Success with Video in Email Part One

This is the first of a three part series regarding video in email.

Video isn’t just for the TV set anymore.

Audiences can use a multitude of devices such as computers, mobile phones, portable media players to watch content produced not only by TV networks and movie studios, but also independents, amateurs and individuals. James L. McQuivey of Forrester Research predicts that people will watch an average of 5 hours per day in 2013, a full hour more than the average in 2008.

Therefore, many online marketers are investigating their options regarding video in email. Done well, it can reap many rewards. Done poorly, it can annoy customers and drive away business.

It is important to decide if video in email is right for your audience, determine if you are successful and choose the services that best suit your needs.

Is video in email right for your audience?

Jeanniey Mullen and David Daniels put forth the following questions in Email Marketing: An Hour a Day when deciding to use audio or video in email.

1. Can you communicate your key message in 20 seconds or less?
2. Will audio or video help explain your offering than photos with text?
3. Does your business/service thrive from referrals (from colleagues / businesses)?
4. Will the recipients of your emails be connected with broadband?
5. Will the recipients of your emails have sound cards on their computers?
6. Will the recipients of your emails have access to the Internet?
7. Do you have access to preshot content?
   
   If you can answer yes to at least five, then you may have a good reason to explore its use in your email campaigns.

How do you determine you are successful?

This depends on what your objective is.

If you want to increase your brand awareness, promote forward to a friend. Track the number of times the email or video is forwarded.

To improve up-sell or cross-sell, show videos of similar products, destinations or services. Compare conversion rates of email with and without videos.

Consider including informative or funny material to help maintain loyalty. Steady open and clickthrough rate for your customers with a long tenure show they are still in engaged.

Part Two discusses what products and services are available to meet your objectives.
Part Three addresses questions about successful execution.