Email Marketing with Video: 8 Do’s and Don’ts for Beginners
Does your email marketing campaign need a boost? Approximately half of marketers who used videos in their email campaigns saw increased click-through rates, increased time spent reading their email and increased sharing and forwarding (eMarketer). However, including video in email is still a bit tricky, as the two major email clients (Gmail and Outlook) do not yet support video playback.
Until the time comes that all video content can be viewed within an email, you’ll need to get creative with how you incorporate video in your email campaigns. Here are a few tips for video email marketing best practices that can help your emails stand out and capture your audience’s attention.
DO mention video in the subject line
Want to boost open rates? MarketingProfs reports open rates can be increased 20% just by including the word “video” in the subject line.
DO make your landing page one click away
Knowing where to put your video in your email marketing messages can be a challenge. If you choose to embed the video in the email, that means two clicks are required to reach your landing page. One click to watch the video, and one click to the landing page. Consider using a static image and a link that auto-plays the video on your landing page. This way you only require one click from your audience to reach your landing page.
DO choose an engaging image
In the body and images of your email message, be sure the benefits of watching your video are clear and give your audience a reason to watch. Thumbnail images linking to videos are up to five times more effective than just text links to videos. (MarketingProfs)
DO test different versions
A/B testing is important for all email marketing efforts, but they are some extra tests you can try when including video. Test out different subject lines, the placement of your video, and your video calls-to-action to see how you can continually improve your efforts.
DON’T be cold
Video doesn’t always have to be about your brand to be effective or convert. Video content that includes a “personal touch” is often more engaging and generates more shares than promotional content. Being more personal and showing emotion is also a great way to build up trust with your target audience.
DON’T forget a call to action
Ken Magill published an analysis showing that only 25% of viewers watch through the end of an embedded video. That means 75% of your audience probably won’t see your call to action at the end of your video so consider including it in the beginning or elsewhere to grab attention.
DON’T include lengthy videos
It will be difficult to keep your audience’s attention with a lengthy video, so try to keep it short. Think about how you can get your message across in 30–90 seconds and still engage your audience to take action in that time.
DON’T confuse your audience
Remember that your video should be the primary visual element in your email. Don’t confuse your audience with too much text or additional images that may mislead from capturing those video views.
Creating visual content like video can require more time and effort, but it can also be very rewarding. Be sure to track and analyze your successes so you can guarantee your audience is engaged and coming back for more.
This blog is by Agu De Marco, Co-Founder of Wideo, a DIY animated video production platform.
Looking for a community contributor for technology, startup or entrepreneur related stories? DM me on Twitter @agudemarco or email agu@wideo.co
