How To Boost Marketing Results By Adding Videos In Your Email Campaigns
How can you make email marketing even more effective? Is the best way to include engaging content as a video?
Emails have been around for decades, and they are one of the oldest digital technologies. However, with the invention of modern software and tools like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and chatbots, it may seem that emails are already extinct.
But if we think about it like this, then we are overlooking many important factors. Email is still out there, and the most common purpose for which it’s used is email marketing. With a potential ROI of up to 4200%, it’s still a top trend among the most successful marketing strategies.
But how can one make email marketing even more effective? The best way is by including engaging content such as videos since the human brain processes them easier and faster than written text.
Let’s take a look at some statistics and advantages of adding videos in your emails.
Benefits of Using Videos in Email Campaigns
Videos in email marketing help engage customers and increase the chances of their interaction with your brand. This is why almost 90% of online marketers use them in their campaigns and attract more solid leads every year.
It saves your time
Sending a video in an email is more convenient for both the sender and the receiver. After all, who wants to spend time creating and reading long letters? You can provide all the important details about your product or service in a one-minute video, which will grab your clients' attention and get across your core message easily.
It boosts your KPIs
People are naturally curious about what you’ve included in your letters. And by just adding the word “video” in your subject line, you can boost your email open rates by 19%. Besides, using a video in your emails can lead to a 65% increase in click-through rates.
It improves your brand awareness
First, with custom templates and added videos, you can make your email look professional. And when the video provides valuable and useful content, it helps build trust and rapport with your audience. Share tips, guides, testimonials, product overviews, and insights into your business operations to keep your clients engaged.
How to Send a Video Through Email
Now that we’ve considered the benefits of using videos in your campaigns, it’s time to dive deep into different ways how you can add them to your letter. Sending a video might not be as easy as it looks, as there are many technicalities involved. And choosing the method depends on how you want it to display – as a visual background, a link, etc.
Technique 1. Attach a video
This is one of the simplest ways of using a video in your emails. Just add it via the Attach files button.
The downsides of this technique are:
- The video will be shown at the bottom of your message, and readers might not see it.
- There are service provider’s attachment size limits.
Technique 2. Include a link to your video
This is another simple solution. Use a tool like Write-on Video to edit your video, later upload it to YouTube directly from the app, your website, or other video hosting platforms and then copy the link into the email. This way, when your clients click on it, they will be redirected to watch the video.
Again, this method comes with some cons. For example, if your recipients use Gmail, they will get a visual preview of the YouTube video. In other cases, they will see only the plain URL. And this is where our next technique comes into play.
Technique 3. Add a video link to the static image with a play button
It’s as easy as it sounds. Insert a screenshot that captures the most intriguing part of your video. Ensure it has a play button in it (you can add it via such tools as Canva). Then add a hyperlink destination (URL) for redirection to where the video is hosted.
Technique 4. Use GIFs
This solution works when you don’t need to include a long video. Create a GIF using such tools as Giphy, Vyond Studio, Photoscape or use premade GIFs found online. This will add an emotional touch to online communication and attract people’s attention to the email body.
Example of GIFs in emails (Source: Vimeo)
Alternatively, you can use cinemagraphs (half-static, half-animated pictures) created with the help of Clipgraph, Plotagraph, or Photoshop. Besides, you can also add a backlink to a video you want to show your customers.
Technique 5. Embed with HTML5
You can send your videos in HTML5 format, which is the most effective yet tricky method. As a result of it, your recipients will be able to play your video without leaving their inbox. But beware that not all email providers allow watching a video right from within the email.
Source: Pinpointe
Best Practices For Video Email Marketing
Now you are almost prepared to start your email marketing journey. Still, you need a few important things to consider, like what to do and how to start. So, let’s keep some important tips in mind that are used by professionals.
Keep it short
Don’t try to make a long video, as it can become boring in just a few seconds from the start. We suggest keeping it 1-minute long.
Create a series of videos
Another way to keep your videos short is by breaking them down into a helpful series sent as a part of email drip campaigns. This way, your clients will anticipate the next letter from you.
Include the word “video” in the subject line
As mentioned before, using the word “video” in the subject line can spark curiosity in your readers and boost your email open rates. As a result, more opens can lead to a higher click-through rate.
Focus on the CTA
Call-to-action (CTA) is a centerpiece of your emails. So why not include it not only in the email body but in the video as well? Here’s how you can make your recipients interested: ask for feedback, offer a free trial or a demo, host a contest, and much more. Place it somewhere towards the end of your video, showing the audience what you expect them to do.
Don’t use autoplay
Don’t set your videos on autoplay because viewers hate it when something starts playing without their consent. Give them space and time to decide whether they want to click on it.
Use customer story videos or testimonials
People trust recommendations from peers, so it’s important to use different types of social proof in your emails, such as success stories, case studies, reviews, or testimonials. Let your satisfied customers promote your product.
Wrapping it up
Email marketing is a great way to reach out to new audiences, and if you start sending letters with videos embedded in them, you can easily boost your KPIs, improve your brand awareness, and gain customer loyalty. All you need to do is create original videos of your products or services that will help your company stand out.
There are different ways to do video email marketing, and many factors that are needed to be kept in mind. Choose the ones that suit you the best.