Success with Video in Email Part Three

This is a three part series regarding video in email.

Part One helps determine if this is right for your audience and objectives.
Part Two lists products and services available.

We would like to address some questions you may have related to execution.

What about bandwidth? If we have a video in email, will there be problems with delivering the content?

Choosing the right content provider is key here. Are the emails going to a large audience? Even if they go to a smaller audience or are one to one messaging, considering the viral nature of video, they will be played over and over again up to a month after the message has delivered.

What about the lead time? Doesn’t it take more time to create an email with video?

Yes, but it may be time well spent. Jeanniey Mullen and David Daniels in Email Marketing: An Hour a Day have this advice on the layers (versions) of email to create to support this.

1. A flat HTML version
2. A version with animated GIFs but no sound
3. A version with animated GIFs and sound
4. A Flash or video version without sound
5. A Flash or video version with sound

What about the ISP or domains that will block video?
These are the same questions about ISPs or domains that will block images. With different layers available based on the customer’s domain, email client or browser, you can ensure the best possible experience given the limitations. Having a partner that has a relationship with an ISP can help but

That's all for now!
In summary, with the right strategy, a message that lends itself well to video and an audience that is predisposed to view videos online, you can be successful with email in video.

For more information, read the following:
Email Marketing: An Hour a Day. Mullen, Jeanniey and David Daniels. Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, IN 2009