasonal surge in demand for joint topics in summer – active work, sports, tourism provoke knee and back pain, which increases search traffic for hot queries.
New offerer for the Bulgarian market – freshness of the offer gave high CR and loyalty of moderation.
Campaign optimisation – competent key segmentation in Search, remarketing and native formats in Discovery, automation and look-alike in Performance Max.
Two lendings – an official one with experts and certificates + a product one with a promotion and timer – both worked well on mobile traffic for an audience of 45+.
It is important that in such cases you can use a special approach, for example, Smart Links, which will allow you to automatically direct traffic to the most converting landings without manual micromanagement. This technology will speed up optimisation, eliminate the "drain" of budget on weak pages and help keep ROI at a high level. You can go to our blog and learn more about what the Smart Links feature is, how to use it properly and what benefits it offers.
In summary, a run in Bulgaria with a new joint-offer via Google Ads showed that fresh products in undervalued GEOs, boosted by VSL and automation, yield high profits and sustainable results even in the face of growing competition.
In ENSO TRAFFIC you will find proven offers that perfectly fit the VSL format. Choose the direction that suits you and get stable profits thanks to optimised creatives and manager support.
FAQ
What makes VSL better than a banner?
VSL holds attention longer than a banner and allows you to deliver a complete product story, show proof and remove objections. It builds trust and significantly increases CR and AR compared to short creatives.
What is the optimal timing?
Videos that are 3-5 minutes long work best – this is enough time to warm up the viewer and deliver the key arguments without overloading them with information. Longer videos often lose audience retention.
Can I film without a face?
Yes, you can use animation, AI characters or stock video to avoid filming real people. Such solutions allow you to quickly test different hypotheses and localise the video for different GEOs.
What kind of offers go better through VSL?
Nutra-offers in the topics of health, joints, weight loss, diabetes and potency are particularly good. In these niches, the VSL format allows you to go deeper into the problem and convince the viewer of the need for the product.
How long does it take to create?
Using AI tools, a basic VSL can be built in 2-3 days. If filming with actors and complex editing is required, the process can take up to a week.
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