Using Video in Email

Tips for Integrating Video into Your Email Marketing Efforts


This post was updated on July 29, 2019. It was originally published in October, 2013.

Video marketing is both the present and the future of content marketing.

Every minute of every day, over 300 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube, where they are then streamed by the site’s dedicated, billion-plus user base. Audiences around the world clearly have a taste for video. With that, marketers have realized that this hunger for content is not going away. 83% of content marketers agree that video is only increasing in importance, while over half of all consumers (and 66% of millennials) report engaging with a brand after viewing one of their videos on social media.

The State of Video Marketing

Despite the exponential growth of video marketing’s popularity, many brands and companies are still hesitant to hop on the bandwagon. Maybe it’s fear of a large-scale creative pivot. Maybe it’s concern that their investments will go unrewarded—despite the fact that 83% of marketers report that video marketing gives them a strong ROI. Whatever the source of their discomfort, one thing is certain: the marketing possibilities of video are limitless. This means that anybody refusing to adapt is sacrificing countless potential leads.

If your brand or company is interested in stepping through the threshold and joining the world of video content marketing, there are ample resources available for understanding how to create content that your audience will genuinely want to engage with. One of these methods is email marketing; an old-school, tried-and-true strategy that video marketing can imbue with new life… and new success.

Check out our list of eight creative ways that you can use video marketing in your email campaigns.

1. Webinars

Webinars are a super useful tool for establishing your brand’s authority in the marketplace and generating interested leads. One third of businesses believe that webinars are a key element of their video marketing strategy, and the most successful can generate a 29% close rate. That’s because webinars are terrific at educating your audience about what makes your product or service great, and by extension, pitching them.

Another reason webinars are so effective is their ability to target a highly-specific topic. Audiences that already have a vested interest are drawn in, which can lead to an increased conversion rate. You are also able to archive webinars for future viewing. Over time, your brand will build a library of educational video content.

If you have never executed your own webinar before, you may be a little nervous to try. Check out the video below from Solopreneur Sidekick for a step-by-step guide to hosting your own custom webinar.

2. Educational Series

Another great way to pitch your products is to produce a series of educational videos. Each one can address an audience pain point that your company helps to solve. Instead of holding a single long webinar, breaking up your lesson into shorter videos that gradually build is an excellent way to retain the audience’s attention over time. These types of videos should also include a clear call-to-action (CTA) to ensure you are always getting the most out of your investment.

And remember, coming out with a new video each week gives you an excuse to send more emails! Each campaign can contain text geared toward hooking new clients and warming up prospects through the opportunity of continuing their brand education.

3. Personal Touches

We live in an incredibly disconnected world. Interacting with your customers on a personal level can be a highly potent way of building genuine connections and generating brand loyalty. These are people, not numbers on a spreadsheet, after all. When they receive an email, they expect to find messaging that speaks directly to their experience.

Related: How to Craft a Killer Welcome Email Series

Instead of text-only, why not create a video message for your email that addresses customers in a heartfelt manner? This can effectively show brand authenticity and will add to the lifetime value of your clients.

Below is a “thank you” message from Harvard Westlake, a Los Angeles prep school, to their donors. This is a perfect representation of how a personal-feeling message can pull at your heart strings and make a difference. Take a look at what this video accomplishes and consider how these techniques might be useful for your own brand.

4. Product/Service Demonstrations

When you talk about your product or services, you need a blend of ultra-infectious enthusiasm and total clarity. An “instruction guide” is always essential to some extent. Even if you think your product is self-explanatory, trust us, you need to accommodate for every level of experience.

But when will you ever have time to sit down, one-on-one, with every potential lead to personally walk them through your offering? That’s where the power of the “demonstration” video comes in. Through video marketing, you can capture your product’s best features while entertaining (and engaging) your audience in a colloquial, organic way. Plus, a video makes it easy for fans to educate their peers about your product or services—at no additional cost to you.

Check out how Apple does it for their products. This gives users a snapshot for how it works so they can make an informed decision on whether to purchase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ5q8Wrkbdw

5. Customer Testimonials

You can shower praise on your own product for days, but when it comes down to it, critical acclaim means a lot more coming from the people who use it. If you have the means to create customer testimonial videos, we highly recommend it. While written testimonials are nice to feature, videos are a much more personable medium to tell the story of your business through your customers. Additionally, video testimonials consistently rank as one of the highest converting marketing tools in the field.

But what if you don’t have any customers knocking down your door to record a testimonial? That is totally normal. In general, you have to actively ask customers to participate and diligently pursue their involvement. While this strategy may seem a little uncomfortable at first, you will be surprised how quickly people share their positive experiences when prompted. So don’t be afraid to contact some recent or frequent customers and see where it goes!

6. Interviews

Email is a long-term strategy. You don’t just send one message out and expect immediate results. Instead, your brand needs to make a point of showing up in prospects’ inboxes on a regular, consistent basis. Customers rarely buy right away, so keeping people on your list for months and even years can feel like a challenge. But one clever way to keep your audience engaged is by leveraging a third-party industry expert to make your case for you.

Rather than rehash the same talking points week after week, interviews allow you to more organically engage with a subject, injecting a fresh perspective into your video marketing campaign. Just make sure to brush up on the best tips and tricks for interviewing before you turn on the camera. Or, check out this brief, documentary-style video where interviews are used to convey all the necessary information about a brand.

7. Commercials

As audiences turn away from traditional television and persistently skip through ads on streaming services, where can your brand effectively host commercials? Emails with videos have a 96% higher click-through-rate (CTR) than those without, which makes them the perfect place to feature the commercials that you would otherwise air on TV. Given the expectations of the smaller screen and platform, you will have a lot more leniency for low-budget storytelling. That means more options for exploring your brand narrative in a dynamic, unexpected way. This provides a much better risk-to-reward ratio than you would ever see on television or film.

Check out this brilliant commercial from GoPro that not only tells its story effectively, but also entertains.

8. Team Videos

The buying process can be broken down into five simple phrases: Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy.

So what’s a good way to resonate with your prospects and reach them on a personal level? Creating a team video that genuinely lets them get to know you. A fun team video attaches real names, faces, and personalities to your company brand, instead of just a logo.

3… 2… 1…  Action

It’s easier than ever to produce high-quality, affordable video marketing content, so why not couple it with your email messaging strategy today and reap the rewards? Try out some of these simple concepts, or experiment with your own. As long as it is genuine and reflects the values and story of your brand, it will succeed.

And remember to test every email. Email clients behave differently with video, so be sure to test every email before it goes.

Related: A How-To Guide on Embedding HTML5 Video in Email

Whether you can embed a video directly in the email, or have to link to it with a static image, run a preview test so you can ensure it will render properly.

Don’t guess, test

Email clients are constantly changing, which is why it’s important to test your email every time; what worked yesterday might not work today. Sinch Email on Acid offers unlimited email testing in major mailbox providers and the most popular devices. Test 100+ options as much as you want – there’s no limit. That means you can make sure your email looks good before it hits the inbox. Want to see for yourself? Take advantage of our free, seven-day trial.

Test Today