We are living in a hyper connected world. Let’s accept the new norms – more than ever before, people are accessing information in new and innovative ways. Would you rather your audience sit there and go through a boring white paper or would you rather see the people behind the product explain in a video newsletter what makes their product unique? It’s one thing to see bullet points about a product or service, but it’s something else entirely to see it in action. So then how to make your newsletter buzz with activity and invite positive engagement?
Via a video newsletter!
The name speaks for itself – it is videos in newsletters. It is a process of transforming a plain old fashioned newsletter with a bunch of long text (that gets exhausting) into a captivating email with high-quality personalized video content.
Why should one create video newsletters?
Newsletters today are still some of the most effective email marketing methods. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 87% of marketers use email as part of their content strategy, making it the second most used content distribution channel. Sounds promising, doesn’t it?
However, we can guarantee that almost every other company in your line of business has cracked the code of traditional newsletter creation. The template is quite standard:
- create a powerful message and story the audience can relate to
- add a few creative images to make it visually appealing
- finish off with a call to action and a link to the website
Sounds familiar?
The video in your newsletter should be informative, authentic, fresh, and creative. Make it your own by having someone from your team speak directly into the camera, as it humanizes the whole experience. With an authentic and sincere video, your audience will more easily connect with your brand.
Sending a video directly to your customers’ inbox is a guaranteed way to increase engagement and keep their focus on your newsletter instead of the 100 others in their inbox.
Here are some more stats from industry experts to back us up:
- including video content in email marketing can increase click through rates up to 300%
- people retain 95% of a message delivered through video vs. only 10% through text
- video leads to 34% higher conversion rates
When creating your video newsletter, try to keep your message simple. If you provide too much information, you might fall in the category of elaborate, cumbersome leaders. Humor is useful, but since different people find different things funny, it is better to usually be sincere about the material being presented. Filming someone who has some experience in public speaking tends to make a presentation seem more professional, and adds to the connectivity factor.
For example, if you are running a small to midsize company, you can record a video with the CEO greeting the newsletter subscribers and sharing a few words with them. Larger companies can get various department heads to record videos that offer industry insights.
How to make a good quality video newsletter?
There are various apps that can make the video newsletter process easier for you. Sign up for a Synthesia account and they help you follow a 3 step process: choose an avatar (with layout, background, images), create your script, use voice and tone as per your brand image. Bonjoro is another such platform that helps you create video newsletters.
Three types of video newsletters you can create to make your newsletter eye-catching and engaging.
Company update video newsletter
This is a great video newsletter to send to a customer regardless of how long they have been a subscriber. The goal of this type of video newsletter is to inform them about everything new happening in the company. This can be about changes, big news like a joint venture, or acquisition, even latest job postings, new awards, interviews, or other interesting information you feel your audience will appreciate.
You can send them as frequently as you want, but once a month should be enough when you’re just starting out. You can also opt-out of a specific schedule and send them out only when you have something interesting to share. A simple thank-you email can also work.
Testimonial video newsletter
A great way to improve your sales is by adding testimonials from your customers to your video newsletter. Add a video from one of your satisfied customers that have decided to share their experience with using your products or services. When sharing these types of video newsletters, make sure that your newsletter audience is segmented and that only your prospects receive them. Recommendation, endorsement or certification of competence – whichever style your celebrity uses, it adds a lot of character to your brand. So use the opportunity to market via a testimonial in the best way.
On boarding video newsletter
When you start a free trial for software, you’re often greeted with a welcome email. The email is usually the start of a series of onboarding emails that often explains the product or service.
Instead of the same old onboarding email, how about you create an onboarding video? These videos help communicate how your products and services work without leaving too much space for interpretation. Use video newsletters for onboarding for learning a new process, or technical training, or to create a rehash of an older training program video or email.
Focusing on personalizing the newsletter is the best way to increase its engagement. Instead of creating persuasive videos that will only turn off the readers, talk to them in a friendly tone. Being approachable and friendly to your audience can do wonders. If video is done right, it can do wonders for your business, no matter your industry. When you combine the power of video with a newsletter, the results can be amazing.
