What is stopping you opting for video in your next email marketing campaign? Is it the new skills, all the hassle or just not knowing what to do? Don’t worry; it is as simple and straightforward as adding a picture.
A video should not be an add-on, dropped in at the last moment to fill a gap in the page, or in creativity. Whilst you should not build an email marketing campaign around it, a video needs to be part of the plan from the beginning.
Opinions vary as to the optimum length of video in an email marketing campaign. Some suggest as much as 90 seconds, but if trying it for the first time you might consider 30 seconds to a minute to be the best option. You don't want to frighten your subscribers.
Subject matter is the next consideration. Forget, at least at this stage, trying to go viral. What you want is something that will support your campaign rather than dominate it. Your intent is to gain completions.
In the same way that the purpose of an image is to show your product to its best advantage, the video should, in the few seconds it will run, concentrate on its major selling points, or else highlight where it is superior to that of your major competitor. Go for those features that are difficult to demonstrate in a static image.
If your hand-built, custom-made, fitted wardrobes feature shoe racks that cleverly expose dozens of pairs at the pull of a handle, then a video showing how effortless it all is can be very effective. Take care though with features such as the range of colours available. The precise shade will depend more on settings on the viewer's device than that of the email.
If, for instance, you have won an award for some specific feature of whatever you are selling, and are emphasising this in the email marketing campaign, make this the subject of the video. Suddenly switching to another aspect will dilute the impact.
Remember that not everyone will take the trouble to view the video so ensure the message you are putting over is also covered in the text or images.
Audio with the video is a somewhat difficult decision and much will depend on the specific subscribers you are targeting. For instance, for B2B you might wonder if viewers will want others in their office to wonder what they are enjoying. If you are considering voice-overs then the fact that some will disable their speakers needs planning for. You could use subtitles, either in addition to or instead of a soundtrack. If you want to demonstrate how quickly a certain process can be completed then put a timer in the corner, maybe with your major competitor’s best effort alongside.
From a campaign point of view, video is just another form of image. You are using it to fulfill a function and anything that exceeds this justification for being there should be cut. It is all too easy to get carried away with the fun of it all.
We will cover the technical matters to consider in a later article.
