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Adding videos to your email can help you boost your open rate. Before you do that to boost leads for your ecommerce brand, here is what you need to know.
Everyone knows that video content is king. But did you know that videos can also improve your email marketing?
In fact, according to a case study, the open rate increased by 6% by adding a video link or just including the word “video” in the subject line. This means that you can get more engagement and leads by adding videos to your emails.
Sounds great, right?
However, more marketing opportunities come with higher barriers to entry.
In the case of email videos, unlike images, you need to consider a few technical and creative limitations before hitting the “send” button.
Not sure what kind of videos to add?
Or how to add them?
Let’s get your questions answered.
Video Content and Email Marketing: What Ecommerce Brands Should Know
In this article, we will cover things ecommerce marketers must know before using videos in email campaigns.
#1: Which Kind of Videos Should You Use in Emails?
Videos in emails are cool.
Think of your videos as a storytelling medium. They offer you an easy way to showcase what you’ve got to offer, educate your audience, and win them over.
For your email, here are some of the types of videos you can experiment with:
- Product Videos
Product videos offer an enhanced visual experience and customers get a better idea about what to expect.
- Personalized Videos
Imagine you click on an email and have this feeling that presenters are talking to you personally--they call you by name and offer a way to fulfil your desires. That would feel great, right?
That’s the power of personalization. The recipients feel special because your content caters to their issues. Because they are relatable, personalized videos can skyrocket your email campaign performance.
- Customer Testimonial Videos
Instead of advertising your products, let your customers do the talking. When they share their experience, you are likely to gain your audience’s trust. It also provides social proof.
- Educational Videos
Through tutorials or how-to videos, you can educate your audience about how to use your product as well.
Pro Tip
Leverage specialized software solutions for video editing to give your videos a professional touch.
#2: Which Are The Best Practices For Adding Videos in Your Emails?
Here are some of the best practices that you should follow for your videos in your email marketing campaigns:
- Don’t forget to include written copy in your emails
Your subscriber may not have the time to watch the video and they may want to understand the context by reading the email body. Keep in mind that words are still crucial. Persuasive writing and storytelling techniques can go a long way to generate leads.
- Opt for shorter videos
- Shorter videos also tend to be lighter in size, so they can load faster in your emails. Plus, they take less time to create.
- Don’t enable autoplay
- Autoplay videos force extra data usage, interrupt the reader, and suddenly blast the recipient with a loud noise. They are also intrusive. To respect your audience’s privacy, don’t enable autoplay.
- Use video subtitles
- Video subtitles allow your readers to read the content in your email videos while keeping the sound off. This way, you can reach out to a larger audience.
Pro Tip
Some email marketing tools allow you to record videos and send them to a mailing list. Use such advanced tools to ease the entire process.
#3: Should You Embed Videos In Your Emails?
Usually a mobile user, who clicked on a thumbnail image already, has to click again once they reach the landing page.
With embedded emails, viewers can watch directly within the email. They can improve the user experience significantly. Plus, 15-30 second personalized embedded videos are a great way to hook recipients.
However, there are two major downsides to embedding videos in emails:
Not all email providers support email video streaming.
Some of these services display fallback images only. Gmail, for example, is one of them. If your subscribers use any of these email providers, then that’s bad news.
Secondly, as an ecommerce business, you want conversions, right? There is a chance people may watch your embedded video and never bother to visit your website.
That’s a missed opportunity right there.
Unless the majority of your subscribers can view the video and fulfill conversion goals, embedding videos directly may not be the best idea.
If you don’t want to embed videos, here are some alternative ways you can check out:
- The static image with the “play” icon: This option’s as straightforward as it sounds. All you need to do is take an intriguing captured frame. Add a “play” button and link it to the original video, hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or your landing page.
When users click on that image or CTA, they will be redirected to the page where your video is hosted.
- Use GIFs: GIFs are like flipbooks. It’s basically several frames moving so fast that it creates an illusion of movement. You can use GIFs in emails to pique interest and show off the cool, laid back side of your brand. Don’t forget to place your CTA right below your GIFs to get more conversions.
Ready to Get Started with Video Email Marketing?
Adding videos to your emails can be a great way to engage more people and move them along the sales funnel. The best part is you can experiment as well — play with HTML 5, use a GIF, or link the video to a static image. If you haven’t already integrated videos into your email marketing strategy, it’s time to dive in.
Do you have any questions about adding videos to your emails? Please share your questions in the comments section.
