Some well-known benefits of video email marketing include better open rates, click-through rates (CTRs) and conversions. Additionally, video emails deliver an emotional impact that text emails can’t compete with, helping your customers retain your message for longer. Videos also help to build customer trust, and emails are the perfect vehicle for connecting with customers who would otherwise have no reason to go to your website. 

Knowing these benefits, it’s surprising to me that more dealers aren’t leveraging the power of video emails. I think many marketers believe that creating videos is too expensive or time consuming. Or, they’ve tried embedding a couple of videos into their emails, and didn’t get the results they were hoping for.  

The good news is, creating videos today is largely automated with the right platform, requiring little time and effort. Additionally, lead response videos can be sent out automatically by your CRM, in the same way that text emails are, requiring no additional effort from your staff. 

As with traditional email marketing, video email marketing does require strategy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few tips to successfully integrate video into your email marketing campaigns: 

1. Set Objectives

As you’re sitting down to plan your video email marketing campaign, set your objectives clearly. In dealerships, video emails can be used for general email marketing campaigns and in the lead follow-up process.  

For a general video email campaign, your objective may be to raise brand awareness, announce an event, create goodwill, offer coupons or specials or to generate leads. For the lead follow-up process, the goal is almost always to engage the customer, set an appointment and ultimately come in for a test drive.   

2. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when they start to use video in emails is that they believe they have to create all new content featuring new ideas. But there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. 

Your dealership already has marketing content with professional messaging in the form of TV and/or radio commercials, email marketing templates, flyers, postcards and website copy. Use this same content and messaging in your videos. 

If you are creating video emails for the lead follow-up process, use your current templates and messaging as a guide. Create videos and an email schedule that mimic your current lead follow-up process. You are delivering the exact same message but in a more emotionally engaging, compelling format.  

3. Include a Call to Action in the Video

Text emails include a call to action in the body of the email. With a video email, the goal is to encourage the customer to watch the video, so be sure to include the call to action in the video.  

Don’t over-think this. The call to action in your video is going to be the same calls to action that you include in your other marketing messages. 

Calls to action can be embedded right into the video in the form of clickable buttons or links, but they should also be verbalized in the voiceover narration. 

4. Use the Word “Video” in the Subject Line

Let your customers and prospects know there is a video in your email! They’ll be 19% more likely to open your email. 

5. Link Videos to Landing Pages

One mistake many dealerships make when they first start video email marketing is to embed videos within the emails, or have the video link to their YouTube page. When a prospect clicks on your email, the goal is to bring that person to your website. 

More specifically, when a customer clicks on a video in the email, they should be taken to a landing page featuring more videos and several key marketing messages. Displaying more videos encourages “stickiness” and keeps the customer engaged for longer.  

For example, if your video email includes a service offer, have the link bring the customer to a landing page that displays additional videos about your service department. Maybe the customer will watch your “service overview” video, “service guarantee” video or customer testimonials. 

Landing pages that feature videos instantly humanize your dealership. Additionally, you can increase lead conversions by placing lead forms right on the landing page, next to the video. 

If you’re looking for ways to increase email marketing ROI, try video emails. Videos are a proven way to build customer trust, and emails help you get your videos seen by more customers.