{"id":4144,"date":"2017-11-02T15:19:39","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T14:19:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodpecker.co\/blog\/?p=4144"},"modified":"2025-01-21T10:26:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T09:26:22","slug":"email-video-gif","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodpecker.co\/blog\/email-video-gif\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Personalized Email Using Individual Videos and GIFs"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I’ve said in the previous post, cold emailing isn’t easy<\/a>.\u00a0You\u00a0need to run many tests, see what works and what doesn’t, until you find your own take on the process. Also, you’re competing for prospect’s attention with other “cold emailers”.\u00a0To win, you may like to borrow practices from other email senders, be that email marketers.<\/p>\n

Julia Samoilenko, Marketing Manager at Chanty<\/a>,\u00a0wrote a guest post about using videos and GIFs in email, an on-trend practice among email marketers.\u00a0Of course, it won’t work on every group of prospects, but some of you may want to test it out. Maybe in follow-up emails?<\/p>\n

Let’s give the stage to Julia, who will show you pros and cons of adding video and GIF\u00a0to\u00a0your emails.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

If you’re reading this article, chances are you already know that you should employ more personalized video and GIF content into your email marketing, and do it smartly. In case you are not sure yet, let me give you the following statistics: the whopping 74 percent of people<\/a> feel frustrated when marketing content they consume, is not personalized. An unhappy prospect won\u2019t complain, but they are less likely to become buyers.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we will tell you how Chanty<\/a> uses videos and GIFs in email marketing, show a few other companies who are adopting them well, disclose some bottlenecks and pitfalls of this process, and share useful resources to help you become an email rockstar.<\/p>\n

Advantages of using emails with GIFs and videos<\/h2>\n

Alright, short videos and especially GIFs are often cute and funny. But can they be efficiently employed in email marketing? Indeed they can! There are a few key benefits that GIF and video content deliver to marketers.<\/p>\n

They are easy to consume<\/h3>\n

Today it’s tough to capture someone’s attention for more than 60 seconds. GIF and video format wins this competition for attention because it has the power to tell a story in a different way what static content can\u2019t do. This means people can engage with this format quickly and seamlessly.<\/p>\n

Images tell, GIFs and videos sell<\/h3>\n

As a marketer, you should always consider different ways in which you can capture the attention of your audience through effective (and creative) use of calls-to-action. GIF and video content might present the perfect opportunity for you to try something new that can act like visual calls-to-action.<\/p>\n

What business goals GIFs and videos can serve<\/h2>\n

Some companies use GIFs and videos in their email campaigns for humor, some businesses adopt them for showcasing products, others \u2014 for telling a complicated message that would require many lines of copy, clearly and quickly. How can GIFs and videos be potentially useful for your email marketing? Just mix your business goals with the right amount of creativity.<\/p>\n

Being a Slack alternative and a SaaS startup, we\u2019ve faced a few crucial issues in email marketing. With the help of GIF and video content we solved some of them:<\/p>\n

Truly personal customer support<\/h3>\n

\u2018Hi guys! How can I add my employees to the team I\u2019ve created?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Hi! Where are the notification settings?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Hello Chanty! How can I change my profile photo?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Hey there! How to take over the world?\u2019<\/p>\n

We have to answer many technical questions from our users. And we\u2019re happy to make their lives easier. The problem is that sometimes even a simple issue requires a lengthy copy to be explained. Instead of relying on text, GIFs and videos act as effective explainers leaving no room for confusion amongst viewers.<\/p>\n

Do you prefer videos and detailed explanations? Great! Give Soapbox<\/a> a try. It’s a free and handy Chrome extension that enables anyone to record, edit, and share video-explainers in minutes.<\/p>\n

In case you don\u2019t want to provide full video tutorials, GIFs can be successfully used to illustrate complex concepts effortlessly and keep users satisfied. Screencast your tool features and import footages into a GIF format file with Recordit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Building customer loyalty and relationships with personalization<\/h3>\n

A drop of personalization can get your prospects a little bit happier and your wallet a little bit thicker. You can build trust and encourage users to engage with your brand by using emotions and adding a personal touch. Services like BombBomb and Idomoo can help you create personalized video emails that stand out in a crowded inbox.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how we approach personalization in our invitation emails congratulating users with early access to our messenger:<\/p>\n

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  1. First, we conduct a research of people who have signed up to our beta test by googling their emails.<\/li>\n
  2. Having known the name of the prospect and the company which they work at, we create a sweet and short personal invitation video.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Keep reading to grab some useful strategies and advice on implementing GIFs and videos in your email marketing.<\/p>\n

    Tricks to using personalized GIFs and videos in email<\/h2>\n

    Here are simple, yet effective, tricks when it comes to using GIFs and videos in email.<\/p>\n

    Add a person\u2019s name in your content<\/h3>\n

    Using a person\u2019s name is the easiest way to grab their attention. Why is that? The answer is quite obvious: prospects feel respected and important when marketers use a person\u2019s name and treat them as an individual.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

    Vidyard<\/span><\/a> personalized gift email<\/span><\/p>\n

    Use any other appropriate personal information (especially in B2B)<\/h3>\n

    Can personalization extend beyond just a first name in your email marketing? Of course, it can. Detailed information, such as a job title, lists of already consumed products or services, images of prospects\u2019 company logo or website, etc., makes your emails more credible and noteworthy.<\/p>\n

    Introduce your company to a prospect<\/h3>\n

    What the majority of corporate \u2018About us\u2019 pages lacks is the personalized approach (you\u2019ve guessed it right). And it\u2019s reasonable because companies don\u2019t know who exactly may visit their websites.<\/p>\n

    But if you have a bit of information about your prospect and do a small research on them, you\u2019ll be able to create an individual video that nurtures human connections between you. Prospect videos allow your customers to picture the value that your service or product will offer them.<\/p>\n

    In other words, give your audience a chance to see what stands behind your company, for example, as Bluleadz\u2019<\/a>ve done it:<\/p>\n

    \n\"\"Video Source<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

    Sales team introduction<\/span><\/h3>\n

    When was the last time you replied to a message that a salesperson left you on LinkedIn or directly in your mailbox? Frankly speaking, all of us respond very rarely to this type of letters. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The power of personalized videos can help your sales experts attract and convert prospects in a simple and engaging way. Just turn on your webcam and record a short video to follow up. Since videos are more intimate than written emails, and they clearly display some efforts, recipients feel more inclined to actually reply.<\/span><\/p>\n

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