5 Tips on Using Video in Email Marketing

Video is a powerful tool because it can communicate a business’s message quickly and effectively, so it’s not a big surprise that the use of video marketing has skyrocketed in recent years. According to Wyzowl’s annual State of Video Marketing Survey, 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool – up from 63% in the 2017 survey. Plus, 81% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

While videos can make for great promotion on social media, they serve well in email marketing too. However, adding video in email marketing can also make things even more complicated due to the restrictions of email (think deliverability, blacklists, and spam complaints).

Below are a few tips on how to integrate videos into your next telecom marketing campaign to engage viewers and keep your emails out of the spam folder.

Choose video content with the sales funnel in mind

Depending on where a viewer is in the sales funnel will determine what type of video content they should receive. For example, prospects who are in the top of the funnel are more concerned about how your company can help them, so avoid self-promotional videos. Instead, send videos that provide valuable and helpful information.

Prospects who are further down the funnel are more open to seeing content about your business such as video testimonials, company story videos, product demos, etc.

Keep it short

When it comes to video length, the shorter the better. Long videos will cause your audience to tune out and lose interest quickly. According to Wistia, 59% of viewers will watch a video through the end if it’s under one minute, but keep it under 30 seconds if you can.

Similar to the above, there is more leeway for viewers who are further down the funnel. The further down viewers are in the funnel, the longer the videos can be because your viewers are already interested in what you offer, and are more open to hearing in-depth information about your company. 

Embed the video

Anytime you are using video in email marketing we recommend making the actual video an image instead of embedding the video itself. Although it may be tempting to insert a video into the body of the email, you should avoid doing so for the following reasons:

  • Videos tend to have a large file size which can slow the speed of the video.
  • The large file size of videos can affect email deliverability.
  • Most major email clients such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo don’t support video playback within emails.

The workaround here is to use a screenshot of the thumbnail (similar to the screenshot below) of the video to prompt readers to click on the video. Then hyperlink the image to wherever the video is hosted (YouTube or a blog).

Use supporting text and a CTA

Be sure to include copy within the email that complements the video. This keeps your email from looking spammy and will ensure you get your point across to those subscribers who choose to skip over watching the video altogether.

One of the goals of placing the video within an email is to get readers to watch it, but there’s probably another action you’d like the viewer to take after watching, right? Whether your CTA is promoting a landing page or an option to download a content piece, make sure it is clear and concise within the email.

Be aware of auto-play

If you choose to embed your video within the email instead of using the workaround mentioned above, be sure that the video doesn’t auto-play within the email. Viewers typically find auto-play to be invasive and prefer to play videos themselves.

The exception here is if you drive viewers to the video hosted on another site such as a landing page or YouTube. In this case, it’s appropriate to have it auto-play since readers already clicked on the video and are expecting it to play.

Wondering how to take advantage of all the benefits of video in email marketing? We’re here to help. Contact us to chat more about your strategy.

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