Including video in an email can add life to the overall campaign. It can also cause your messaging to fall short if the video isn’t done correctly. In order to use video effectively, you need to know when to use it, how to include it in your emails, and how to communicate effectively with your audience.
When Video Is Better Than Text and Images Alone
Just because you can use video within an email doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Video should be used as a tool to communicate your message more effectively, not as a cool new gadget to impress subscribers. Specific instances in which video can be more effective than text and images alone include new product demonstrations, how-to demonstrations, and attention-grabbers. An attention-grabber that makes someone laugh, ultimately results in that person sharing a link with a friend or visiting your site to find out more. However, attention for its own sake usually isn’t helpful.
How to Use Video in Your Email Campaign
There are two primary options for adding video into your emails: embedded video and linked video. Embedding the video into your email is NOT recommended, as it’s extremely problematic and not widely supported. In addition, embedding video directly into your email campaign will can also cause it to be mistaken for spam. Embedded videos also make it impossible to track the effectiveness of the campaign since you have no way of determining how many subscribers tuned in to actually watch the video. For these reasons, the better option is to use a linked screenshot in the body of the email instead. By clicking on the image, viewers will be directed to the location of where the video is hosted, enabling you to track click-through rates much more accurately.
Tips for Success with Video Email Marketing
Ultimately, your success with integrating video into emails will depend on how well you can merge the video element with text and images for better overall persuasion. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Support the video with brief but compelling copy, including a strong call to action.
- Keep the video short. Videos under one minute long usually perform best in an email setting.
- Build a strong landing page that restates the message of the video and points viewers toward your call to action.
As email marketing continues to evolve, eConnect Email stands ready to help you remain on the cutting edge. If you have additional questions about using video in next email campaign let us know.
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