Email marketing has been receiving a bad rep in the past few years. It’s so old school and salesy, some people even wonder how anyone would still check their email inboxes. In the world of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok marketing, who still remembers emails, anyway? Basically, many of us assumed that email marketing was dead.
In fact, it’s very much alive. A whopping 64% of B2B marketers claim that email marketing is their most effective marketing channel to generate revenue.
What’s currently dying is the traditional way of email marketing, where businesses would send out long, impersonal, and boring emails with way too many links. No one wants to read an essay in their inbox- especially not from a company trying to sell them something.
This is where videos come in.
Let’s break down how videos can elevate your email marketing game and stand out in an inbox full of text.
What Makes Videos a Great Addition to Your Email Marketing Campaign
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about what makes videos a valuable asset to your email marketing campaign.
According to Cisco, by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
This just goes to show that people prefer watching videos over reading texts. If you want to get your message across, using videos is the way to go.
Videos are an excellent way to show off your brand’s personality. They help you build trust and credibility with your audience by giving them a glimpse of who you are as a company.
Videos also allow you to be more creative with your content and stand out in an inbox full of boring text. You can create a 30-second video that is more informative and engaging than a 500-word email copy.
Last but not least, this type of content format is accessible to businesses of all sizes. There are tons of little-to-no-budget video tools out there that can help even small businesses to jump into the email video marketing bandwagon.
How Videos Boost Your Email Marketing Performance
Videos appeal to today’s internet users’ behavior. It’s quick to consume for busy people and retainable for people with short attention spans. Embedding it to your emails is also nott the hardest thing to do– thanks to email marketing software out there.
Here are some ways videos can help you boost your email marketing performance.
Videos Increase Email Open Rates
There’s nothing worse than spending hours of your time writing email copy just not to be read, chucked unceremoniously in the trash folder– even marked as spam.
One study showed that including the word “video” in an email subject line increased the open rate by 19%. The same study also found that including a video in an email increased the click-through rate by a whopping 65%.
The reasons why people tend to open emails with a video are pretty straightforward. The word “video” shows the recipient that you provide them with a quick way to consume information.
Videos Decrease Unsubscribe Rates
A higher email open rate means nothing if your unsubscribe rates are through the roof. If your emails provide no value or if they’re too salesy, you’ll see a high number of people hitting that unsubscribe button.
Videos help keep subscribers engaged by providing them with valuable and interesting information. After watching a video, recipients are more likely to stay on your email list and less likely to hit that unsubscribe button.
According to one study, including a video in an email decreased the unsubscribe rate by 26%.
Videos Help You Tell a Story
Stories are what connect us to one another. They help audiences understand and connect with your brand on a deeper level.
Videos are the perfect medium to tell stories because they’re highly engaging and emotive. You can use them to show off your company culture, give a behind-the-scenes look at your business, or even thank them for being loyal customers.
Adding a video to your email marketing campaign is a great way to make a connection with your audience and leave a lasting impression.
Videos Convey Messages Better
If you have complex products or services, videos can help you explain them in a way that is easy for your audience to understand.
Videos are also a great way to showcase customer testimonials and reviews. Seeing someone else talk about how much they love your product or service is more impactful than reading a written testimonial.
Including a video in your email marketing campaign is an effective way to get your message across to your audience and increase your chances of conversions.
Best Ways to Use Videos for Email Marketing Campaigns
Not every video can improve your email marketing campaign. Those poorly-crafted ones can only do more harm than good.
You need to be strategic about the type of videos you include and how you use them. Here are some tips for using videos in your email marketing:
- Include a video in the body of your email:Adding a video to the body of your email makes it more likely that people will watch it. The more places you can put your video, the better. If you’re looking to enhance accessibility and engagement, consider leveraging tools that auto generate subtitles for your videos.
- Don’t be spammy: Just because you can include a video in your email doesn’t mean you should add three videos at once. If your email is nothing but videos, you’re going to turn people off.
- Complement with text: Videos are a great way to add visual interest to your emails, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you’re using. Make sure to complement your videos with well-written email copy.
- Make your subject line stand out: Your subject line is what will make people want to open your email in the first place. If you include a video in your email, make sure to mention it in the subject line, so people know what they’re getting.
- Keep it short and sweet: This is the most important tip when it comes to using videos in email marketing. People’s attention spans are short, and they’re not going to watch a long video. Keep your videos under two minutes for the best results.
- Make sure the video adds value: The whole point of using videos in email marketing is to provide value to your subscribers. If your video doesn’t do that, then why add it to your email in the first place?
Over to You
Email marketing should still be a part of your digital marketing practices, with videos that can help elevate it. They’re more engaging than written content, they can help you tell a story, and they’re a great way to convey complex messages. However, not every video is going to be a good fit for your email marketing campaign. You need to be strategic about the types of videos you include and how you use them.
Author
Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
Twitter: @breadnbeyond
Email: andre@breadnbeyond.com
LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro
