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Three Things to Do Before You Send out Your First Video Email

It’s one thing to get an email, but quite another to get an email that includes an exciting video, and that’s what’s behind all of the buzz about email video marketing.  The thinking goes something like this: if you can grab a potential customer’s attention with words, imagine what you could do with video.  And the thinking is correct—email video marketing is likely the tip of a very large marketing iceberg—but, before you leap in with both feet, you should make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row.  Here are three things to consider before you leap.

Don’t Go for the Gold Right Away

Think back to your first email marketing message, and you’ll likely remember that it didn’t do quite as well as you’d hoped until you’d refined it a time or two to fit your audience.  Any form of marketing—print or video—generally takes a few attempts before you hit the mark and get the expected results.  Knowing that, you shouldn’t try and produce the “prized” video on your first try.  Instead, begin by producing a short video that’s not only meant to capture your audience’s attention, but also to spur them onto some sort of action that brings them closer to becoming a customer.  You’ll save resources by testing the waters this way—and you won’t risk alienating your potential customers with a grand attempt that falls flat.

Make it an Extension of the Email

One of the biggest mistakes people make when sending a video email is only paying attention to the video, and neglecting the email.  But it’s important to remember that the text in the email is what will convince the readers to watch the video.  Put the same amount of effort into the content, formatting and design of the email as you would if there were no video at all.  After all, would you watch a video with your busy schedule if you hadn’t already been “sold” on it by great content?

Vet the Video

Another way to determine whether or not your video will “speak” to your intended audience is to vet it with those customers who make a habit of opening the mail that you already send them.  Select a small group of “faithful” readers, send them the email video and then ask them to give you honest feedback.  You’ll likely want to ask them a few specific questions about it so you can best gauge the responses.  For instance, you can ask them if they believe the video portrays your business in a good light, whether or not it was interesting, if it made them want to know more about the product, and whether or not they have any suggestions about it.  In order to get the most responses, keep the questions to a minimum and consider offering them a freebie or extra discount for a product they regularly purchase from you.

As with every new leap in online marketing, it will be important for businesses to get in on video email marketing early in the game, but it’s just as important that it be done correctly.  What about you—will you be ahead or behind the pack on this one?

Written by Suzanne Kearns
Suzanne has been a full-time freelance writer for 20 years. She’s written for numerous business and financial publications such as Entrepreneur, Reason Magazine, Home Business Magazine, Intuit, and Money Crashers. You can reach her at justsuzannekearns@gmail.com.