A recent Forrester report suggests that including a video element in your email campaigns can raise click-through rates up to 300%.
“…Interviews with marketing executives revealed that using compressed video without sound, with animated gifs, and clickable screen shots of videos can result in click-through rates that are two to three times the usual rate.
Some 9% of marketers are currently experimenting with video in email, and another 21% plan on including video in their email marketing efforts in the next 12 months, according to a July 2008 JupiterResearch/ClickZ survey of 286 email executives…” continue reading
This supports a recent Nielsen Online study confirming that online video remains a popular and growing online activity.
“…Nielsen Online provided overall online video usage data for April 2009, which shows that approximately 119 billion unique viewers watched seven trillion total streams during the month. The numbers reveal that year-over-year, total streams are up 24%, streams per viewer are up 27% and time per viewer is up 58% percent…” continue reading
Of course, embedding video in email is still problematic. Not only does it increase your message weight and affect delivery speeds, but it is often (if not usually) blocked by ISPs and email security systems as are other executable files.
But all is not lost. You can still achieve higher click-through rates by using video screen captures in your message as an image link, which recipients can click on and be brought to the video hosted online. Some email marketers are also experimenting with animated gifs in their messages and using certified video email systems.
Have you used video in your email campaigns yet? What was your experience?
I like the new music program being run by the Model Arts and Niland Gallery in Sligo, Ireland. Their New Spaces for Music program showcases live performances in various and sometimes unusual places around Sligo town — challenging listeners and passers by to think about how they listen to, encounter and experience live music.
“…Using our lack of a venue to our advantage, the Model will be experimenting with new spaces for live music throughout the year. Unusual rooms, outdoor spaces, places where live music is not normally encountered, will all become new spaces for music with performers and projects drawn from a range of music genres…” continue reading
Today’s Live Lunch performance, Music for the Busses, will feature some traditional Irish sounds by Gerry Harrington and Margaret Rhatigan at the Bus Eireann station in Sligo at 2:30pm.
Gerry Harrington
Margaret Rhatigan (on Whistles)
Sometimes, you can improve an old product or service simply by changing the experience for people/users/visitors/listeners. Creating experiences and telling good stories is what marketing is all about. Of course, it helps greatly if you are creating experiences and telling stories about a great product, like traditional Irish music.
Trent Reznor of NIN had a wake up call one day. He realized that he was only making .80 cents from every record he sold for $18.98. The record company got the rest.
Reznor says, “Anyone who’s an executive at a record label does not understand what the internet is, how it works, how people use it, how fans and consumers interact – no idea. I’m surprised they know how to use email. They have built a business around selling plastic discs, and nobody wants plastic discs any more. They’re in such a state of denial it’s impossible for them to understand what’s happening.
“One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract. I said, ‘Wait – you sell it for $18.98 and I make 80 cents? And I have to pay you back the money you lent me to make it and then you own it? Who the f**k made that rule? Oh! The record labels made it because artists are dumb and they’ll sign anything’ – like I did. When we found out we’d been released (from their recording contract) it was like, ‘Thank God!’. But 20 minutes later it was, ‘Uh-oh, now what are we going to do?’ It was incredibly liberating, and it was terrifying.” …continue reading
As Reznor and other artists realize that they can keep a much larger percentage of their product and tour sales themselves, they are beginning to go solo (business wise) and take responsibility for their own digital sales, tour promotions and merchandise. Of course, it is probably much easier to have someone else take care of the business side of things; but the Internet (and a new generation of digital music enthusiasts) makes the business of selling music and communicating with fans much easier today. And the reality is that it won’t be very long before CDs (like LPs before them) will be gathering dust on the shelves they remain on.
As Reznor says, “As an artist, you are now the marketer.”
If you show meat eaters a shocking PETA video about the harsh reality of chicken, pork or beef factories, many will become defensive (or disgusted) and tune you out. There will be a low rate of conversion.
If you use scare tactics (i.e. red meat rots in your stomach or a red meat diet causes cancer) some meat eaters will quickly point to contradictory studies or tune you out. There will be a low rate of conversion.
If you share a delicious gnocchi recipe (which happens to be vegetarian), many meat eaters will try it. They may not become vegetarians after eating the dish, but they will learn that there are delicious non-meat alternatives to consider when planning meals. There will be a good conversion rate.
Often, people begin a vegetarian diet by gradually adding non-meat alternatives to their meals over time. Seldom do they cut meat out of their diet overnight. Understanding this, it would be prudent for vegetarian marketers to communicate the variety of delicious non-meat alternatives rather than the concept that meat is evil.
You might have better success asking someone to try something new rather than telling them to stop doing what they’ve been doing for a long time. Often, telling someone that they should change sides (or allegiances) will cause inaction or resentment. There is comfort and security in familiarity. Abrupt change is usually disconcerting for people.
The same is true for any product or service. Telling PC users that they are behind the technology curve rather than showcasing cool Mac applications or functionality will persuade some, but upset others. This my-way-or-your way approach to marketing risks building walls, rather than bridges, between you and your prospects.
My wife and I did most of our holiday shopping online this year. One of the recurring frustrations that we encountered was the lack of clarity regarding shipping from online stores. Like many people, we have a post office box for regular post and use our street address for UPS, FedEx and other ground deliveries.
More than once this year, there was confusion about which address to use for delivery. For one company, Standard shipping meant UPS. Another company used Standard shipping to mean regular delivery by the Post Office. On one occasion, it became so frustrating that we canceled our order (a $310 loss for the company).
Making it easy to place an order is important. But making it easy for that order to get to the customer who paid for it is equally important. Spend a couple of hours minutes adding some clarity about your shipping fulfillment process on your order form.
If you ship via UPS, state that clearly (i.e. We ship everything by UPS). If you use the United States Postal Service (USPS), let your customers know. It could mean the difference between a sale and a cancellation.
