Today’s digital world has multiplied how companies can reach out to consumers. A good marketing strategy includes a variety of media formats and platforms. However, one marketing approach has yet to evolve – email. This is where personalized video email marketing plays a very important role.
Despite the surge in popularity of social media platforms and paid virtual advertising, email marketing remains the most cost-effective and beneficial avenue for brands. While this may be hard to believe, the stats don’t lie. There are over four billion email users worldwide, and that number is expected to grow to 4.6 billion by 2025.
When you add the incredible reach of email marketing to the low cost, you wind up with an effective marketing strategy that produces a return on investment of $36 for every $1 spent. There is no other marketing tool out there that comes anywhere close.
Adding video to email marketing is one of the best ways to grab readers’ attention, create a more authentic and trustworthy message, and turn leads into customers. The use of personalized video email marketing is a growing trend among businesses, and for good reason.
This article will explain how brands can optimize their email marketing campaigns by adding video. We will offer the top tips for creating video content that will generate more valuable leads, increase conversion rates, and grow a brand’s authority through easily sharable messaging.
What is Video Email Marketing in Sales (aka Video Prospecting)
Before diving into the mechanics of creating the perfect video, let’s start by defining video prospecting and explaining how brands can combine video and email marketing, thereby improving results.
Prospecting is a term used to describe how sales or marketing representatives identify potential customers. Then, through a combination of techniques and communications, a relationship is cultivated with prospects to convert them into customers.
Personalized video email marketing describes plain text emails combined with short, attention-catching videos. Companies create a customized video to deliver targeted content and add it to a text email. This creates a more exciting and personal experience for the reader.
The great thing about video prospecting is that it’s not limited to email marketing. Companies can include videos with numerous marketing techniques, such as text or private messaging or social media advertising. And because videos are highly shareable, readers will be more likely to hit that share link and provide a free source of advertising!
Including videos with email marketing creates something that stands out from the crowd. Consumers often feel inundated with emails and keeping their attention for longer than a few seconds is becoming more challenging.
Video provides an easy, cost-effective way to replace uninteresting, plain text emails with something attractive, engaging, and better suited to capture the reader’s interest.
How Are Prospects Positively Affected by Video Email Marketing?
Using personalized video email marketing has a direct and positive effect on the outcomes of an email marketing strategy. Why is this? Because people love to watch videos on the internet. They love to share videos with their friends and family.
The popularity of video content has exploded over the last several years. New platforms like TikTok have created a storm of interest around a media format that already dominated the digital realm. YouTube, for example, has been around since 2005, and users upload 500 hours of video every minute.
One only needs to look at the numbers to understand the true reach of video marketing. 66% of people list video content as their number one source of information. And reach is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some of the ways this marketing technique affects prospects.
Helps to Establish a Brand
Video email marketing takes an already proven prospecting method and increases its value. Even seeing the word “video” in the subject line of an email raises the likelihood of the recipient opening the email. People are curious by nature, and the concept of FOMO, or fear of missing out, often drives readers to click and see what’s behind the curtain.
The versatility of video content allows brands to share their messaging and values with a wide audience. Creating a simple video that shares a company’s background, mission, and goals and then combining it with an actual human voice helps grow awareness and establish authority.
Build Trust and Authenticity
Before the internet, sales representatives would travel door-to-door to generate leads and reach out to potential consumers. Sure, they might use traditional marketing techniques like radio ads or billboards. However, one of the best ways to establish trust with potential customers is to look them in the eye.
Digital marketing has replaced the traveling salesman, but that doesn’t mean consumers don’t appreciate seeing an actual human being behind a sales message. Video messaging allows brands to reach customers on a personal level and create a human connection.
Create Highly Sharable Content
Video email marketing provides a unique opportunity for brands to multiply their exposure with the push of a button. And the great news is that brands don’t even need to push the button themselves; readers will be more than happy to do it for them.
People love sharing content on the internet. The more engaging, interesting, and useful your content is, the more likely readers will share it on their social media platforms. This increases the likelihood that your brand will be seen by potential consumers. It also increases the probability of your brand ranking on search engines like Google.
Capture a Wider Audience
Email marketing allows companies to reach a wide audience. When combined with video, the percentage of people willing to interact with the messaging only grows.
Studies show that consumers are four times more likely to watch a video about a product than they are to read about it. On top of that, 25% of consumers lose interest when companies don’t use any videos in their marketing material. That’s one-quarter of potential prospects companies can retain and nurture by simply giving them what they want – more video content.
The Statistics Of Video Prospecting
Because email marketing has become more automated, companies have access to a long list of measurable benefits. We’ve compiled some of the most powerful statistics below to help underline how personalized video email marketing can benefit a brand.
Overall Popularity of Video Email Marketing
- 92% of digital marketers list video content as an important part of their marketing strategy.
- 82% of companies consider video as an effective component of their sales process.
- Video content outperforms all other forms of online marketing across the spectrum by 24%
Social Media Stats
- Video content makes up 11% of all content uploaded to Facebook and racks up 8 billion views everyday.
- YouTube is the second most popular website in the world. Studies show that users spend one billion hours watching video content on the platform daily.
- Tweets that include video content get ten times more engagement than those that don’t.
- LinkedIn users are twenty times more likely to share video content than any other type of post.
- Instagram users prefer video over any other type of content.
- Video content is 50% more likely to be shared than messages that include only text and images.
Rapport Building Stats
- Consumers retain information at a rate up to nine times better while watching a video than by reading alone.
- Emails that include video produce between 26% to 56% more replies.
- 49% of marketers credit video content for helping them engage with their audience, while 52% say video helps build trust with potential customers.
Conversion Stats
- Research suggests that adding videos to a product or service page can increase purchases by 144%.
- Adding the word “video” to the subject line of an email can increase open rates by 19%.
- Emails that include video have a four times higher click-through rate.
- Companies report a close rate up to 36.9% higher when using personalized email marketing.
What Are the Strategies For Effective Video Email Outreach?
Everyone knows that any marketing technique is only valuable if executed correctly. Below are some tips companies can use to optimize their video content and garner the best results.
Keep it Short
A good rule of thumb for video messaging is to keep the length between one and two minutes. Even thirty-second videos can create a powerful message that viewers will understand, retain, and share.
Maintain Eye Contact
A good video message should be just like an actual conversation. Direct and meaningful eye contact shows a level of respect and attention consumers expect.
Remember, you’re an authentic brand ambassador communicating with consumers on a human level.
Have a Written Script Ready
When recording video content, the best advice is to come prepared and resist the urge to “wing it.” Having a written and organized script reduces the chance that you will go off-topic, ramble unnecessarily, or stumble over your words.
Include a Call-To-Action Button
The call-to-action button is essential to any marketing strategy. Prospects need that extra push to show them where they can go next. Be sure to announce the call-to-action at the start of the video so that viewers will have the information they need as soon as possible, and don’t be afraid to repeat it at the end.
A call to action could be many things, depending on the message and purpose of the email itself. It could be a link to a company website, directing readers to share content, or even asking for a direct response.
Create an Attention-Grabbing Subject Line
As mentioned before, calling out the video content in the subject line of an email is essential. It increases the recipient’s interest and boosts the likelihood that they will open the message. Studies also show that referring to prospects by name increases open rates. Combine these two strategies to craft subject lines that prompt recipients to click.
Use Thumbnails Effectively
Don’t overlook the value of an attention-grabbing thumbnail. Studies show that videos with thumbnails get 65% more engagement than other media. Any advantage to boost the chances of prospects clicking and watching your video is a good thing.
How Can You Use Video Email Marketing Effectively?
We’ve discussed the benefits of personalized video email marketing and how to create great content. But what are some ways brands can use this valuable tool?
The versatility of video allows an opportunity to build any type of content you need! Messaging can be targeted for virtually any purpose while maintaining the feel of a one-on-one conversation. And because the video and written text work together, it allows brands to offer the kind of “exclusive” content that prospects love.
Here are a few ways to use video content in email marketing to offer prospects real value and create excitement around a brand.
Bonus Content
Everyone loves to feel like they’re special. Using video to provide readers with “exclusive” content does just that. Offer early access, freebies, promotions, and insider information to drive interest.
Event Announcements
Videos are a great way to announce specific events such as webinars or product demonstrations. Viewers will feel like they’re getting insider information meant just for them.
Product Launches
Communicating new product lines or launches through video is much more effective than a simple text email. It’s always better to see something rather than just read about it. Prospects who can watch a video and see new product visuals will stay interested and are more likely to click that share button.
Include Personalization
Automation tools are a helpful way for companies to personalize email and video content. Tracking tools can help pinpoint how leads interact with company websites and emails. Using segmentation and triggered responses is a great way to offer prospects what is most likely to move them to action.
Highlight Company Culture
Videos can allow prospects a peek into the inner workings of a company. These “behind-the-scenes” videos are an opportunity to get creative and let the values of a company shine.
Show viewers what drives your company, how the brand got started, and what you plan to accomplish in the future.
Use Customers for Referrals
People are more likely to trust information from fellow consumers than they are messaging that comes from a company. Reviews and referrals are a helpful way to gain the trust of prospects by showing them your company values customers and their satisfaction.
Build Social Media Following
A good marketing strategy combines many tools into one. Using social media to call out company websites is a great example. But how about using video email marketing to draw attention to your social media pages? You can drive traffic in both directions with a cleverly crafted video.
Convert Leads into Customers
Let’s not forget the goal of any marketing strategy – to convert leads into customers. Automation is one of the most effective tools for moving potential customers along their sales journey.
Not only can you target messaging to the right audience at the right time, but you can also track the effectiveness of a campaign and measure results. Make good use of the call-to-action to increase engagement and drive prospects to take the next step.
What Are Some Examples of Good Video Prospecting?
The effectiveness of any marketing strategy is only as good as its execution. Creating valuable content and using it appropriately is the key to success. So, generating generic video content and tacking it to random emails won’t do the trick.
A personalized video email marketing strategy needs to be well thought out. This includes creating the best content for specific platforms. It also includes targeting the message to the right audience for the right reasons.
Put that all together, and what do you get? Here’s an example of what to include in a good video email.
- Decide on a purpose and a video style that matches
- Include personalization and use automation to streamline your efforts
- Deliver a genuine greeting
- Include a relevant CTA
- Deliver content that lines up with the purpose or goal of the email
- Follow up with another CTA
- Include a genuine thank you
- Follow up on results
That’s all there is to it! Because video messaging is so versatile, the ways to target content are endless. Just keep in mind that the script of your video needs to match up with its intended destination.
For example, are you sending this email to prospects in their personal inbox? Or is this a message intended for LinkedIn or another social media platform? The messaging of the video and the email itself should align with the intended channels. Below are some of the best ways to target video email messaging to the right audience.
Fully Personalized Videos – These videos have a single intended recipient. While this strategy may be time-consuming, the value of speaking directly to a prospect is immeasurable. Under the right circumstances, like B2B lead generation, this method can reap huge benefits.
Sharable Video Content – Intending to create a video that prospects will share with social media? Flashy and over-the-top might be the way to go. If you’re looking for attention on social media, then eye-catching and share-worthy content is a great way to get it.
Social Media Messaging – Every brand needs a social media strategy, but not all strategies will look alike. That’s because different audiences frequent different channels. Once a brand identifies where its target audience is likely to be, creating video emails and sending them through in-platform messaging applications is a great way to reach a wider audience.
Educational Messaging – These types of video emails are designed to offer knowledge. This messaging is separate from sales emails and instead offers value to the prospect in the form of information.
Inbound Messaging – Email marketing mostly involves sending messages to prospects. However, you can also reach out directly to leads who have already interacted with your brand. This means creating a personalized video that calls out a specific action, thanking the lead, and ushering them further down the sales funnel.
Sales Messaging – For many businesses, the sales and marketing departments are separated by a thin, grey line. A direct sales pitch may seem upfront, but there is a time and place for everything. Use video content to pitch a product and ask for a direct reply.
What To Be Cautious Of When Doing Video Email Outreach?
Now that we’ve underlined how to create an effective personalized video email marketing campaign, let’s talk about a few things not to do. After all, video content is extremely valuable when used correctly. However, due to the viral tendencies of digital and virtual media, things can go wrong very quickly.
Below is a list of the things to avoid, or at least be aware of, when creating video content.
Don’t Forget Who the Message Is For
Of course, you know that the email content you’re creating is for the potential customer. However, it can be all-too-easy for video content to lean towards the needs of the company instead of catering to the prospect.
Explaining the uses of a product or service seems to make sense but remember that the consumer is watching your content to solve a problem of their own. Target the messaging to answer their questions and provide the value they’re looking for to get a better result.
Don’t Be “Salesy”
Avoid creating repetitive content that seeks to sell, sell, sell. Consumers don’t want to be sold to by a brand. They want to research and decide for themselves. There’s a big difference.
Offering content that provides real value and knowledge will be more beneficial for both brands and consumers than an endless stream of “salesy language.”
Watch Out for Body Language
Creating video content can be intimidating for some people, especially those who have little experience behind the camera. When content makers allow their nerves to get the better of them, they end up with a video in which they look unengaged, disinterested, and bored.
Create excitement with your video by offering viewers something worth watching. Lean in slightly instead of leaning back, avoid crossing your arms, look directly into the camera, and don’t forget to smile!
Avoid Vulgar or Offensive Language
One of the biggest mistakes content creators make relates to the words they choose. Avoiding common curse words should be a given. However, it’s important to note that some language may seem insensitive, derogatory, or downright offensive to certain viewers.
Take extra care to be inclusive with your messaging. Even an honest mistake or slip-up in phrasing can go viral and create the wrong kind of media attention.
Don’t Go Too Long
When video content goes on too long, viewers quickly lose interest. Messaging should be clear and to the point so that the consumer gets all the information they need in a short amount of time.
One way to check for the right video length is to look at stats like viewer duration. You will be able to see if a large percentage of viewers click away before making it to the end of a video. This probably means you need to shorten the message.
Don’t Overdo It with Images
Text and video are a powerful combination for email marketing. Add a few eye-catching visuals, and you get an email that will drive interest, increase engagement, and generate conversions.
However, focus on the text and video as the top priority for emails, then add images sparingly and only when they will increase value. Too many images crowd the page and fight for a reader’s attention.
Final Thoughts About Video Prospecting
Today’s generation wants their information quickly and as easily consumable as possible. Video is the best way to connect with those people who don’t bother reading boring emails, increasing the likelihood of creating valuable leads.
Brands that diversify their marketing portfolio are playing the long game, and email marketing remains the place to be. However, with the average person receiving an average of 128 emails every day, it can be difficult for brands to break through the noise.
That’s when companies need to get creative. People are watching and sharing videos at an amazing rate, and video content is one of the most preferred ways people interact in the digital space.
Companies are quickly realizing the benefits of combining email marketing with video messaging. Studies show that 74% of people who watched an explainer video about a product went on to make a purchase. Meanwhile, 57% of consumers say that video content improved their confidence about making online purchases. This could be one reason that 63% of businesses have started using video content marketing.
Personalized video email marketing is one of the most effective ways to build awareness and create interest in a brand. It allows companies to connect with prospects in a more human way, which builds trust and authenticity. The popularity of video content is only increasing, and brands that take advantage of this will be better positioned for long-term success.
