How to Incorporate Videos In Your Email Marketing Campaign from We Blog Better

How to Incorporate Videos In Your Email Marketing Campaign

Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:00 PM PST

Videos are a great way to spruce up your email marketing campaign.

It's a shame that the two major email clients, Outlook and Gmail, do not support native video playback.

Due to this, many marketing campaigns overlook the possibility of using video in their newsletters or outreach emails.

That's a terrible idea, especially when you consider the fact that over 90% of internet traffic is video related. According to Diode Digital, video makes up 50% of mobile wireless internet traffic.

All that aside, there are still some tricky ways you can integrate video into your marketing emails. Here are some of the best ways to do that.

Use an Image, Static or Animated to Make It Look Like a Video

This is an ingenious idea, but it works! Capture a screenshot of your video or take an animated GIF and then place it into your email with a transparent "play" icon. This gives the viewer the illusion that it's a video, when instead it's an outbound link to one. If you decide to use a GIF, ensure that the first image is what you want the viewer to see because some email clientsdo not support animated GIFs (Outlook).

On the landing page, make sure you embed the video that you want the viewer to watch and enable auto-play. As soon as the visitor clicks the image and navigates to the landing page, they will automatically start watching the video. Not only does this provide a seamless experience for the viewer, it also ensures they see the content which is better for your marketing strategy.

Never Make Your Videos Longer Than 90 Seconds

90 seconds is the absolute maximum length for any marketing video. For the most part, viewers and potential leads will have a short attention span. You have to remember that outreach emails and newsletters are arriving in their inbox, and they're likely sorting through at work or during personal time. That means you have a very small window with which to captivate them, because they probably have other things they need to be doing.

Use the sales chain to decide how long your video should be, and target each source individually. In other words, deliver a longer 30-90 second video for prospects higher in the chain, and a shorter 1-30 second video for those lower in the chain. This allows you to deliver varying content depending on the prospect. For instance, those higher in the sales chain are going to have a lot more questions that you'll need to answer in your video. Adversely, those lower in the sales chain just need a general idea of what you're saying.

If You're Going to Use Video, Use It Effectively

This point is pretty simple, but it's the most important element you'll need to remember. At the end of the video, leave a very direct and straightforward call to action that tells potential leads what to do next. In other words, provide them with social buttons to share the video through various channels. You can even provide links to similar content they will like. Those are mere examples, and your call to action can be anything, but the point is to use the end of your video wisely. If you're selling a product, then provide links to said product at the conclusion.

Notice how the CJ Pony Parts team uses the end of their Ford videos to leave a proper call to action. Don't miss that special opportunity to direct the viewer's attention where you want it to be.

Use the Proper Tools for the Job

Some email marketing platforms like Zoho allow you to link YouTube and Vimeo videos into your emails complete with media tags. It's going to largely depend on the platform used, but always remember that there are tools out there to help you accomplish your goal. One mistake marketing teams make is in choosing the wrong tools for the job. Even worse, they don't take enough time to research new methods.

Sometimes a tool you're using may be less effective than another one that's out there. We're not trying to tell you to waste all your time finding the best tool for the job, because benefits are going to vary depending on what you want for your campaign. Just do a bit of research into platforms before diving in, and make sure you'll have everything you need.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/99658954@N06/9634512613/

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