A Complete Guide to Using Video Content to Boost Email Marketing Campaigns

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Why Video?

The clients you are trying to attract haven't got the time – nor the will – to read a full marketing spiel each time they open up their email app. Not like they used to, at least. To make matters worse, it's not just your email that they have to tend to!

People's inboxes are flooded with all manners of advertisements, newsletters, and totally legitimate proposals from Nigerian princes! All of which your campaign has to contend with to get users' attention.

And even if/when they do check your email out, its content still has to make enough of an impression to set itself apart from the dozens of others being opened. In this context, it's fairly clear that most email campaigns can benefit from ways to stand out from the crowd and leave a lasting impression on their target audience – And nothing achieves that better than video content.

In fact, the combo is so effective that most marketers worldwide regard it as having some of the best ROI out there, with some studies clocking increments of up to 73%

Moreover, according to MarTech Advisor, just using video in your emails can increase click-through rates up to an astonishing 300%, and just adding the word "Video" to an email's subject line can raise its open rate by nearly 20%.

Now, beyond just stats and numbers, well-made marketing videos, like whiteboard animations and testimonials, can go a long way toward helping your marketing objectives. Making interactions between your potential customers and your brand more efficient, effective, and engaging.

How to Nail a Video Email Marketing Campaign

Like any other marketing tool, you need to use videos in emails wisely to get the most out of them.

So, before jumping straight into an email video campaign and figuring it out as you go, there are a few things you should know about from the get-go.

Use a Thumbnail Image

It would be easier just to put an embedded video in the email, right? The problem is, depending on the device, not every email provider allows it. Gmail – the biggest email service provider – being one of them.

So, creating an attractive thumbnail that links to the video's source and mimics a video player, will organically prompt people to click and watch your video.

It's also strategically convenient – if you direct people to watch it on your website, you can gather valuable user behavior data. Whether it's to check how much of the video they have seen or if they've shared it, you will find the information useful for future campaigns.

You can also use GIFs and Cinegraphs as thumbnails to make it more appealing, giving your email a more playful and eye-catching appearance.

Keep It Short

To keep the customer interested and deliver your message entirely, marketing videos must convey a clear message as straightforwardly as possible.

Generally, two minutes or less should be more than enough to cover entire ideas without losing the viewer's engagement.

Add a Few Lines

Just because video and email go well together doesn't mean you should just paste your video there without any context whatsoever!

It's recommended to write a few lines of optimized copy in the email to accompany your video. That way, it won't look like spam and will give the customers a glimpse of what they're about to watch.

This brief text must express a message in itself, just if the client opens the email but doesn't reproduce your video immediately – increasing your campaign's performance either way.

The Autoplay Controversy

Autoplay mode might be an unpleasant surprise for some, but in truth, it's what viewers expect when they click on a play button to be directed to the page.

Something as simple as having to click twice might be frustrating and could potentially cost you, viewers. A possible middle-ground is to enable autoplay but without sound to avoid being invasive.

A/B Testing All the Way

Feedback is always welcomed in any marketing campaign. Each case is different, as is each audience, so constantly measure, analyze, and try out different alternatives at smaller scales to find out what works best before launching your strategy officially; better known as A/B testing!

Call to Action

Regardless of the stage of the buyer's journey, your campaign is targeting. You'll want your video piece to organically prompt them to act with a call to action to move them further down your funnel.

In video email marketing, CTAs can visit the brand's website, share the content on social media, or even buy a product online. It is often included at the end of the video, but it can also be in the body of the email in some form.

As for making effective CTAs for your campaign, you can take a page from Neil Patel's playbook. He explains that CTAs have to reflect their benefit for the customer to optimize their effect. Meaning that phrases like "Buy now" or "Hire our services" are too explicitly lucrative, and for that reason, not as engaging as, for instance, "Make your business grow."

Moreover, Patel suggests incorporating a sense of haste when encouraging the clients to act. Including words like "today" and "now" can accelerate their decision-making process, benefiting the effects of the campaign.

Take your time and tailor the CTA you'll employ on both your video and your email copy, and you won't regret it!

Don't Compromise on Quality

Video content can breathe new life into email campaigns - Its positive effects are plenty. The thing is that if you want to enjoy all the benefits, you need to do the work and do it right.

A low-quality video will most likely send the wrong message about your brand, and probably start interactions with potential customers with the wrong foot. In those instances, something that was meant to save you some money may very well end up hurting all the time and effort you dedicated to the campaign in the first place!

Even more so than if you hadn't cut corners in the quality department.

When it comes to video marketing, presentation, and quality, the finish is everything, so find a skilled company that can create the video you need at a budget you can handle, but don't think you can get away with subpar pieces. The customers know better.

Different Types of Videos for Different Kinds of Customers

If there's a particular area where video email marketing excels, it is to boost customer engagement. It's precisely that aspect of it that has made it a go-to strategy when brands want to foster awareness, conversions, and overall engagement.

That said, as mentioned before, each campaign has a different audience. So, the "ideal" type of video for yours depends not only on your target audience but on the stage of the buyer's journey they are at.

If you aim to attract leads and raise brand awareness, commercial ads and animated series may be what you are looking for.

Since video can connect with the audience and pick up subtle undertones in ways no other type of content can, it gives you the perfect opportunity to build brand identity, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.

If you are trying to progress an audience that's sitting in the consideration stage, explainer videos might be just the piece your campaign needs. On the other hand, if you are focused on the latter stage and need to foster consumer trust, testimonial videos, and company stories can go a long way.

Lastly, video content has proven to be incredibly effective when launching or introducing new products or services to new audiences. For these campaigns, tutorials and explainers have proven to be a reliable tool that consistently delivers results. In fact, watching a video of a product makes people 64% more likely to purchase it.