Video eMail Marketing: Improve Click-through Rates

someone clicking mousing button

Video email marketing campaigns are much like their text-only counterparts in that you can spread your message to prospects that have opted in. The addition of video adds a human touch and provides for an engaging medium. However, recent surveys reveal some startling information about including videos in email marketing campaigns: dramatic improvements in click-through rates. Including a website video in your next campaign could make a big difference.

Video Email Marketing Surveys

In March 2011, Get Response released its Email Marketing Trends survey results. Among the results focused on video email marketing were the following:

  • Nearly 64 percent of SMB marketers surveyed said that including website video in emails significantly increased conversion rates
  • 50 percent of SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • 1 out of 3 SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing positively affects branding and/or loyalty

The Web Video Marketing Council is currently conducting its 2011 Video Email Marketing Survey. While those results aren’t in yet, last year’s survey reveals the following:

  • 73 percent of those surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • Nearly three out of four respondents believed that customer purchases / conversions are more likely with email campaigns that include website video.

Another study, 2010 Social Media Usage, Attitudes, and Measurability: What Do Marketers Think? by Kingfish Media, HubSpot, and Junta42, revealed that website video presented on a company’s website is the most common way video is shared (61 percent) followed by video-sharing sites (56 percent) and video email marketing (13 percent). This same study also concludes that educating customers is the top reason marketers use website video. The second reason is to bring company employees to life.

Video Email Marketing Opportunities

Though these surveys aren’t the definitive word, they’re thought provoking. A large percentage of marketers that use video email marketing reports significant improvements in click-through and conversion rates, yet only 13 percent of marketers appear to be actively promoting website video via email marketing campaigns. The opportunity to reach consumers with website video through your opt-in list is compelling. Not only are consumers unlikely to be overwhelmed with video marketing messages, they’ll be more likely to click-through to your website in order to view your message.

Assuming you already have a strategy that engages, converts, and nurtures your prospects, including video in your existing email marketing plans could be a relatively simple matter. For example, if your email marketing campaign delivers a series of useful tips related to your product or industry, adding a “how to” video that illustrates one of the more visual tips could be a good fit with your existing campaign. If your website sells kitchen gadgets and you regularly send emails with recipes and special offers, consider adding a video on “chopping onions like a sous chef” or a short cooking video. Once your prospects land on your page and watch your website video, you have the opportunity to keep them on your website, entice them to explore your catalog, and so.

Putting Video Email Marketing to the Test

Using your last traditional email marketing campaign as a “control,” you can put video email marketing to the test by including a website video in your next campaign. After the campaign is over, compare its click-through rates and conversions with your control campaign. How did video email marketing work for you? Did click-through rates improve? How about conversions? If you take part in this challenge, please come back and post your results in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your experiences.

Testimonial Video Production: Why are Video Testimonials Effective?

Testimonial Video Production

Effective testimonial video production is a powerful tool that can influence prospects and help them make buying decisions. Each customer testimonial video on your website serves as social proof that your company has delivered on its promise. As prospects look at client testimonials and see that other people, many just like them, have had successful experiences with your company, they’ll feel more confident in buying similar products and services from you.

What makes a customer testimonial video so effective? Featuring client testimonials in video format allows future site visitors to see and hear your customers speaking favorably about your products or services. They’ll see that despite the strong testimonial video production values that went on behind the scenes, these are real people relaying real experiences. This builds trust and reinforces your credibility.

In fact, effective testimonial video production centers on the following three important factors:

  • Credibility
  • Word of mouth
  • Relationships

Build Credibility with Client Testimonials

Whether you have one or dozens of client testimonials featured on your website, each customer testimonial video adds credibility to your claims. While you could broadcast high quality commercials touting how wonderful your product or service is, having a customer echo those claims is far more credible. Anyone can say their company will do a professional job; but if a satisfied customer says so, that’s much more credible. Ideally, not only will your testimonial video production team capture your client’s describing your product or service, it will also record images of your client enjoying the finished product.

Leverage Word of Mouth Advertising through Testimonial Video Production

Each customer testimonial video also harnesses the power of word of mouth advertising. People trust the recommendations that come from other consumers. Even if your site visitors don’t know your clients personally, they can relate to the people featured in each customer testimonial video.

Testimonial Video Production can Serve as a Relationship Marketing Tool

Client testimonials can reinforce your company’s commitment to becoming partners on each project and serve as social proof that you aren’t just a company, you’re a team of professionals that takes the time to get to know your customers and their needs. Your prospects will see a series of satisfied customers who were taken care of so well that they were willing to share a few words about their experiences via a customer testimonial video.

How to Ensure a Successful Testimonial Video Production Campaign

Clearly posting video client testimonials on your website can influence prospects due to the increase in credibility that each customer testimonial video provides. However, not all testimonial video production procedures are created equally. Some tips to follow include:

  • Using a professional video production company
  • Using real customers
  • Using a diverse mix of customers
  • Keeping each customer testimonial video short and focused on just one key benefit
  • Presenting different benefits from different customers
  • Addressing common objections via client testimonials
  • Inviting customers to contribute their own testimonials

Testimonial video production requires a mix of traditional video production techniques and marketing expertise. Your video production team should be prepared to allow your clients to speak freely while gently guiding them about which points to cover. Your clients should feel comfortable in front of the camera and be genuinely pleased with your products and services. After the shoot, the video production company’s editor will select the best parts of the customer testimonial video and create a final cut that delivers the client testimonials perfectly.

What are your thoughts on what makes an effective testimonial video production? Share your comments below:

Product Demo Video: Engaging Viewers and Calling Them to Action

man looking at computer with engaged expression

Have you been tasked with producing a product demo video for your website? While you have numerous options as far as producing and uploading the final video, you’ll need to carefully plan your product video to ensure that it’s as effective as possible. Not only should your product demonstration video clearly show your product’s features, it must also:

  • Engage viewers
  • Show its benefits to viewers
  • Prompt viewers to take action

Using a Product Demo Video to Engage Viewers

Engaging viewers is one of the most important tasks your product demonstration video must perform. After all, if your product video is boring, poorly produced, or uninformative your prospects will quickly tune out. Today’s online video viewers are pulled in all directions with little leisure time. Make sure that your product demo video engages viewers and keeps them tuned in by:

  • Keeping the product demonstration video short. Your product video should be no longer than three minutes. Viewers that see a long video length may not bother to push the play button no matter how entertaining your video may be.
  • Getting to the point quickly. Online video viewers don’t have the patience for long introductions, even beautifully produced ones.
  • Staying on topic. Your product demonstration video is just that, a product video. This isn’t the time to delve into the history of your company or its accomplishments.

Demonstrating a Product’s Benefits in a Product Demo Video

In addition to engaging viewers through product video length and pacing, your product demo video must speak to your viewers by addressing what’s in it for them. For example, your product likely has several features that you’ll want to showcase in the product demonstration video. However, how do these features solve your viewers’ problems? Make sure that each feature you introduce in your product video is balanced by its benefits. This helps keep viewers engaged, shows you understand their problems, and most importantly, positions your product as the solution.

What Action Do You Want Viewers to Take after Watching the Product Demo Video?

No matter how engaging and benefits-oriented your product demonstration video may be, it can be even more effective if you add a call to action at the end. Think about what actions you want your viewers to take after watching the product video. For example, do you want them to order a free sample? Download a trial version? Request a custom quote? Request a product brochure? Order the product right away?

Carefully consider what action you want viewers to make and use the product demo video to guide them toward taking that action. At the end of the product demonstration video, explicitly prompt your viewers to take that action. You can do this in several ways. For example, you could have the narrator of the product video say, “Call our office to schedule a free consultation” or you could have a popup screen appear at the end of the product demo video prompting viewers to “Download a free trial version now.”

An effective product demo video is one that engages viewers, positions the product as a solution, and prompts viewers to take some sort of action. Once your prospects answer the call to action, you can then follow through with other sales steps.

What do you think the most important part of a product demo video is? Share your thoughts in the comment section below:

Website Video Spokesperson: More than Just a Pretty Face

spokespeopleThere’s more to a website video spokesperson than meets the eye. While you’ll likely want to choose an attractive virtual spokesperson for your website, other considerations exist. In addition to choosing a professional actor to play the role of Web video spokesperson, the video itself must be produced so that the final product looks and sounds as professional as possible.

What is a website video spokesperson? A website video spokesperson serves as a virtual spokesperson who greets visitors when they land on your website. These pre-recorded videos can either play automatically or when the user clicks on them. Using green screen technology, the image of the Web video spokesperson plays on top of the website.

Because your website video spokesperson serves as the face of your website, it’s important to choose a professional actor. In some cases, it makes sense for the head of the company to serve as a virtual spokesperson. If you will be playing this role yourself, make sure that you’re comfortable speaking in front of a camera. Your video production company can help you with the script and provide you with some basic coaching. In both cases, your Web video spokesperson must be able to:

  • Look and play the part
  • Memorize a script or read off of a teleprompter
  • Deliver lines as directed
  • Speak clearly

In addition to the abilities of the person playing the role of website video spokesperson, it’s also important that the behind-the-scenes team is skilled at virtual spokesperson production. For example, what will your virtual spokesperson say? The script should be developed in conjunction with your Web content so that the Web video spokesperson guides visitors through a sales process.

In addition, the video production company will need to shoot the Web video spokesperson in a studio with a green screen so that only the virtual spokesperson appears on the website. Camera operators will also need to frame the shot appropriately as well. The director will work closely with you to determine the best camera angles based on your website design and the ultimate placement of the website video spokesperson. For example, if your website has blank vertical sidebars, it may make sense to have your Web video spokesperson appear in one of the sidebars in full length. Similarly, if you want the website video spokesperson to walk onto the screen, your director will need to frame the shot appropriately.

Broadcast quality production values are a must at all stages of the production including sound quality. When you choose a professional video production company to produce the virtual spokesperson video, you’re usually getting an entire team of video professionals committed to making sure that the Web video spokesperson looks and sounds good.

Once the footage of the website video spokesperson has been shot and edited, the next step involves putting the virtual spokesperson on the website. You will need to make several decisions such as which video player to use and whether or not the Web video spokesperson should begin speaking automatically.

Clearly, putting a website video spokesperson on your website is a process that involves making the right decisions. Not only will you need a person to play the role of virtual spokesperson, that person must be a skilled speaker. Your Web video spokesperson will need a compelling script to follow and a video production team working behind the scenes to produce broadcast quality video.

While a website video spokesperson may indeed have a pretty face, make sure all of the other pieces are in place. What do you think is a must for any website video spokesperson? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.