While email has become a staple in digital marketing, not everyone uses this wonderful and reliable medium to its full potential. Did you know that rich email allows graphics, video, and audio to be included in your messages? These elements can do wonders for your marketing campaign. So, in this article, we’ll discuss video email marketing and how to leverage it to get the best results. Read on!
What Is Email Marketing?
Before moving on to email marketing videos, let’s start at the beginning. Email marketing is a form of direct marketing which usually involves sending a series of commercial messages to a group of people who have voluntarily signed up to receive them. This type of marketing can be used for advertising a variety of B2B and B2C products and services, including online courses, physical or digital products, different software, and more.
Email marketing has several advantages over other marketing techniques. It’s relatively inexpensive, makes it easy to track responses, and allows businesses to reach a large audience. As a result, email marketing can help boost sales and increase brand awareness with minimal effort. In addition, email marketing can be highly personalized, which makes it an effective way to build relationships with customers.
Despite its many advantages, email marketing comes with some challenges too. Among the most notable ones is maintaining a high level of deliverability, which refers to the percentage of emails that successfully get to their intended recipients' inboxes. Another challenge is managing the opt-outs or the people who have chosen to stop receiving email communications from a particular sender. Then, there is maintaining a high engagement level which is where video email marketing comes in.
Why Use Video in Email Marketing?
Video can be a game-changer for your email marketing and overall business strategy. It allows marketers to send a message that is both engaging and informative, without bombarding the recipient with long blocks of text. It's an excellent option to engage your audience and deliver your message in a concise, yet impactful way. Here are some benefits of using an email marketing video:
- Videos are more engaging than text alone. They can capture attention and hold it for longer than static images or blocks of text.
- Videos are a great way to show, not just tell. You can use video to demo a product, show off a new feature, or give a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
- Videos add a personal touch to your emails. They humanize your brand and make it easier for recipients to connect with you on a personal level.
How to Send a Video Through Email
Even if most people know how email works, there are still many questions about how to send a video through email. Check out these options:
1. Adding video as an attachment
This is the easiest way to include a video in your email marketing campaign. Simply attach the video file to the email and send it on its way. Note that the file size of your video will affect the overall size of your email. Make sure your video is small enough to avoid clogging up your recipients’ inboxes.
2. Introducing a hyperlink
If you want to avoid attaching the file itself, you can always use a hyperlink to send video emails. This is great if you aim to keep your email size down or if you know that not all of your recipients will be able to watch embedded videos.
To introduce a hyperlink, simply paste the link into the body of your email and write a brief description of the video. Make sure the link is easy to spot so that recipients can click on it without having to hunt for it. Search for some CTA examples and use those that you like to encourage recipients to click through.
3. Using a video hosting platform
If you want more control over how your email marketing videos are displayed, you can use the likes of YouTube or Vimeo. These platforms make it easy to embed videos in your emails without having to worry about file size or format compatibility and give you more flexibility over how they look and behave. Upload your video to the platform of your choice, copy the embed code, and then paste it into the body of your email.
4. Including a thumbnail image
If you don't want to email a full-size video, use a thumbnail image. This is a good option if you wish to save space or if your recipient’s email client doesn’t support embedded videos. You can also include a thumbnail image that links to the video in your email signature, making it easy for recipients to view it without having to search for it.
Upload an image file along with your video and include the URL of the image in the body of your email. The image will be displayed as a preview in most email clients.
5. Using a GIF
GIFs are a fun, attention-grabbing way to add an email marketing video. They’re small, they’re easy to embed, and they don’t require any extra setup for your recipients. Simply upload the GIF file to your server and include the URL in the body of your email. Most email clients will automatically display the GIF when the email is opened.
How to Use Video in Email Marketing
There are many ways how to use video email marketing to promote your business. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Send it with newsletters
Video can be a great opportunity to jazz up your email newsletters. Add a video clip introducing the newsletter topic or include a video tutorial related to one of the articles. You can also use videos as an announcement if you have big news to share with your subscribers. Videos in newsletters help grab attention and get people excited about upcoming events.
- Showcase a new product or service
If you have a new product or service that you want to promote, video is the perfect medium to do so. You can show off the features and benefits in a way that is much more engaging and visually appealing than simply writing about it.
- Create a video series
A video series is the best way to share large blocks of information. This could be a weekly or monthly video tip or an ongoing series that covers a particular topic in depth. By delivering your content via video, you can keep people engaged and coming back for more.
- Build relationships
Use an email marketing video to introduce yourself and your team or give a behind-the-scenes look at your business. This is a great way to build rapport with your subscribers and make them feel like they know you.
- Offer customer testimonials
Customer testimonials are always powerful, but when they're delivered via video, they can be even more impactful. This is because people can see and hear the genuine enthusiasm in the customer's voice.
Best Practices for Using Video in Email Marketing
Now that you know some ways you can use video in email marketing, let's take a look at some best practices to help you get the most out of your email video content.
- Mind quality and format
The first step is to ensure your video is high quality and properly formatted for email. This means using a video format that's compatible with most email clients like MP4. You also must keep your video file size under 20-25MB. Use an MP4 video compressor, so your video file meets the requirements.
- Write a good subject line
Consider the subject line so that your email stands out in the inbox and entices the subscriber to open it. It should be catchy, to the point, and give a hint of what the video is about. Be creative and experiment with different subject lines to see what works best for your audience.
- Keep it short
It's important to keep your email marketing videos short so that they give the most essential information to the viewer. The average attention span of an internet user is only eight seconds, so you need to deliver a message through your video quickly enough to get their attention.
- Don't forget about branding
Make sure your video is properly branded, with your company logo and contact information to be included. This will help to associate your video with your business and build trust with the viewer.
- Analyze and track performance
Finally, track the performance of your email marketing videos. This includes things like open, click-through, and conversion rates. This will help you to gauge the effectiveness of your video and make necessary adjustments to improve results.
Wrap Up
Video email marketing is an excellent way to add an element of interest and engagement for your subscribers. These are just a few ideas for using video in your marketing strategy. Experiment and see what works best for you and your business. By following these best practices, you can create a successful marketing campaign that will help you engage and convert your subscribers.
