1: Research
Process:
Research: WHY
This might sound like Marketing 101 - but you need to know your audience better than they know themselves.
Nowadays, every niche is saturated and all consumers are somewhat sophisticated.
Which is why you can’t afford to target a general consumer.
You want to paint a clear picture of your target audience and call them out in your ads:
Dads
Moms
Seniors
Dog owners
Gym bros
Etc
Typically you’ll find that you have 2-5 avatars. They buy differently and for different reasons.
Research: HOW
Use this ![](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
Research Sheet | Template to organize your insights.
Research Sheet | Template to organize your insights.Sources:
Free:
Reddit
Amazon reviews
Ad Library
Paid:
Foreplay
AdSpy
Here you’ll find the actual links to ads (aka Post IDs) with all the comments and engagement. AdSpy will tell you how long this ad has been running and how many views it got.
Add filters:
Landing Page Text: {Problem Keyword}
Total likes: 1,000+
Media Type: Video
Language: English
2. Organize them in your Research Sheet | Template
Research Sheet | Template 
After you study your market - fill out the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) sheet with your research findings.
2: Scriptwriting
“What’s an angle?”
Angle - is not your hook, or your creative format. It’s the focal point of the ad. It’s that one thing viewers take away after consuming your content.
Angle:
What I love doing is crafting a sales argument and pairing it with a creative format.
Your sales argument typically consists of:
Big Idea
Unique Mechanism
Benefits
Overcoming objections
If you don’t want to take risks and waste tens of thousands of dollars attempting to produce a new banger - here’s what you want to do:
Find an ad in your niche through a spy tool (AdSpy / VidTao) with 1M+ views.
Reverse engineer its script (speech-to-text tool: https://www.descript.com/)
Rewrite it for your product using the same structure.
Summarize the sales argument.
Turn it into one of the creative formats:
Non-narrated (Buzzfeed / TikTok)
UGC
Mashup
In-feed VSL
VSL opener
Example
STRUCTURE:
Lead: I know you feel skeptical - but listen to this guy (3rd person POV → increases the avg. playtime)
The way to achieve your goal is not what you think (cutting carbs)
Celebs don’t do that
Clients don’t do that
Average folks don’t do that (you’re a fool)
If you don’t know your metabolic type - listen up (hook v2)
The way to achieve your goal is not what you think V2 (old solutions)
If you want results, you need to follow a plan for your body type.
Big Idea: 3 Body Types
Call To Action:
People come to me for advice (more credibility) → take the quiz and get the solution to your problem (3 most important things to get in shape)
ANGLE:
The key to losing weight is not what you think. You don’t need to sacrifice what you love (carbs), and you don’t need to starve yourself with fad diets and exhaust yourself with exercise. It’s a thing of the past, celebs don’t do that, my clients don’t that, and avg people like yourself are waking up to this truth (you’re missing out). Nothing will work until you understand your body type. So if you want to get in shape for your vacation, or wedding - take the quiz and get the solution to your problem (3 most important things to get in shape).
FORMAT: Podcast
This is not a course on how to write copy.
I’m not going to provide fill-in-the-blank templates.
However, here’s how you can actually become good at copywriting FAST:
a) Read and break down winning campaigns every day.
b) Write your own copy and spend money on ads.
In this training, I’ll share the frameworks we use internally + some tactical tips.
Now, the style and length of your ad script will differ depending on which creative format you pick.
We’ll be covering 5 formats that are converting in 2023.
Non-Narrated (Buzzfeed / TikTok)
What is it?
It’s a mashup of all your pieces of content: UGC, testimonials, how-to clips, authority figures - without any voiceovers or complex scripts. Short form, anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds long. General approach - Show, Don’t Tell.
Which brands should use it?
Products that people buy visually
Electronics / Gadgets
Cosmetics
Jewelry
Accessories
Fashion
Home Decor
If you’re in any of these niches - you don’t necessarily need a long-form creative as the visuals and product demonstration will do most of the selling. DR copy can help.
Examples:
Avg. cost of production: $0 - $100
You might want to send your product to content creators or just record everything yourself.
Requirements:
10-20 Short Clips Of The Product In Action
Collect / record testimonials or reactions (if the product can be gifted)
Shoot loads of clips in different locations and environments
Show every possible use case for it
Scriptwriting Do’s and Dont’s:
Don’t put too much text on one frame.
Write copy in short bullet points.
6 words per frame max.
Non-humanized copy is allowed.
You can use stock content but try to use your own as much as possible.
Use question-based hooks.
Don’t make it longer than 60 seconds.
Your only DR levers are discounts/savings, scarcity, and urgency.
Scriptwriting:
Pick a structure and fill it with copy.
UGC
What Is It?
Although the term UGC stands for User Generated Content that originated from images and videos that were submitted by real customers - today, the only thing that’s left from this format is the lo-fi quality, however, the ad itself is scripted and carefully directed. This is a direct response video that’s acted out by a single actor sharing their experience, showing the product in use, educating the viewer on the Unique Mechanism, and backing it up with proof.
Which brands should use it?
Products that require education & some visual examples.
Skincare
Bodycare
Haircare
Supplements
CPG
Food & Beverage
Shapewear
Functional clothing
Avg. cost of production: $50-$150
In the 4th module of this course, we’ll cover the step-by-step process of how to source actors and pay them no more than $150 per shoot.
Requirements:
1 content creator
1 Voiceover File
20-30 Short Clips
Actor shooting the product in action
Shooting before & afters
Comparing it to old solutions
Examples:
Do’s and Dont’s :
If you’re selling to a sophisticated market - do not reveal the product straight away.
Educate the viewer first, explain the Unique Mechanism, and only then reveal the product.
Remember - you’re not writing copy for a sales page or an email. This script will be recorded by an actor, so ditch complex words that humans don’t use. Keep it simple.
Don’t overhype the script or acting.
Lessen the talking heads. Use a VO and show b-rolls that support the script.
Try to avoid stock content.
Aim to make it 45-90 seconds long max.
Scriptwriting:
Pick a structure and fill it with copy.
Mashup
What is it?
This can be a mashup with all sorts of assets:
Actors’ content
Authority figures
Testimonials
Product In Action
There’s no particular structure for these, but the visuals will do more selling - than the script itself.
Which brands should use it?
This creative format can fit any consumer brand.
Avg. cost of production: $0
Typically you’ll just edit the existing assets.
Requirements:
1 Voiceover File
3+ Content Creators
20-30 Short Clips
Actors’ content
Authority figures
Testimonials
Product In Action
Example:
Do’s and Dont’s :
Show, Don’t Tell. Aside from customers’ testimonials, and founder’s / expert’s pitch - your copy should be in bullet points.
Social proof is the core emotion you want to target with this format.
If your product creates visible transformations - use as many before & afters as you can.
Adding credible experts / authority figures can be highly beneficial.
Avoid stock content.
Aim to make it 45-90 seconds long max.
Scriptwriting:
Pick a structure and fill it with copy.
VSL Opener
What is it?
If you host a long-form VSL on a landing page - you may want to test a short 1-3 minute long ad that will get you cheap clicks and tease the content of the VSL.
This could also work with a long-form advertorial or a Text Sales Letter.
Which brands should use it?
If you are running ads to an advertorial or an on-page VSL. Works great on YouTube. Most common creative format for affiliate offers.
Supplements
Health products
Beauty / Antiaging / Skincare
Course business
Avg. cost of production: $0 - $100
You can use your spokesperson for this, or an actor.
In some cases, you won’t even have to show a face (see examples below)
Requirements:
Enticing visuals
Could be unique
Or stock
DR Script (30 sec - 3 min)
Example:
Do’s and Dont’s:
Do not reveal the product that’s sold in the VSL.
Tease the Unique Mechanism and the story.
Increase curiosity, sell the click.
Stock content is ok, but organic footage shot on an iPhone would perform better.
Scriptwriting:
Pick a structure and fill it with copy.
In-feed VSL
What is it?
The final boss of creatives.
Doesn’t suit every product.
It’s a Long-form Video Sales Letter (3-60 min) with a credible spokesperson(-s) that educates the customer on the problem he or she is experiencing, presents a new, believable unique mechanism that “decomoditizes” the offer - and ultimately sells the product for the highest AOV possible.
Which brands should use it?
Supplements
Health products
Beauty / Antiaging / Skincare
Course businesses
Avg. cost of production: $300 - $100,000
Most of that will be spent on an authority figure and you want to find the most credible one for your budget.
Requirements:
Spokesperson
VSL Script (3-60 min)
30-200 B-Roll Clips
Spokesperson’s content (story / before & after)
Actors’ content
Manufacture shots
Testimonials
Before & Afters
Product In Action
Example:
Guthy & Renker Infomercials: LINK
Golden Hippo VSLs: LINK
Veyl Ventures VSLs: LINK
Do’s and Dont’s:
Your Lead (video’s opening) and Unique Mechanism will define most of the ad’s success.
Make sure your spokesperson has charisma and can speak with conviction.
It requires a lot of time and effort to write a good script. Even DR veterans can’t crack it on the first go. Start by reverse engineering a winning VSL.
You can use stock content but try to generate as many unique B-rolls as you can.
Scriptwriting:
Pick a structure and fill it with copy.
Compliance Cheatsheet
Words to avoid:
No negative language (cures, treats, solves)
Never really mention any sort of disease or condition (including inflammation)
Stick with "supports" or "helps"
3 Key Disclaimers:
Add all 3 of these to your ad creatives at the bottom of the screen.
Small font, rapid pace. Don’t worry about the readability.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Those appearing in the video were compensated for their time, testimonial & image.
Results may vary due to personal features.
3: Decentralized Content Production
One of the mistakes brand owners make is getting all their creative assets from 1 source like an actor or a content creator that would produce a complete ad with talking heads.
That approach isn’t efficient as it costs more, takes longer to produce, gives you fewer opportunities for iterations, and slows down the feedback loop.
The new way of doing things - is producing voiceovers and visual clips separately.
Let’s dive into each of them one by one.
Visual Content
Actors and Content Creators
We went through a painstaking process of finding quality talent.
90% of content creators do not respect deadlines, want to get paid $300+ per video and they’re very slow in response.
Here’s a list we’ve been building for 2 years with vetted actors and actresses based in US, UK, and Canada.
Or search for talent on platforms like Backtage.com and on Twitter “UGC creator”.
Here’s how to work with them.
1. Outreach
You can use this template message:
Hi {name},
I run a {company name} and I really like your UGC portfolio.
We’d love to work with you! If you qualify for the below terms - I’d love to create some content with your help.
- You have an iPhone (11/12/13/14)
- You are able to deliver the clips within 3 business days of receiving the script.
- You don’t have any travel plans that would make you unavailable in the next 2 weeks
- You agree to upload the clips separately and name them the right # in a Google Drive folder (it will be provided to you)
If you answered yes to all these questions then we’ll send you the shot list in the next few days.
In the meantime can you send us your address + and phone number so we can ship the product ASAP.
This job is paid $150 + free product and we’ll use your content to make an ad that goes on Facebook OR Instagram OR TikTok.
2. What do we want to get from actors?
We are not asking them to produce a complete ad.
All we need is clips of them using it or shooting themselves in different scenarios.
Here’s an example of a shot list you want to send them:
We used to send individual complete scripts to actors and pay them $150/ea
And every month each actor would produce 3-4 videos per client, per month.
So we’d end up paying $450/actor/mo
And now that we request content in a form of a shot list - we get the same output for 1/3 of the old cost.
Given that you’ll produce content for your own brand - your costs are likely to be even lower.
3. How To Collect Their Footage
Create a G. Drive / Dropbox folder for each content creator.
Tell them to upload each clip individually and name them accordingly:
{Creator’s name} - B-roll {#}
Example:
Anna - B-roll 1
Anna - B-roll 2
Anna - B-roll 3
4. How To Pay Them
At the moment, we have 2 options:
PayPal - if you’re not overwhelmed with invoices.
Do not agree to them including the merchant’s fee.
Lumanu - if you’re working with 25+ creators per month.
Get them to sign up for Lumanu.
Create a business account.
Make payments in bulk.
Customers’ UGC
Along with scripted videos - you want to have legitimate customer testimonials in your arsenal.
There’s a multitude of ways to collect that content.
Here are some of my favorite ways to source it:
It will help you collect photos and videos of customers that tag your brand on social.
Leverage Videoask.
PRO TIP #1: Create A 12-Week Challenge (if your product creates a visible transformation).
You want to create a big marketing campaign that incentivizes your customers to
Buy your product in bulk.
Commit to using your product daily.
Compete on results with other participants.
Not only you’ll generate loads of authentic UGC, but it can also kickstart your community.
You can get creative with the incentive.
It can be a cash prize
1-year worth of free product
$5,000 store credit
etc.
PRO TIP #2: Invite your customers for an interview.
Go to Klaviyo and create a segment of customers with the highest repeat order rate.
Sign up for Calendly and generate a call link.
Add a short survey in there asking
How long they’ve been a customer?
Do they have a before & after report?
Make it clear that you want to use their image in your marketing (to avoid legal issues).
Send them an email asking to get on a 15-Minute Call in exchange for Free Product.
You can get creative with the “bribe” (3-6 Monthly Supply).
This content can turn into a massive asset for your brand. You want to approach these as individual case studies.
You can use them in ads, on landers, and in your email/sms campaigns.
Hint: most of your competitors are too lazy to do this. Even if your product is mediocre, having so many legit video testimonials will make your brand look superior.
Product shots / hooks / b-rolls
If you work with content creators above 30 - you want to have an additional content creator to generate visually enticing hooks and b-rolls, like those presented below.
Now in order to find one - you may want to try your luck with our database of content creators:
Or post on job boards and vet their portfolio.
Make sure you don’t hire an agency or someone whose schedule is too busy.
Look for young individuals that can produce what you want.
Most likely you won’t find someone who has the exact same type of content in their portfolio, but if there are some UGC pieces of decent quality - reach out to them and offer a test task.
More on that in the 5th module of the course.
3D Animations
Voiceovers
Actors / Content Creators
You can ask creators to read out your scripts and record them on their phones.
Put that script in a separate Google doc and share it with them along with the shot list of b-rolls.
As of today, 80% of the voiceovers we produce for clients are AI-Generated.
It’s not perfect, but consumers aren’t catching up to it yet and the artificial scent doesn’t really hurt the performance.
Some VOs we produce are intentionally artificial (TikTok robot voice)
Just look for a solid tone of voice and double-check the generated audio track for mispronunciations.
4: Post-Production
Storyboarding (Prep work)
This is an organizing document that you’ll create for the video editor.
Here’s an example:
The function of your visuals is to reinforce the claims and evoke emotions.
Video Editing
As a video editor - you’re allowed to get creative.
There are just a few rules you should know when editing videos for paid social ads.
Do’s and Dont’s:
TikTok & Reels safe zone
If you’re editing a 9x16 ad - it’s mandatory to stick to this safe zone.
Set these gridlines in Premier to ensure your captions don’t overlap with platforms’ elements.
Keep in mind the visual hierarchy.
Understand how the viewer’s attention will be distributed.
Watch the video from the perspective of an unbiased consumer who doesn’t give a F.
Is it too fast? Slow?
Are the visuals too busy? Or static and boring?
Is there a proper balance between the VO and music?
Does it require too much cognitive power?
Key Question: “Does it make sense?”
Don’t let the elements overlap each other and confuse the viewer.
No objects should cover the face of the actor/spokesperson.
Use 3-4 editing colors max. Keep them in a congruent pallette.
Avoid soundtracks that were exhausted.
Engagement Hacks
Create contrasts.
Zoom-Ins and Zoom-Outs
Close Ups / Long Shots
Speed - slow & fast.
Colors.
Music.
Reverse clips and leverage Boomerangs
Leverage Split Screens & Creative Transitions
SFX & VFX
Sound Effects
Back cracks
Check marks
Applause
Awe / sadness
Transitions
Video Effects
Black & white effect on old solutions
Flashy badges (discount / offer)
Emojis (optional)
Arrows / circles / pointers
3D Animations
TikTok Trends
Green Screen
Split screen reaction
Create End Cards
This is where you place your offer at the end of the video.
Let it last for 5 seconds minimum.
State your offer clearly
If you have tiered discounts (buy more, save more) - mention the highest % off.
Make it concise.
You can add a countdown timer to it.
Resources
5: Building An In-House Creative Team
Go through this process yourself, produce a few ads, and adapt it to your company’s needs.
I don’t care if you’re doing $10M/mo…
This is a high-value skill and mastering it can multiply any business, of any size.
Plus - you can’t teach your team, nor control the quality of outputs if you don’t understand the process yourself.
Now, once you do crank out a banger ad following this framework - you want to hire a small team to produce creatives for you on a weekly basis, for a fraction of the agency’s fee.
Here are the talents you need to automate your creative pipeline:
Here’s where you can find them, how much you can expect to pay, and how to incentivize them.
Your very first hire should be a Creative Strategist (CS). Your very own “Rain Maker”.
This person will do everything, all the high-leverage creative tasks:
Where can you find a Creative Strategist?
Strategists are a rare breed.
Start with a job post on LinkedIn and Indeed.com.
You can find some great talent in Facebook copywriting groups (Nothing Held Back, Cult Of Copy, RMBC Stefan Georgi)
Referrals - are the best source. Leverage your network and offer a finder’s fee.
You can hire someone full-time with all the traditional employee perks, but I encourage you to hire a contractor from overseas and pay them a relatively generous salary for their country’s avg. income.
Latin America (Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil)
Eastern Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus)
South Africa
Job Post Example
We are an {agency / brand} ______ and our team is growing!
Creative Strategist is a senior leadership role at our company and here's how you can qualify for it.
Responsibilities:
Ideate paid social ad concepts
Communicate with clients and content creators
Provide feedback to videos editors and content creators
Deliver content on time
Stay in the know of social media trends
Analyze ad data to inform new rounds of content
Qualifications:
Fluent English
Experience in performance marketing
Basic understanding of DTC / ecommerce
Direct response skills would be a great addition
If you have experience working for an agency and you’ve created Facebook or TikTok ads - you're more likely to be hired.
This is a full-time Work-From-Home position (Monday to Friday; 40 hrs/week).
Important: attach your portfolio / case studies with the CV.
Applicants without any proof of relevant skills won’t be reviewed.
If you don’t find much success with hiring a Creative Strategist - look for a direct response copywriter and put them through this training.
Job Post Example
We are an {agency / brand} ______ and our team is growing!
Copywriters are one of the key revenue drivers for our clients and we’re looking to hire a talented direct response copywriter.
Responsibilities:
Ideate angles & hooks
Write voiceover scripts for actors and UGC creators
Communicate proactively with the Creative Strategists
Deliver copy and scripts on time
Qualifications:
Fluent English
Experience in e-commerce
Successful track record in performance marketing
Share 2+ case studies where your copy has generated substantial revenue or outperformed the control
If you have experience working for an agency and you’ve created Facebook or TikTok ads - you're more likely to be hired.
This is a full-time Work-From-Home position (Monday to Friday; 40 hrs/week).
Important: attach your portfolio / case studies with the CV.
Applicants without any proof of relevant skills won’t be reviewed.
How much to pay a Creative Strategist?
How to vet and onboard a Creative Strategist?
Expectations: delivery time & volume.
Video Editor (VE).
Where can you find a Video Editor?
How much to pay a Video Editor?
How to vet and onboard a Video Editor?
Expectations: delivery time & volume.
Content Creator(CC) - someone who’ll produce hooks and captivating b-rolls (UGC creators are bad at that).
Where can you find a Content Creator?
How much to pay a Content Creator?
How to vet and onboard a Content Creator?
Expectations: delivery time & volume.
6: Project Management
Notion Template
Frame.io structure
Record a Loom
7: Media Buying & Iterations
Creative Testing Structure
We keep it fairly simple.
ABO campaign. All tests are in this campaign.
Broad targeting / Winner LLA or Interest, 1 unique ad = 1 adset, 3-5 variations per adset.
$100-$300/day per adset.
Run it for 3 days, pause if CPA > Target.
Keep running if the CPA is optimal, and bump the budget incrementally (20% per day).
Go back to your Notion board and log in your data on loser ads.
Scaling Structure
CBO
3-5 adsets
Either 3-5 winning audiences
Or the same audience and 3-5 different sets of creatives (5 ads per adset max)
$1,000-$10,000/day
ASC+
5-10 Winning Creatives. Preferably Post IDs.
Ideally separate images from videos (have 2 ASC campaigns)
$1,000-$10,000/day
Cost Cap
Only winner Post IDs with views and engagement on them.
Create 1 adset. Bid = 1.2x CPA
Set a budget of $1,000-$3,000 to begin with.
Let it run for at least 5 days.
Track your CPA. If it’s above > KPI - I recommend duping the adset, lowering the bid, and slightly increasing the budget.
If it’s barely spending - increase the bid incrementally.
Keep searching for a perfect balance between your bid and daily budget.
You may set a budget of $5k/day and a bid of 1x CPA and you’ll spend $1k/day
Every ad account is different, keep testing.
Miscellaneous
Creative Iterations
You have a winning ad. Congratulations!
Now you want to produce as many iterations of it as possible to prevent creative fatigue.
Each iteration has its own impact potential.
i.e. Switching the design of your end card will cause a smaller change in performance, compared to changing the hook.
There are 2 types of iterations:
The ones that DON’T involve producing new raw content.
The ones that DO.
So whenever you get a winner creative - you want to first start creating iterations with the highest impact potential and the least effort.
Let’s dive into each of them: 13 Creative Iterations
13 Creative IterationsHow To Read Data & Make Decisions
Hot take: all metrics are vanity metrics besides CPA.
Let me show you a few examples:
Case #1
Case #2
Case #3
Case #4
What would you take?
10% CTR on a clickbaity image ad with $0.5 CPC that converts at 0.3% on a $80 Offer
OR
0.75% CTR on a long-form VSL with $3.14 CPC that converts at 6% on a $80 offer?
You should always factor in the content of the ad. Does it generate an intent?
If it’s a 10-minute VSL, the first 2 minutes of which you have crazy edits and some edutainment - you may see an avg. playtime of 00:20 seconds, and a 3% CTR - but a $1.5 EPC.
Or it could be a 45 sec UGC that goes straight for the kill with an avg. playtime of 00:07 seconds, a 1.5% CTR - but a $6 EPC.
Bottom line: every ad account is different.
Depending on your offer, niche, and unit economics you’ll set your own benchmarks.
Typically for a 45-90 sec UGC, we aim for a 40% hook rate and a 20% Hold Rate.
Most of the time - those ads turn into bangers that scale to 4-5 figures per day.
However, with scale, all your soft metrics will go south and you’ll need to recalibrate.