Video Email in 2010Strategy & Best Practices

Tweet about this webinar using hashtag #bhvideoFollow us on Twitter @bluehornetemail & @videocommerce

Justin Foster – follow @videocommerce, email at justin@liveclicker.com Co-Founder at Liveclicker Founder at Video Commerce Consortium

(~500 members) Founder at Email Marketing Best Practices

Roundtable (~1,500 members) Formerly led services including

deliverability and creative services for an email service provider

About the PresenterAbout the Presenter

PollPoll

A – Clueless

B – Novice

C – Intermediate

D – Advanced

E – Expert

Describe your level of expertise with video in email.

We’ve All Heard about VideoWe’ve All Heard about Video

“Video is the killer app. Video brings the Internet to life.”John Chambers,CEO of Cisco

“Video in email can increase click-through rates by as much as 2X – 3X”- Forrester Research - May 4, 2009

Rising access to high-speed Internet

The expense of creating and hosting video is falling

Consumers embracing video rapidly across channels and verticals

Marketers Taking Notice of VideoMarketers Taking Notice of VideoRank the priority of the following online marketing initiatives for your company in 2010.

n = 116 representing Fortune 500 brands, regional brands, PR and traditional agencies. TurnHere Networks, October 20, 2009

Web 2.0 vs. Email 0.7?Web 2.0 vs. Email 0.7?

PollPoll

A – Deliverability

B – Subscriber experience / rendering

C – Producing video content

D – Technical issues

E – Other / don’t know

What are your top concerns with using video in email?

Why use Video?Why use Video?

Creates an emotional impact

Tells a story

Persuades someone to take action

When to Use Video?When to Use Video?

When it is relevant

When it enhances the subscriber experience

When it communicates the message effectively

When used prominently within messaging

When to NOT Use Video?When to NOT Use Video?

When it’s a distraction

If it’s not relevant

If the costs outweigh the benefits

If you don’t know what you’re doing

Pros v. Cons: PROsPros v. Cons: PROs

Immediate impact in-email

Supported almost everywhere

Provides a highly differentiated inbox experience

Supported everywhere

Fewer technical restrictions

Does not require video email automation tools or addt’l creative & segmentation process

Video in email Landing page video

Pros v. Cons: CONsPros v. Cons: CONs

Still several technical restrictions

Variable quality playback

Requires either video email automation software or significant man-hours to pull off effectively

Lack of differentiated inbox experience

Lack of in-email video metrics

Requires the same amount of effort as using in-email video with video email automation software

Video in email Landing page video

Pros v. Cons: You DecidePros v. Cons: You Decide

Video plays automatically in email (usually without sound)

Video playback requires the subscriber to click through the email

Video in email Landing page video

Common Myths of In-Email VideoCommon Myths of In-Email Video

It can’t be done.

It causes deliverability problems by its very design.

Lack of support among mail clients and ISPs severely limits reach.

Variable quality playback among mail clients leads to unmanageable subscriber experiences.

Dispelling the MythsDispelling the MythsMost B2C email marketers can deliver in-email video

across ~75% - ~90% of their subscriber base, with some technical limitations. B2B email marketers tend closer to ~65% - ~80%.

When implemented correctly, in-email video does not cause deliverability problems.

New technology can compensate for rendering differences and video filetype matching among mail clients to create high quality subscriber experiences.

In-Email Video ExamplesIn-Email Video Examples

>100% increase in CTR video vs. static image

Renewed interest in the channel

Contributed to budget increase

In-Email Video ExamplesIn-Email Video Examples

Statistically significant increase in average order value

Statistically significant increase in conversion rate

Run in controlled A/B test of in-email video v. static image.

In-Email Video ExamplesIn-Email Video Examples

Tells a story

Supports the brand

Delivered in a linear fashion

In-Email Video ExamplesIn-Email Video Examples

Want to see examples in your inbox? Contact webinar@liveclicker.com with subject line “BlueHornet Webinar.”

Examples sent within 24 hours

Incorporating Video In EmailIncorporating Video In Email

Want to see examples in your inbox? Contact webinar@liveclicker.com with subject line “BlueHornet Webinar.”

Examples sent within 24 hours

BenefitStatic Image

Animated .GIF

Flash HTML5Certified Video™

Certified Video .GIF

™

Universal Support

YES NO NO NO NO NO

Broad Support

100% 75% - 90% ~0% ~2% ~10% >50%

Video Plays in Email

NO YES YES YES YES YES

Image-Block

ResistantNO NO N/A N/A N/A YES

Spam-Block

ResistantYES YES NO YES YES YES

PollPoll

A – Static Image

B – Animated .GIF

C – Goodmail CertifiedVideo™

D – HTML5/Other

E – Have not tried to implement in-email video

What Methods Have You Tried?

Incorporating Video In EmailIncorporating Video In EmailDesktop Clients Animated .

GIF?Certified Video?

HTML5 Comments

AOL 10.0 YES YES NO

AOL 9.0 YES YES NO

Apple Mail 3.0 NO NO NO First frame displays only for animated .GIF

Entourage 2008 YES NO NO

Lotus Notes 6.5 – 8 YES NO NO Req’s one-off file creation or video email automation software to set.

Outlook Express YES NO NO

Outlook 2000 YES NO NO

Outlook 2003 YES NO NO

Outlook 2007 NO NO NO First frame shows or video email automation software req’d to set to diff. frame.

Thunderbird YES NO NO

Windows Mail YES NO NO

Web Mail Clients

AOL.com YES+ YES NO* *Safari 3, 4, Chrome 3 and higher Firefox 3.6 support HTML5. GIF Major webmail clients currently strip HTML5 <video> tag.Gmail YES+ NO NO*

Windows Live Mail YES+ NO NO* + Internet Explorer 6 requires special detection to render non-optimized animated .GIFs without compression (delivers slower frame rates). Yahoo Mail YES+ NO NO*

Yahoo Classic YES+ NO NO*

Comcast YES+ NO NO*

Cox Webmail YES+ NO NO*

AT&T Webmail YES+ NO NO* Chrome and Firefox deliver higher animated .GIF frame rates than Internet Explorer or Safari. Separate file creation req’d to deliver alternate frame rates or can be set by video email automation software.

RoadRunner Webmail

YES+ NO NO*

Verizon Webmail YES+ NO NO*

Earthlink Web Mail YES+ NO NO*

Mobile Mail Clients

iPhone 2.2+ YES NO YES HTML5 or animated .GIF (HTML5 recommended, bandwidth check for .GIF)

Blackberry YES NO NO Recommend bandwidth check before displaying animated or static .GIF

iPad YES NO YES HTML5 video recommended

Incorporating Video In EmailIncorporating Video In Email

 EmailClient

Default Images on?

Default Links on?

Default Changeable?

AOL 9.0, 10.0 Software NO NO YES

AOL.com, AIM.com Web NO YES YES

AT&T Web NO YES YES

Earthlink Web YES YES YES

Gmail Web NO YES YES

Hotmail / Windows Live Mail Web Depends Depends YES

Lotus 8 Software YES YES YES

Mac Web NO YES NO

NetZero/Juno Web YES YES NO

Outlook 2003, 2007 Software NO YES YES

Yahoo Classic WebYES Inbox

NO Spam Folder YES YES

Yahoo Mail Web NO YES YES

LEARN MORE:

Certified Video .GIF (Goodmail & Liveclicker Partnership): http://www.goodmailsystems.com/products/certifiedvideogif/ Return Path Certified Premium Services (Return Path & Liveclicker Partnership):http://www.returnpath.net/commercialsender/certification/premium/

In-Email Video Best PracticesIn-Email Video Best Practices

Relevant

Expected

Supports message objectives

Measurable

Proper internal education

Cost/benefit pens

Strategy Design Technical

Primary callout

Sound off by default

Supported by subject line & message copy

160 – 320px wide (rule of thumb)

Static image selected for Outlook 2007

Referenced .GIFs

150 – 200kb/sec data transfer

Playback optimized for diff. mail clients

Alternate display methods auto-render where supported

PollPoll

How likely are you to use video in email in 2010?

A – Definitely will use in-email video.

B – Very likely will use in-email video.

C – Somewhat likely to use in-email video.

D – Still uncertain/many questions remain open.

E – Unlikely to use in-email video.

Video Email in 2010Strategy & Best Practices – Q&A Session

Tweet about this webinar using hashtag #bhvideoFollow us on Twitter @bluehornetemail & @videocommerce