8 Really Cool Ways to Use Video in Email Marketing

It‘s official: video has taken over the internet. By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic (Cisco). As marketers, we can‘t afford to ignore the power of video – especially when it comes to email.

If you‘re not using video in your email marketing campaigns, you‘re missing out on a massive opportunity to engage your audience and drive conversions. In fact, adding video to your emails can boost click rates by 300% (Martech Advisor).

But how do you effectively integrate video into your email strategy? Here are 8 really cool ways to use video in email marketing:

1. Video Email Subject Lines

Have you ever thought about putting a video in your email subject line? It may sound crazy, but it can be a powerful way to boost your open rates.

According to Campaign Monitor, emails with the word "video" in the subject line are opened 19% more than other emails. But you can take it a step further by actually embedding a video thumbnail right in the subject line.

Here‘s an example from furniture retailer Article:

[Image: Article email subject line with video thumbnail]

To create a video email subject line, simply upload a thumbnail image that looks like a video player and include the word "video" or a play button emoji. This will make your email stand out in the inbox and entice subscribers to click through.

Just be sure not to deceive your audience with false promises of video content. If you do include a video thumbnail in your subject line, make sure there‘s actually a relevant video waiting for them inside the email.

2. Personalized Video Content

Personalization is key to cutting through the noise in the inbox. In fact, emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened (Campaign Monitor).

But why stop at personalizing just the subject line? With video email marketing, you can create hyper-targeted video content that speaks directly to each subscriber‘s unique interests and pain points.

Tools like Vidyard and HippoVideo allow you to insert personalized merge tags into your videos, so each viewer sees their own name, company, or other relevant information. You can also segment your email lists and send different video content to each group based on their past behavior or demographics.

For example, let‘s say you sell software to both small businesses and enterprises. You could create two different versions of a product demo video – one that speaks to the needs of small teams and another that highlights features for larger organizations. Then, use your email marketing platform to automatically send the appropriate version to each segment.

3. Live Streaming Video

Live video is a powerful way to connect with your email subscribers in real-time. In fact, viewers spend up to 8.1x longer with live video than on-demand content (Livestream).

To incorporate live streaming into your email campaigns, start by choosing a platform like YouTube Live, Facebook Live or Twitch. Then, embed the live stream directly into your email template using HTML5 video tags.

Promote the live stream in advance to build anticipation and include a clear call-to-action in your email for people to tune in. You can even incentivize attendance by offering exclusive discounts or giveaways for live viewers.

During the live stream, engage with your audience by answering questions in real-time and encouraging them to participate in the chat. After the event, follow up with an email featuring the recorded version of the live stream so people who missed it can still benefit from the content.

4. Interactive Video

Interactive video takes engagement to the next level by allowing viewers to click, drag, and otherwise participate in the content. This type of video is especially effective for email marketing, as it encourages subscribers to take action right within the email itself.

One cool way to use interactive video is to embed quizzes, polls or surveys directly into the video player. For example, a beauty brand could create a "Find Your Perfect Skincare Routine" quiz that recommends products based on the viewer‘s responses.

Another idea is to create a "choose your own adventure" style video where viewers can click to make decisions that affect the outcome of the story. This is a great way to gamify your email content and keep subscribers engaged.

For ecommerce brands, interactive shoppable videos are a must-try. Embed clickable product links and "add to cart" buttons within the video itself to drive direct sales from email. In one case study, using shoppable video in email resulted in a 48% lift in revenue for luxury handbag retailer Strathberry (Smartzer).

5. Automated Video Sequences

Automated email sequences are an essential part of any lead nurturing strategy. But rather than relying solely on plain text emails, try incorporating video content into your workflows for even higher engagement.

For example, you could create an onboarding sequence for new customers that includes a series of short tutorial videos. Or, if someone abandons their shopping cart on your website, trigger an email with a personalized product demo video to win them back.

The key is to map out your customer journey and identify key touchpoints where video content would be most impactful. Then, use your email marketing platform‘s automation tools to trigger the right video at the right time based on each subscriber‘s behavior.

Don‘t forget to tag and score leads based on their video engagement, too. If someone watches multiple product videos in a row, they‘re probably further along in the buying cycle than someone who only watches your intro video. Use this data to create more targeted email segments and sales follow-ups.

6. User-Generated Video Contests

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful way to build social proof and credibility with your email audience. In fact, 79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions (Stackla).

One fun way to collect UGC is to run a video contest for your email subscribers. Encourage them to submit short video reviews, testimonials or even just fun brand-related content for a chance to win a prize.

Then, showcase the best user-submitted videos in your email campaigns to provide authentic social proof. You could even create a recurring email series featuring a new user video each week to keep subscribers engaged over time.

Just be sure to clearly communicate the contest rules and obtain explicit permission from each participant to use their video in your marketing. You may also want to provide some guidelines or examples to ensure the submitted videos align with your brand standards.

7. Text-to-Video Email Technology

One of the coolest advances in video email marketing is the ability to dynamically render videos in real-time using text-to-video technology. This allows you to create personalized video content at scale without having to manually edit each individual video.

Here‘s how it works: your email platform pulls data from your CRM, website, or other sources to generate unique text for each subscriber. This copy is then automatically transformed into a voice-over and paired with corresponding visual content to create a completely custom video.

So instead of just inserting a first name merge tag into a generic video, you can generate thousands of personalized videos with unique scripts, images, and calls-to-action for each recipient. This is a game-changer for keeping your email content fresh and relevant, even if you have a massive subscriber list.

Tools like Rocketium and Idomoo specialize in dynamic video creation for email. They can pull in data points like name, company, location, past purchases, and website behavior to render hyper-personalized video content in minutes.

8. Measuring Video Email Success

As with any marketing initiative, tracking and measuring your results is crucial to optimizing your video email strategy over time. But which metrics actually matter?

First, pay attention to your email open and click-through rates. If your video-centric campaigns are outperforming your other emails, that‘s a good sign that your audience is hungry for more visual content.

Next, track post-click behavior on your website. Are email subscribers who watch your videos more likely to convert to paying customers? Use Google Analytics to set up conversion goals specific to your video calls-to-action, such as filling out a lead form or adding an item to their cart.

It‘s also important to keep an eye on your unsubscribe and spam complaint rates. If you see a sudden spike after sending a video email, that may indicate that your content missed the mark or felt too promotional to your audience. Use this feedback to tweak your approach and always prioritize providing genuine value over making a hard sell.

Finally, don‘t forget to track engagement metrics within your video hosting platform itself, such as total video views, average watch time, and viewer drop-off rates. This will give you insights into how individual videos are resonating with your email list and where you may need to make improvements.

For example, if you notice that most viewers are dropping off after the 30-second mark, consider condensing your content into a shorter, punchier video. Or if a particular CTA is driving a lot of clicks, make that the main focus of your next video.

By consistently measuring your results and making data-driven optimizations, you can unlock the full potential of video email marketing to engage your audience and drive real business results.

Putting It All Together

Video email marketing is one of the most effective ways to capture attention, build relationships, and convert leads into customers. But simply embedding a generic video in your email is not enough.

To truly stand out in the inbox, you need to get creative with your video strategy. Whether it‘s experimenting with video subject lines, personalizing content for each subscriber, embedding interactive elements, or collecting user-generated videos, there are endless opportunities to innovate with video in email.

The key is to always provide value to your audience and to approach video as a two-way conversation rather than a one-way broadcast. Use the power of video to tell compelling stories, solve real problems, and showcase your brand‘s unique personality.

With the right tools, tactics, and mindset, video email marketing can become one of your most powerful channels for driving engagement, building trust, and growing your business in 2024 and beyond.