To Send Or Not To Send? Video Email Marketing Tips

Do you remember the days when making a company video was a true production? You had to hire actors, a videographer, and an editor? Thanks to social media giants (we’re looking at you Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube), those days are long gone.

Instead of spending a lot of money on creating a video to show off your products or services, you can instead create a video using a plethora of available tools that are designed to turn the amateur videographer into the next social media Spielberg. Whether you want to highlight new products, personalize an offer, create a personal invitation to an upcoming event, or wish someone’s pet a happy birthday, video can and should be used within your marketing campaign.

Important Statistics To Keep In Mind

As with anything marketing related, statistics are a vital bit of knowledge that you must know before you buy (or in this case create). Without further ado, here are the top statistics and facts that you need to bear in mind as you create your next video:

• Don’t fall victim to the common misconception that video will automatically play within the body of an email. 
• Recognize that video email marketing can help to boost open rates by up to 19 percent. 
• When properly embedded, videos can bolster click through rates by up to 65 percent.
• You are not alone. Over 75 percent of marketers have acknowledged that they are planning on using video in their upcoming email marketing campaigns. 

Tips To Creating A Great Video Email

We’ve all seen terrible video emails. They are the videos that elicit a cringe and make us immediately swipe left in an effort to delete faster. Don’t be like those videos. Instead, use the following tips to create great videos for your upcoming email marketing campaigns. 

1. Use The Right Tools. — In a previous post we discussed what to look for in your sales tools, now it’s time to cover what you need from a video tool.
   • Step 1: Use the right type of camera. You should film your video in High Definition. Above all the quality of the video is important, especially if it is going to be viewed on a larger screen.
   • Step 2: Invest in video editing software. Don’t rely on PowerPoint or another archaic method for adding animation or words on the screen to your video. Instead, give your video a professional feel with just a little bit of editing.
   • Step 3: Play with filters. In the age of Instagram where even the most beautiful photograph has a filter added to it, your videos might benefit from a filter.
2. Keep It Short. — We’ve said it at least once, but one more time can’t hurt, the average online user has the attention span of a goldfish. No, this isn’t an insult, it is a matter of fact. When we browse the web, we are used to clicking and receiving instant gratification. This means that your video must be captivating if it is to retain the audience’s attention. Take a page out of Snapchat’s book and create short videos that have a singular message. If your video is going to be longer than 90 seconds, which is truly a lifetime for many Internet users, you should transform the video into a short series. By using a video series you can better measure what styles of video are most effective for retaining the attention of your audience, encouraging sharing, and otherwise eliciting a positive reaction that results in either brand promotion or increased sales.
3. YouTube? Your Site? — The right host for your video is key. For most businesses the obvious choice is to host their videos on YouTube. By using YouTube you can not only place your video in front of your emailed list, but with the right meta description you can also showcase your video in front of a much wider audience. Keep in mind that you should monitor any comments on your YouTube video.
4. Images Are Key. — It is standard practice to embed a thumbnail image that links to your video. Don’t choose an automated image that is pixilated. Instead, spark your recipient’s interest by using a clear image that is funny, inspiring, or otherwise “click-bait.” In other words, if your audience isn’t inspired to click on the image, then they won’t be inspired when they watch your video, and you might as well “try, try, try again” until you get it right. In this vein, go an extra step further by including a quick description that tells people what the video entails. Don’t give away the whole story (we’re looking at you modern movie trailers that reveal the beginning, middle, and end of blockbusters), instead, give users a brief snippet.
5. Analyze The Results. — By using the right digital marketing tools you can properly analyze the results of your video email marketing tactics. Look for the following information:
   • How many people watched your video (both from the email campaign and on your host)?
   • Did people watch the video more than once?
   • Was the video shared? If so, by what percentage of people? Did the second generation of recipients also share the video?
   • Did people pause the video at a certain point? Or, did they skip ahead to the end?
   • How did video emails change your open and click-through rates? 
   • What types of devices were used to watch your video?

By implementing the above tips you can give yourself an edge when it comes time to create your videos for current or future email marketing campaigns. Whether you host the videos on your website, or choose to use the networking power of a social media giant like YouTube, videos are the ideal communication media for reaching a large audience that is interested in learning more about your products or services. Don’t delay, create a video that showcases your brand like never before.