Video Email Marketing: A Must-Have Comodity
When people started using email for marketing purposes, it was all about the text and letters. But today, video has become a staple in email marketing. When you have a choice between writing a long and overwelming text and incorporating a short explainatory video, you’ll naturally go for a video. It’s one of the most popular marketing tools for digital outreach.
While social media is the best place to share videos, it can also work wonders for email marketing. This guide will explore how to use video email marketing campaigns.
What is Video Email Marketing?
A video email marketing campaign means you added a video to your emails. This is easier than you might think, and the basic idea is quite straightforward. By incorporating videos into your marketing emails, you can make your content more engaging and drive higher open rates and click-through rates.
While not all campaigns require video (transactional emails, for example,), it can significantly enhance your message’s appeal and improve email campaign metrics in certain scenarios.
Consider these video types for your email campaigns:
| Type of Video | Description |
|---|---|
| How-to Emails and Animated Explainers | Demonstrate product or service usage, teach a class, or address frequently asked questions. |
| Product Demos and Tutorials | Provide step-by-step guides or demonstrations to help customers understand your product’s features and benefits. |
| Time-Lapse Videos | Create visually stunning time-lapse videos to demonstrate growth, progress, or a before-and-after comparison. |
| Behind-the-Scenes | Showcase your team, company culture, processes, or other aspects of your business. |
| Testimonials | Testimonials from satisfied customers can strengthen your brand’s reputation. |
By experimenting with these different video types, you can find the most effective ways to engage your audience, drive conversions, and achieve your marketing goals.
Video Email Marketing Benefits
A block of text can quickly deter email recipients. If your message requires more than a few sentences, video is a way better alternative. Video marketing can significantly boost your email campaign’s performance.
Here is the list of benefits of incorporating video into your marketing messages:
- Boost Click-Through Rates (CTRs): Videos make your emails more visually appealing, leading to higher click-through rates.
- Build Trust and Relationships: Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and introducing your team can foster trust and create a more approachable brand image.
- Increase Content Visibility: Video content is highly shareable on social media, expanding your reach and audience engagement.
- Humanize Your Brand: Videos help you showcase your brand personality, connect with customers on a personal level, and create a more relatable image.
- Impact on Purchase Decisions: Every email marketer knows that watching a product video can increase the likelihood of a purchase.
- Draw in Visual Learners: Visual content appeals to those who prefer learning visually, either in blogs or advice-based emails.
When Should You Use Video in Email Marketing?
There are many reasons why you should start including videos in your email campaigns. The most common one is to make your content more attractive to your email subscribers. Many people choose to skip a wordy email simply because it is overwhelming.
Let’s imagine several situations in which using a video in a marketing campaign is the ideal choice.
1. Announce Product Updates Visually
Long-text email content is not the best choice when you launch a new product or new updates. A more effective approach is to create dynamic email content, such as a video or a GIF, and embed it into an announcement email.
This strategy is helpful for re-engaging current and former clients who have already shown interest in your business, as well as gaining new ones. By sharing concise and informative videos, you can keep your audience engaged and excited about the latest developments.
Segment your audience according to specific campaigns, and in return you’ll get these benefits:
- Increased engagement: Videos can capture attention and provide a more immersive experience than plain text.
- Improved click-through rates: Videos can drive higher click-through rates, leading to increased conversions and higher email open rates.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction: Providing timely updates demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction.
- Showcase Company Culture
Customers and employees alike are increasingly concerned about a company’s ethics and values. By highlighting your company culture through video, you can connect with your audience on a deeper level and differentiate your brand from competitors.
Your customers will value a business that goes above and beyond in addressing social issues, providing equal opportunities for all, combating gender pay disparity, and addressing climate change, for example.
Using visuals to communicate your company’s culture can help you become more visible to current and potential customers. For instance, honor all female employees and clients by making an engaging video for International Women’s Day, or launch a holiday email campaign.
2. Share Captivating Video Content
The possibilities for creating engaging video content are endless. From informative clips to entertaining behind-the-scenes footage, there are many ways to capture your audience’s attention.
These videos can be created using a range of techniques, such as drone photography, animation, and different visual effects. Such an approach will strengthen your messaging and drive audience engagement.
Engaging content will bring you the following:
- Increased brand awareness: Reach a wider audience and increase brand visibility.
- Improved email lead generation: Videos can be used to generate leads and drive traffic to your website.
- Enhanced customer experience: Providing valuable and entertaining content can improve the overall customer experience.
To create captivating video content, focus on quality, relevance, and a clear call to action. This can maximize the benefits of incorporating videos into your email marketing campaigns.
How to Send Videos in Email
While email primarily relies on text and images, video can be a powerful addition. However, embedding videos directly in emails is often challenging due to inbox provider limitations. For example, Outlook and Gmail inboxes have restrictions on the types of files they can display or render. These limitations often exclude video files.
Even if an email provider supports video embedding, there may be compatibility issues or variations in how different clients render the video. This can lead to inconsistent experiences for recipients.
Remember, most email providers have limits on the email size based on attachments. Large video files can exceed these limits, preventing them from being sent successfully. On the other hand, in case you must, this guide will show you how to send large videos in emails.
Here are different ways to embed videos in an email:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Embedding (in supported clients) | Simple, no external services required. | Limited compatibility, potential issues with email clients. |
| Using a Video Hosting Platform (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) | Wide compatibility, easy to embed. | May require additional steps to customize the player or embed code. |
| Creating a Thumbnail with a Link | Compatible with most clients, customizable. | It requires creating a thumbnail and linking it to the video. |
| Using an Email Marketing Platform’s Video Feature (if available) | Streamlined process, often with analytics. | May have limitations or additional costs. |
The Best Approach: Linking to Videos
The most effective way to send videos in emails is to link to them from a hosting platform like YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook.
Follow these steps:
- Prepare Your Video: Ensure your video is public and accessible. Copy the video’s URL.
- Create a Compelling Thumbnail: Choose a visually appealing moment from the video and create a still image or GIF to draw attention.
- Insert the Image and Link: Add the image or GIF to your email and link it to the video’s URL. Include a clear call to action to encourage recipients to click.
Additionally, since mobile email marketing is becoming more popular, make sure your video is responsive for mobile devices. You can also explore platforms that offer email-friendly features, like embeddable players or analytics.
By following these guidelines, you can effectively incorporate videos into your email marketing campaigns and enhance email engagement with your audience.
7 Best Ways to Use Videos in Email Marketing
Now that you know how and why to use videos in email marketing, let’s explore specific, practical ways of using videos in your email campaigns.. Below, you will also find helpful examples to inspire you.
1. Clearly Indicate the Word ‘Video’ in Subject Lines
Subject lines are extremely important, as they essentially dictate the open rates.. Your preview text and subject line are the first things your subscribers see before they open your email, so you need to make an impression. Use clear language and visual cues to signal the presence of video content.
Here’s how you can implement this strategy:
- Use the word video: Directly mention the word “video” or “video tutorial” in your subject line.
- Use emojis: Include a video emoji, as this is a subtle yet effective way to grab attention.
- A/B test subject lines: Experiment with different variations to see what resonates best with your audience.
Wistia often shares video marketing insights and best practices in their content roundups.
Additionally, they provide valuable tips and tricks to enhance video performance and introduce novel features or updates to the Wistia platform. Here’s how they used word video to catch readers attention immediately.
2. Express Gratitude with Personalized Video Email Marketing
For e-commerce businesses, personalized video messages are a powerful way to thank customers and demonstrate your appreciation. Don’t just send simple confirmation emails. Rather, thank them for their cooperation and reassure them that orders have been received and are being handled smoothly.
While creating personalized videos may require additional effort, tools like Bonjoro, Vidyard, and Piktochart can streamline the process. To implement this strategy efficiently, consider creating a thank you email template and using automation tools to send them through your email marketing platform.
3. Simplify Complex Topics with Educational Videos
Videos are a great way to reach a larger audience with your content, especially about technical subjects. Educational videos can break down complex concepts into digestible, engaging formats.
Unlike text-based content, videos hosted on platforms like YouTube facilitate interaction through comments and questions. This interactive approach allows viewers to pause and resume the video as needed, making the process more approachable and attainable. Videos also tend to capture attention more effectively, keeping viewers engaged for longer periods.
By presenting information through visual demonstrations, educational videos can demystify complex topics and make them less intimidating for beginners.
4. Use Animated GIFs to Showcase your Products
Animated GIFs offer a dynamic and engaging way to visually highlight your email marketing e-commerce campaign. Create a sense of urgency and excitement around promotional campaigns.
By incorporating GIFs into your emails, you can:
- Capture attention: Animated GIFs are more likely to catch the eye of your subscribers than static images.
- Demonstrate product features: Show your products in action, highlighting their unique benefits and capabilities.
- Increase engagement: Animated GIFs can encourage clicks and drive traffic to your product pages.
- Boost conversions: By visually showcasing products, you can make it easier for customers to imagine themselves using them, leading to increased conversions.
Sometimes a clever email copy isn’t enough to demonstrate the different ways a product can be used, but GIFs can. Remember, large GIFs can slow down loading times, so compress them without compromising quality.
Check out our in-depth guide if you are having trouble understanding how to put a GIF in an email.
5. Announce Events with Video Invites
A video invite is a powerful tool for announcing events and enticing attendees. For companies that host events, whether internal or external, incorporating video invites into their email marketing strategy can significantly boost engagement and participation.
By showcasing footage from past events, you can offer subscribers a glimpse into the excitement and atmosphere, building anticipation for the upcoming gathering. To drive registrations, include a clear call to action that encourages recipients to learn more about the event and sign up in advance.
Ultimately, video invites serve as social proof, demonstrating the popularity and well-organized nature of your events.
6. Send Videos in Your Newsletters
If your brand is already sending regular marketing newsletters, incorporating videos is a powerful way to elevate your content and promote your products more effectively. Creating a teaser video and sending it in a newsletter is an excellent strategy to spark conversations and buzz around your brand.
For example, consider this Ubisoft’s newsletter featuring video content. Their email campaign seamlessly integrates a video teaser, subtly promoting their new game while encouraging subscribers to take action.
By strategically placing the video, they guide readers towards their desired goal: ultimately purchasing your products. Build anticipation for upcoming product launches with short, intriguing clips.
7. Share Your Brand’s Story
Consumers are drawn to brands that have a compelling narrative or resonate with their personal experiences. To differentiate yourself from traditional promotional videos, consider creating a professional video that tells your band’s story.
This video could delve into your history, founders, or employees, aiming to humanize your brand and showcase the individuals behind the logo.
Best Practices for Sending Videos in Emails
Any type of video will not do; it has to reflect your company. You must be aware of your target audience, the action you want your viewers to take, and the assistance you will require to get there. Also, creating a project budget and schedule is a must.
Besides maintaining consistent branding throughout the video to reinforce your brand identity, to ensure your video emails are effective and engaging, follow these key best practices:
| Best Practice | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Mobile Optimization | Ensure videos are easily viewable on various devices, as a significant portion of email opens occur on mobile. |
| Thumbnail Selection | Choose a captivating thumbnail that encourages recipients to click and watch. |
| Clear CTA | Include a prominent call to action that highlights the benefits of watching the video. |
| Reliable Hosting | Host videos on a reputable platform (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo). Avoid autoplay. |
| Fallback for Non-Supported Clients | For email clients who do not support embedded videos, provide an image with a play button that takes them to the video on your website. |
| Optimize Video Length | Shorter videos generally have higher engagement rates. |
| Visual Appeal | Create a visually engaging opening frame to capture attention and avoid lengthy intros. |
| Loading Speed | Optimize video files for faster loading times. |
| Captions | Add captions or subtitles to accommodate viewers who watch videos without sound. Make sure you use a good font. |
| Interactivity | To engage viewers, think about sending interactive emails with elements like clickable hotspots or annotations. |
| Respect Subscriber Preferences | Provide a clear unsubscribe link. Make it easy for subscribers to opt out if they’re no longer interested. |
Elevate Your Emails with Video: Campaign Refinery’s Easy Solution
By choosing Campaign Refinery, you’re not only gaining a powerful email marketing platform but also a partner committed to clean sending practices.
Along with the industry’s highest deliverability rates, we also make sure you havea clean sending record and an elite email sender reputation that ensures your emails reach their intended recipients.
Additionally, Campaign Refinery simplifies the process of incorporating videos into your emails. Our user-friendly interface makes it easy to embed videos directly or link to external platforms, allowing you to enhance your campaigns with engaging visual content.
Ready to elevate your email marketing game?
Apply to become a Campaign Refinery client and experience the difference clean sending and seamless video integration can make.
