Compare analytics and open rates from before video use and after
If you haven’t already been using videos in your email marketing, implement it in one of your upcoming campaigns and then compare the difference in open and click rates. This will help give a fair assessment on key factors like: Whether the video content and design or layout is working for your audience, whether you need to change the format and structure of the video presented in the email, etc.
Don’t stop after the first try
If at first you notice no significant rise in number of clicks, conversions or open rates, try to change the layout or content flow (text) of the video, then try implementing it again and compare results. There could be other points to think about if your Vmail doesn’t work the first time. Reassess the length of your video, was it too long? Was it not long enough? Was it share-worthy content? Or, how can you tweak it to make it more social-media-share-worthy?
Break the monotony
An email marketing campaign needs a good mix of formats like text, video, GiFs, memes and illustrations depending on the audience, the message and where the prospect is in terms of the sales funnel. Marketers should not force fit videos, but leverage the power of showing over telling at the point where it could best impact effectiveness.
Colby adds, “At this point in time, video is one of the most shareable, engaging content mediums out there. In fact, according to Social Media Today, 50% of marketers who use video in email see increased click rates, sharing, and forwarding. But make sure to follow best practices: Because of limited email client support, we wouldn’t recommend directly embedding a video in an email marketing campaign. Instead, use a thumbnail image or GIF that links out to a mobile-optimized landing page.”
Video + Email: a powerful performance boost
The use of tools, tech and creativity that is complimented by real-time analytics allow marketers a strong base to assess performance of their email campaigns instantly. This gives them the chance to constantly refine their strategy and improve ROI to optimize results. Moreover, the 3 elements of – technology, creativity and easy-to-use tools have combined to enable marketers today to create interesting interactive elements that can drive a performance boost to every email marketing initiative.
Let’s look at this example, shall we?
Asana, a business productivity tool uses interesting video-based emailers to help their new subscribers transition from email to the tool. Imagine being in the shoes of an employee whose company is transitioning from email to a productivity tool. Wouldn’t it just save you a whole lot of time to go through a video tutorial that’s delivered straight to your inbox?
What the future holds
Colby says, “Soon, we’ll see interactive email really start to catch fire. Whether it will be done well, with purpose, or poorly as the hot new thing to imitate (likely both), you’ll see start seeing it more and more in your inbox.”
EJ McGowan, General Manager at Campaigner adds, “One thing we will see a lot more of in email marketing in the future is artificial intelligence. For email marketing, AI promises even more personalization for subscribers, which can ultimately boost interaction, engagement and conversions for businesses. As AI integrations and applications become more commonplace, their use cases and benefits will extend from enterprises to small- and medium-sized businesses, leveling the playing field and helping them compete.”
“Personalization is already a critical email marketing element and something we will see to an even greater degree in the future. In our digital age consumers expect to be catered to in a manner that is relevant, authentic and shows a brand truly understands them. The fact of the matter is that if marketers are not consistently delivering new, personalized content, consumers’ interest will begin to stagnate and they will eventually unsubscribe. Email content is going to continue to be more personalized as senders are able to gain access to more information from different sources. Additionally, receivers of email will be able to customize their experience by choosing how often and even when they want to receive content.”
“Cross-device marketing is making its way into the spotlight. It’s becoming increasingly less common for a consumer to make a purchasing decision that involves just one device — a trend that is expected only to be magnified with coming generations. Therefore, it’s crucial for brands to craft extensive cross-channel strategies spanning all devices and multiple platforms. We’ll see more emails crafted for optimal experiences across desktops, tablets and smartphones to create a fluid and seamless reading, browsing and shopping experience.”
So are you all set to amp up your email marketing with the use of rich videos?