Playbook: Video In Email How to use video in your email marketing to drive engagement @ www.contentctrl.com
Hello Future Video has quickly become one of the most popular ways to share information. Today, 90% of consumers watch online video according to Mediapost and viewership is on the rise. Today, more than a billion unique users visit YouTube each month with over 6 billion hours of video content being watched. Of course, as the expanse of faster broadband and mobile access increase, these numbers will continue to grow. Cisco projects that 69% of global consumer Internet traffic will be through video in 2017. The groundswell in use of popular video channels has naturally spurred the growth of new platforms. In 2013, Vine, the popular 7-second video application owned by Twitter, grew 403% between the first and third quarters and hasn t slowed down since. Instagram currently has over 150 million active users and Vimeo boasts over 65 million. Because of this rapid growth, companies are working on a video component in their overall marketing strategy. In fact, over fifty-one percent of marketing professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the best ROI. ExactTarget data confirms that a staggering 77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based marketing communications via email. Email subscribers have shown a preference to see a brand, product and interest conveyed via video. According to emarketer, marketers who use video in email cite increased click-through rates, increased time spent reading the email, increased sharing and forwarding, increased conversion rates and increased dollars generated as the top benefits. Experian found that when marketers used the word video in an email subject line, open rates rose 7-13%. Video within an overall content marketing strategy is not only leading edge today, but will be expected of your brand within the next five years. This playbook details the high value of incorporating video in email marketing and why, when and how to get the job done. David DeVore Fancentric CEO 1
Why Use Video In Email? 1. Increase Engagment Video content is highly engaging. Marketers saw a 200% to 300% increase in click-through rates when they include videos in their email (Forrester). On top of this, just including the word video in your subject line can double your open rate. The icing on the cake? Video content is shared 12 times more than links and texts combined. 2. Be Visual It s no secret that people prefer watching to reading. Video promotion is 6 times more effective than traditional print and online promotions (b2bmarketing.net), so a cool, visually interesting clip highlighting your product is engaging, exciting and effective. 3. Instill Brand Confidence Fifty-two percent of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions (Invodo). Having a strong video presence can ensure that your potential customers choose you over your competitor, which is especially important because consumers who watch a video are 174% more likely to purchase your product than those who don t (RetailTouchpoints). 4. Save Time and Money Using the videos that you and your fans have made is a great way to save time and money in the content creating process. Using your content marketing in your email will cut your email budget in half by eliminating the need for rounds of copywriting, design, layout and testing. Syndicating your social media and other sites into email means emails built in minutes, not days. 1
When To Use Video In Email: Teaser and Promotional Videos Does your brand have a new product coming out? A new feature? Teasers and promotional videos are a great way to peak the interest of your fans. With Vine and YouTube videos, you can promote your product without feeling like a commercial. Videos to include in new product emails: Humorous and remarkable stories Celebrity recommendations Teaser and short promo videos Upcoming event promotions Sneak peek of the product in use Teasers and promotional videos are a great way to peak the interest of your fans. 2
When To Use Video In Email: During Product Launches Leading up to a launch is the most important time to gain attention for your product. Some fans will even record product reviews, DIY tutorials, first plays and tips and tricks. Use fan-made and brand-made videos to build product trust, drive influencers and grow market confidence. Videos to include in email during product launches: Fans unboxing of the product Customer s reviewing your product Vines, micro-videos and mashups Hints and help topics Video alerts and announcements Use fan-made and brand-made videos to build product trust, drive influencers and grow market confidence. 3
When To Use Video In Email: To Inform Your Customers If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth ten thousand words. Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research says a minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. Keep your fans and customers informed about your brand in the form of easy to watch videos. These can be simple customer testimonials, weekly webisodes or feature tutorials. Videos that can help inform your customers are: Tutorials, how-to topics and education Enhancements, add-ons or options Inspiration on how your product or service improves lives Customer reviews and tips Thought leadership or industry expertise Webinars, presentations or interviews Keep your fans and customers informed about your brand with up-to-the-minute video alerts. 4
When To Use Video In Email: Before, During, and After Events Nothing is more exciting than videos around events. Whether it s pre-show hype, a clip of the festivities, or a recap of the event, your fans love to be involved in the action. These videos are very engaging and shareable. In addition, events can often have an abundance of video footage. This footage, can be edited and released in small amounts over time to drive continued in engagement until the next event. Videos from events that are good in email are: Event highlights or features Outtakes, bloopers and behind the scenes Interviews, performances and presentations Customer interviews Post event video recaps New video alerts and notifications Video footage, can be edited and released in small amounts over time to drive continued engagement until the next event. 5
Best Practices For Video In Email Despite the statistical benefits of using video in email, many marketers have yet to make it a consistent part of their overall content marketing strategy. This is often to avoid the wellknown technical hurdles and production headaches associated with putting videos in emails. Traditionally, email clients won t play a video directly embedded inside of an email. The tried and true, best practices method for placing video into email are: Transform the video into a still image Add a play button Use correct alt-tags Utilize strong text-based calls to action Link the video off to a website for viewing Feature the video above the fold to increase viewership Be watchful of the length of your video, shorter videos receive more plays This trend is changing with the advent of HTML5. Although some email clients will only display a silent animated.gif,.png or only a static image, recent testing by ReelSEO showed that results of sends directly to consumers, over 65% received the full-embedded video with audio. While there is an ongoing debate of video inside email vs. video with email, there is no question that video drives engagement. Mediapost reports that over 90% of consumers today watch online video and results have also shown that video keep subscribers engaged. Seventy-five percent of automated email providers reduced their number of subscriber optouts by seventy-five percent when emails incorporated video according to Eloqua. 6
We Do That... Content (Ctrl) makes putting video in email super simple. Powerful, content integration video sites like YouTube, Instagram and Vine make it easy to search for great content by channel, topic or user. Choose the video(s) you want to use in your email and publish best in class, email-ready HTML. Every video is automatically converted into an image, sharable and ready to be sent in an email campaign. 7
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