This morning, as usual, I started my day by checking my emails.
While this process doesn't usually excite me and is just my method for waking up, I came across a subject line that made my heart race with excitement:
Knowing that I would be starting my day with a new music video from one of my favorite bands made me smile. It also made me feel valued as a subscriber to their record label's emails — with just one video, Specialist Subject Records strengthened the consumer relationship I have with them.
This is why video email marketing is such an effective strategy. With a simple embed and subject line, you can build stronger relationships with customers, generate leads, and strengthen the content behind your brand.
Let's talk a little more about it.
What is video email marketing?
Video email marketing is simply including videos in email marketing. If you're unsure about how to do that, we have a quick how-to post here.
Because video is an extremely popular medium in marketing, (in fact, 83% of marketers feel its importance is only growing) including it in your email marketing can engage your subscribers and increase your conversions.
Additionally, did you know that over 80% of businesses use video in their marketing efforts? This is likely because of the results video implementation gives them. While using video in email can seem like a taboo topic, it can be very effective.
By using video, you can tap into the imagination of an audience that absorbs information visually — sometimes text just doesn't do it. With video, you have a chance to make dense topics more compelling for your audience.
Next, let's talk about ways you can use it in your next email campaign.
Ways to Use Video in Email Marketing
Videos can dramatically increase click-through rate (CTR).
For example, B2B software company Igloo Software decided to show off their workplace culture by creating 200 videos in three months for future email content. This approach doubled their CTR.
This is one way to use video in email marketing — showcase your brand in email and use it to increase CTR. We have six more, which we'll explore now.
1. Personalized Emails
Do you have a backlog of video content on your website? Consider using that to your advantage and sending personalized emails.
For instance, let's say someone watches a portion of a video on your website that they don't finish, and you're noticing this is a pattern when you analyze your website data. Marketo's formula is to automatically send that video in an email to remind that user to finish.
By doing this, Vidyard reported that Marketo raised their CTR by over 144% due to the personalization of that email. If I were sent a video I meant to finish in an email, I'd surely open it to complete that video. I'd also feel pretty important to the company as a customer.
From a business perspective, this means more clicks for you, a better relationship with the customer, and more views on videos.
2. Event Marketing
If your company hosts events, whether internal or external, take videos of the events for a recap to send subscribers. This way, you can give subscribers a taste of how your brand works in-action and build interest in your company's events overall.
For instance, do you host or participate in quarterly industry mixers? Try including a video in an email about the most recent one, along with a CTA for subscribers to learn more about the next one. The video can also serve as social proof that these events are well-attended and informative for other people in your industry.
3. Include Video in Subject Line
Formatting is super important in emails and it starts with the subject line. As a consumer, if I see an email with emojis in the subject line, I'm immediately more interested in the email because emojis stick out to me and are more inviting.
Try including "Video" or a corresponding emoji in your subject line to entice subscribers to open it. You'll likely want to A/B test a variety of subject lines in the beginning to figure out what your readers prefer.
Another important formatting tip is to embed the video in the email in a place that keeps readers interested. Putting videos at the beginning of an email is a good idea, but placing it near the end invites readers to keep reading to better understand the video.
4. Product Marketing
To build interest in your new product roll-out, film mini-teaser videos to include solely in emails. This will make subscribers feel as if their subscription is useful to them and strengthen your relationship. Additionally, it will keep the product in your customer's minds.
In addition to a mini-teaser, you could also shoot a product demo that explains the new release and how it will fit into the lives of your audience. Giving a visual example, rather than just text, makes emails more interesting. Personally, if I see a product demo in a marketing email, I grow to expect and get excited about the next one.
Lastly, to improve relationships with customers, you might try introducing an exclusive sale on your most popular products to subscribers. Promoting a deal like that on social channels or your website can be an amazing conversion booster.
5. Newsletters
If you're giving subscribers scheduled newsletters with no video, you're missing out! There's a lot of ways to include video in newsletters so they can be effective. Video-heavy businesses can benefit from newsletter video embeds so subscribers can catch up on content they may have missed.
Another way to use video in newsletters is to round-up your popular videos in your industry. If your company doesn't do many videos, this is an excellent avenue for you. Alternatively, if a member of your team is interested in a routine video schedule, try filming a round-up of weekly content in video-form.
For instance, if there was a commercial that rocked your industry recently, include that video in your newsletter with a corresponding blog post about your thoughts to increase traffic on your blog.
6. Engage with Your Community
Industries are constantly changing. If new laws or industry standards go into effect that could possibly affect your relationship with customers, engage with them using a video.
Because subscribers are familiar with your company, they have a higher chance of being far enough along in their buyer's journey to be invested in videos that call for their participation. These videos usually have a CTA, such as a code for an exclusive sale or a poll for future content.
Getting your community involved with a video keeps them engaged from beginning to end. 64% of consumers purchase after watching a branded video, so keep an eye on video trends in the industry and see if you can use them to engage with your community.
For instance, after watching the new music video from my email, I felt like my day was getting off on the right foot. I also ended up scrolling through Specialist Subject's website to see if I could pre-order Garden Centre's new album. From just one email, the company provided lanes to increase CTR and drive sales.
Try your hand at video email marketing and see if it improves your email metrics. Even if you don't get the results you're hoping for, you can archive some of the videos you have and use them in new ways for future content.
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