Why You Should Use Video Email for Marketing

A video brochure is nothing more than a one page website with a video on it.

There really is no such thing as video email. The technology is not there yet that will allow us to insert video into an email (there are a couple of exceptions to this).  It is an illusion that we create. We do this by building a one page website with a video on it. We then place the link to this page in an email.

If you are clever, you can make the link look like a video play screen. You can even do this with signature files.

So why go through all the trouble...well for two reasons.

First; according to Forrester Research, emails that contain a video link have a 2-3 times higher click-thru rate. If you have done any email marketing you know that a 2-3 times increase in click-thrus is a big deal. I have seen this first hand. When we send out our client’s email newsletters, the ones that contain video content always get much higher click-thrus, sometimes twice as many as those that don’t contain video content.

Second; according to Google Double Click, rich media creates a 400% to 700%  increase in viewer engagement and response rates over static content. I have seen all sorts of facts and figures being touted by the online video industry; some believable and some - not so believable. What I can tell you from my personal experience is that video content on a website can increase your leads and sales. I say can - because the video content needs to convey your story in a compelling enough way to make the difference. If the video falls flat then the results will also be flat.

So let’s do the math. (2-3 times increase in click-thrus) x (400% to 700% response rate) = 8 to 21 times increase in leads!  Wow...you mean if I send out video emails I can increase my leads 8 to 21 times more than what my regular email campaigns produce? Calm down...it’s not going to happen. That is why the stats that we like to throw around in the video marketing industry don’t always add up. But they sure sound good.

However, I can tell you that video marketing has increased leads and sales for our clients. And we do have case studies and figures that are down to earth and make sense. (video marketing case study)

 My Bottom Line Recommendation  - You should try incorporating video email into your marketing mix 

In Summary

Here are my reasons as to why you should use video email in your marketing mix.

1. Video links in emails do increase click-thru rates. Our clients have experienced increases up to 2-3 times.
2. Web Videos (if done well) will increase your leads and sales.  (see our video marketing case study)
3. Just don’t expect crazy multipliers. Shoot for doubling your responses. But make sure the campaign pays for itself even if you only increase your responses by 20%.

What is your experience with video email?

Try a video email example here. 

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Rick Kranz is a Video Marketing and Inbound Marketing Strategist. He is the President of OverGo Studio, a NY based firm specializing in Online Video Marketing and Inbound Marketing Techniques.