Video email marketing is getting a lot of attention lately as the newest way to engage with leads and get results. Since the use of videos in email marketing is still pretty new, there haven’t been too many tests about its effectiveness – though almost all using videos in their campaigns are reporting increased conversions per mail sent out.
The first thing you need to realize is that content is king – even with videos. Simply adding a video to your email campaign isn’t going to help unless the video is of some value. There are a lot of creative ways to incorporate video marketing into any niche, regardless of what you sell or offer. For example, if you have a cutting edge new gadget, then make a video of how it works. If you have fun video for kids that you want parents to download, then give a sneak preview of the best parts. If you are lobbying for the environment, show a video of how smog destroys your air sacks.
Most people are more likely to watch a full video than they are likely to read a full text. Thus, making a video is a great way to get your full message across to email marketing subscribers. Plus, you can tell more with video than you can with words alone. However, you need to keep in mind that most subscribers are not going to watch an hour long video. Most won’t even watch a 5 minute long video! Always keep your videos nice and short and to the point. Never try to add fluff to the videos just to make them seem more impressive. A simple yet streamlined video is always better than a bunch of nonsense hype. If you have a long video that is worth watching to the end, give subscribers a link where they can watch the full video.
Even if you spend weeks making a stunning video for your email marketing campaign, you still need to put effort into the actual email. Foremost, spam filters will likely mark your email as spam if you don’t have any text. Further, not everyone is going to watch your video so you will need to appeal to them in words also. 
Don’t forget all of the requirements under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 also – like your address and the unsubscribe button.
Not everyone wants to watch a video so it is nice to tell your subscribers in advance that they could be getting video newsletters or emails. Give them an option when they opt in as to whether they want video emails or text/image emails. Just make sure that you also include an option at the bottom of each email campaign which allows them to change their mind.