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Hi AdSmiths, it’s Jason here, coming at you with an in-depth breakdown on one of the undisputed kings of the fitness marketing space: VShred.
If you’ve been online anytime in the last few years, chances are you’ve come across one of their ads. Whether it’s the ubiquitous body type quiz ads, or those proclamations to "shred the quarantine 15," VShred has perfected the art of dominating the fitness vertical on YouTube.
Today we’re going to pull back the curtain on their seven-figure marketing machine and uncover the strategies and mistakes that entrepreneurs in every industry can learn from. Because let’s be honest, there’s no better teacher than extreme success — and extreme failure.
So forget the fluffy rah-rah motivational posts and hype videos. This is the real deal on exactly how VShred has owned the online fitness market for years — for better or worse. We’ll look at their perfected quiz funnel, viral video strategy, speaking gig stunts, and most importantly, where they’re falling short and what they could be doing better.
Because in the end, studying marketing masters like VShred isn’t about copying them wholesale. It’s about absorbing the fundamentals that work, while avoiding the pitfalls that could crush your business before it even gets started.
So are you ready to deconstruct a seven-figure fitness juggernaut, guru? Then join me as we get shredded, behind the scenes, with VShred.
VShred's Website: Intuitive Design that Drives Traffic to their Quiz Funnel
When you first land on VShred's website, one thing immediately stands out: their front and center body type quiz. That quiz is the linchpin of their entire marketing strategy, and they make sure visitors encounter it immediately upon arrival.
Beyond the quiz, VShred's site follows a straightforward, intuitive design. They have programs and supplements listed clearly below the fold, making it easy for visitors ready to buy. This smartly capitalizes on the large amount of direct traffic they garner from YouTube and other sources.
Many of these direct visitors have likely seen a VShred ad but didn't click through. Instead, they independently type VShred's URL into the browser, curious to learn more. VShred's simple, quiz-and-program-focused site structure elegantly caters to this large pool of direct traffic seekers.
However, one area where VShred has fallen short on their website is their blog. They have all but abandoned blogging, with their last update over a year ago. This indicates they have chosen to double down on video over written content.
In summary, VShred's website nails the basics by making their quiz the hook that reels in visitors, while clearly showcasing the programs and supplements that constitute the meal. Their simplified, streamlined site structure then expertly converts the large influx of direct traffic they receive from brand awareness.
So if your strategy relies on driving massive amounts of direct visitors to your site, take a page from VShred's playbook and create a streamlined, funnel-oriented website that caters perfectly to your target audience's needs.
VShred's Abandoned Blog: When Video Trumps Written Word
When I dove into VShred's blog, I came face to face with a harsh reality entrepreneurs in every industry would be wise to heed: you can't do it all.
I found that VShred had all but abandoned their blog, with their last post dating back over a year. This indicated they had made a conscious decision to divert their scarce resources away from content writing and towards doubling down on their prolific video advertising.
And boy, did they ever double down on video. With over 2 million YouTube subscribers and over $6 million spent annually on YouTube ads alone, it's clear VShred has bet the farm on prioritizing video over written word.
And from a numbers standpoint, their video-first strategy appears to be paying dividends. But when I saw their dormant blog, I couldn't help but wonder: what could VShred be missing out on by neglecting a strong blog presence?
Blogs still bring massive amounts of qualified organic traffic when optimized properly for SEO. And high-quality blog posts build trust, credibility and audiences that can translate into big subscriber gains and sales.
So what can we learn from VShred's abandoned blog? First, focus. You simply cannot do everything well at once. VShred made a smart choice to double down where they saw the greatest returns: video.
But two, don't neglect other channels completely. A well-optimized blog integrated into your multi-channel strategy can supercharge your results.
So the takeaway? Know where your strengths and greatest opportunities lie. Then double down - but don't forget the fundamentals that could amplify your gains.
Because in the end, all channels - video, blog, social, email - work best when integrated into a unified strategy. Remember that, and you'll avoid the pros and cons of VShred's video-first, blog-last approach.
VShred's Video Domination: How 2.4 Million Subscribers + $6M Buys You YouTube Royalty
When I dove into VShred's YouTube presence, I was initially blown away: 2.4 million subscribers and over 123 million video views. It was clear they had attained true YouTube royalty status.
But then I noticed something disturbing: their latest video was 5 months old. VShred had all but abandoned creating new content for their massive organic audience on YouTube.
This dichotomy perfectly exemplifies the double-edged sword of leveraging video for massive growth. On the one hand, VShred's investment of over $6 million annually on YouTube ads helped catapult them to the top of the fitness space.
But on the other hand, amassing a huge subscriber base requires constant care and feeding with a steady stream of fresh, engaging content. And here, VShred had plainly dropped the ball.
So what can we learn? First, massive investment in paid video - if optimized correctly - can help you dominate any niche market on YouTube. This represents a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs with the budget.
But two, organic growth on YouTube demands an equally massive, and ongoing, investment of creativity, time and human capital. Building a 2 million+ subscriber base is the easy part - maintaining it proves far more difficult.
In the end, VShred's case exemplifies that the math of "buy your way to the top, figure it out later" seldom adds up on YouTube. Achieving video dominance requires a balanced, long-term strategy that marries investment in both paid and organic growth equally.
So if you're eyeing a YouTube-led growth strategy, remember: paid video can help kickstart your progress in a big way. But don't lose sight of nurturing that progress with a steady flow of fresh, engaging organic content for the loyal audience you'll inevitably earn.
Only by balancing both paid growth and organic nurturing - like VShred evidently failed to do - can you achieve true, sustainable video dominance on YouTube.
VShred's Triple-Down Marketing Machine: Focus, Focus, Focus
As I dissected VShred's multi-channel marketing strategy, one thing became abundantly clear: their relentless focus.
Across every channel - website, YouTube, advertising - VShred's singular goal shone through: funneling visitors to their hero body type quiz and matching them to the perfect viral sales letter for their goals.
On their website, the quiz dominates the homepage. And their blog lay dormant so they could double down on YouTube ads that drive traffic straight to the quiz.
On YouTube, over 2 million subscribers and $6 million in annual ad spend fueled massive awareness - all pointing back to that epic quiz.
And in their advertising, every video, banner and search ad relentlessly pushes prospects to take "their free body type quiz now!"
In short, VShred has not just doubled or tripled down on their quiz-based funnel. They have throupled, quadrupled and quintupled down on it - devoting every ounce of their marketing machinery towards sending the maximum number of prospects through their proven conversion machine.
This pure focus represents the core lesson entrepreneurs in every industry can learn from VShred's success:
Identify your unique hero offer. Then unite every marketing channel, message, ad and piece of content around driving customers to that offer.
That means abandoning flashier but less focused initiatives. It means reallocating resources and channeling all team creativity towards optimizing that hero offer.
In other words, to achieve marketing dominance like VShred, you must double down. Then triple down. Then quadruple down.
Focus, relentlessly, on your single most powerful offer. Convert every marketing channel, touchpoint and message into a laser-focused megaphone blaring that offer's name.
That, my friends, is the secret behind VShred's seven-figure marketing machine: focus, so ruthlessly and relentlessly, you multiply your impact a hundredfold.
Wrap Up
As we pull back the curtain on VShred's extraordinary - and at times imperfect - marketing strategy, two core lessons ring out for entrepreneurs in every industry:
- Identify your hero offer. VShred's body type quiz and customized sales letter represents their epicenter and catalyst for growth. Find your equivalent hero offer and unite your entire marketing strategy around it.
- Double down, then triple down on your hero offer. VShred has sacrificed nearly every other initiative to multiply penetration of their quiz offer. Focus every resource and message on your hero offer with ruthless abandon.
Now let's be clear: intense focus comes at a cost. VShred's abandoned blog and dormant YouTube channel represent downsides to their hyperfocused approach. No strategy is perfect.
But in the end, what we can learn from VShred's extraordinary success far outweighs their imperfections. Their relentless focus on converting the maxmimum number of prospects through their hero quiz funnel holds an undeniably potent lesson for marketers everywhere.
So as you digest the marketing methods behind VShred's meteoric ascent, remember:
- Focus fanatically on your hero offer.
- Double down, then triple down on conversions.
- Sacrifice everything else that stands in the way.
Remember, in marketing there are no short cuts - only doubling down. And tripling down. And quadrupling down on your single most powerful offer.
So get out there, identify your conversion catalyst. Then stop at nothing to rocket it to the stratosphere.
You've got this. Now go dominate.
As always, stay hungry. Stay obsessed. And most importantly, stay shredded.
Jason Stogsdill ✌️
