In a recent study by GetResponse of nearly one billion emails, those containing video had a whopping 96% higher click-through rate than those without video. Video is powerful and memorable, so why aren’t more marketers including it in their email marketing campaigns?
It’s no secret video and email can be difficult to combine, which is why many brands have avoided it for so long. However, with a little creativity, there are many tactics you can use to combine video and email successfully and boost your open rates. Here’s how to get started.
Include Video in the Subject Line
Including the word “video” in your email subject line is guaranteed to boost the attractiveness of your message and get your audience to click. Here’s proof:
- Email open rates rose from 7% to 19% when marketers used the word “video” in the email’s subject line. On top of that, videos increase conversion rates by 21%. (Experian)
- Emails that used video for a direct call-to-action had a 53% higher click to open rate over emails without an obvious mention of video content. (Clearfit)
The words you use in your email subject lines can have a big impact on results. Include “video” and you’ll not only boost open rates, but also video views.
Create an Animated GIF
Video playback is not yet supported in most email clients (including Google, Yahoo and Outlook), however simply placing a link that says “click here to watch video” won’t cut it. You need to make it dead simple that you have a video you want your audience to see in your email.
One way of the best ways to intrigue your audience to “view more” is to create an animated GIF version of your video with a play button or call to action button. Viewers will see a short video loop playing in their inbox, which will encourage them to click and view the whole video on the landing page of your choice.
Here’s an example of the GIF we made for our holiday email newsletter, which linked to the full version of the video on our website blog.
Adding motion to an otherwise static email is not only more engaging for viewers, but it also allows you to boost your email content marketing with video in a creative, eye-catching way.
Highlight Your Video’s Value
People love watching videos. In fact, over 6 billion hours of video are watched per month on YouTube. Even with this popularity of video content, it’s important to state in your email messaging why your audience should care about your video. If your video is off-topic, it won’t be helpful for your overall marketing efforts. Instead, make sure you can explain the value your audience will receive from your video in just a few lines of your email copy. Give your audience a good reason to play your video!
Your email marketing doesn’t have to be overly promotional all the time. Consider adding a personal touch to your video. Videos with a personal touch can be more convincing and highlight why your brand matters. Instead, you can build trust and get your message across by being honest and showing the human side of your brand. Here’s a great example from Patagonia, who used a static image with a “fake” video play button to share the story of rock climber Mikey Schaefer.
Including video in your email marketing can help your brand life response rates and increase engagement with your campaigns. Have any other email marketing tactics to add to the list? Share with us in the comments.
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