In many cases, the video you share with your audience will be viewed on a landing page. Your audience will reach the landing page via the email message you send to them.
In this article, you'll find best practices to increase the chance that your email message will be opened and the video viewed. An engaging and well-designed email message will provide reliable information regarding the video content as well as highlight the value for the viewer in watching the video.
The best practices are organized according to the three components of the email message: subject line, email content, and video invitation.
Subject Line—Best Practices
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Limit the subject line to 41 characters or 7 words. |
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Include the recipient's first name or other personalized information.
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Let the recipient know that they've received a personal video.
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In the preheader: use between 40-70 characters (desktop) or 30-55 characters (mobile) to convince the recipient to open the email.
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The subject line and preheader need to work well together to convey your message. Think of the preheader as a second subject line but try not to repeat your subject line text. Instead, add more information to grab interest. |
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Conduct A/B testing on a regular basis to test which subject line leads to more email opens. For example, you can test short video versus personalized video. |
Email Content—Best Practices
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Use a clean and simple layout. Keep visuals and text to a minimum.
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| 2. |
Position the video invitation above the fold.
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If possible, include only one CTA in the email message. The CTA (for example: Click to Watch) should be positioned close to the video invitation. The CTA should not compete with another CTA that is important to the brand.
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Video Invitation—Best Practices
The video invitation, an image that looks like a video player, is used for leading viewers to watch the actual video.
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Encourage action by using inviting text that clearly communicates benefits to the viewer.
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If possible, create an animated GIF for the video invitation to draw viewer attention. |
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Use minimalistic visuals and concise text with only one CTA. |
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The video invitation should include a sharp, visible, and centered play button together with a player bar UI. These elements create the impression that the video invitation is a watchable video.
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| 5. |
On the video invitation, include a simple CTA with the text Click to Watch or Watch Now.
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