As technology improves, embedding video in email becomes much more feasible for marketers. In the past, it might not have been smart to include video in marketing emails, as it would have been likely that some customers would be unable to watch it on their devices. However, virtually all email users can now quickly stream videos, whether they’re using a computer, tablet, or phone.
That said, marketers shouldn’t arbitrarily include a video in email; a proper strategy is important. The following information will help you understand the benefits of video for email marketing, as well as how to use it effectively.
Why Video in Email is Useful for Marketing
According to recent surveys and studies, adding videos to marketing emails could boost overall click-through rates by as much as 300%. Clearly, this is a good reason to begin implement video in your strategy.
Video emails are also useful because they allow marketers to share a lot of information in a short amount of time. This type of media is dynamic, keeping viewers interested and engaged: the average video retains 37% of its viewers until the very end.
On top of that, videos are highly shareable. Embedding video in emails can result in a substantial increase in brand awareness as recipients are more likely to pass along your content to others that may not even be on your subscriber list.
These are all smart reasons to develop a video email marketing strategy. However, you first need to understand when to use video effectively, how to include it, and when to exclude it.
How to Embed Video in Email
Different email clients have different processes for embedding videos in email. Odds are good you’ll have multiple options. For instance, your client may have the option to directly upload a video from your computer, while also allowing you to embed videos from a Youtube or Vimeo account.
This route may be the smartest, as you can be sure the vast majority of your customers will have no trouble streaming Youtube videos. Additionally, you can maintain a Youtube account as an additional social media tool, directing viewers to it with each embedded video in an email. Using a video hosting service like Youtube will also allow you to track the metrics and see how your video is performing.
Consult the “Help” information of your email service provider if you’re having difficulty creating and sending video emails. Try identifying customers who use different email clients and ask them to report whether or not they’re able to see the video content, so you can be certain it’s being displayed properly.
When to Start Embedding Video in Email
Again, video is useful because it allows you to communicate quickly and efficiently. Thus, it’s useful to include a video when you want to get a lot of points across, as relying on too much text may result in losing your readers’ attention.
As with any content you share in your marketing emails, make sure your videos look professional. Unless you’re sharing very simple videos, like direct addresses to your customers that you’ve filmed with a webcam, it’s best to hire professionals to shoot and edit them for you. Don’t rush video content; treat it as carefully as you would other email marketing designs.
Also, don’t post videos that are too long. More than half of all social media marketing videos are shorter than two minutes. Customers won’t pay attention for much longer than that.
Make sure you’re constantly monitoring how successful your video email marketing strategy is. Survey customers to find out what type of video content resonates with them, find out how much time the average customer spends watching your videos, and include CTAs to measure whether or not videos result in conversions.The right way to use video for email marketing will vary from one business to the next. While video is most effective when you want to share a lot of information, evoke an emotional reaction, or directly address your customers, you still need to pay attention to what works best for you, and what isn’t effective. By constantly measuring the effectiveness of video emails, you’ll be better prepared to adjust your strategy when necessary.