Traditional lead generation tactics are becoming trickier in a world where consumers are literally bombarded every single day, several times a day, with generic advertising messages.
The main challenge for sales professionals nowadays, lies in capturing the attention of potential leads and nurturing them through the sales funnel.
Engagement rates are plummeting, and conversion rates are following suit, leading marketers to seek out innovative strategies to captivate their audiences.
This is where the power of video for email marketing comes in.
The Rise of Personalized Content in Marketing
The rise of personalized content in marketing marks a crucial, and really pivotal shift from the now oldschool one-size-fits-all campaigns, to strategies that recognize the individuality, and humanity of each customer.
As digital technology evolved, so did the ability of marketers and salespeople to collect and analyze data, therefore paving the way for highly targeted content that speaks directly to the interests, needs, and preferences of their audience.
This is how it went for video content: in the really early days (the 90s), it was technically possible to embed videos in emails, however, video production was just too expensive and complicated, limiting its widespread adoption by marketers.
In the early 2000s (also the early days by today’s standards), the rise of email-related security threats made embedding videos directly in emails a risky proposition.
However, advancements in technology in the 2010s made video production more accessible and affordable for everyone, and email clients highly improved their capabilities to handle video content securely.
This made marketers recognize the potential of video to increase engagement and click-through rates.
This decade saw a massive adoption of video email marketing, with many email marketing services offering easy integration and tools for video use.
It all brings us to today, an age in which video is now as mainstream as it gets, and it should be a basic element in any email marketing campaigns.
And why shouldn’t it be? It has more than just a few advantages.
Here are some of the most impactful
The Impact of Personalized Videos in Lead Generation
Personalized marketing strategies, particularly video content, have time and time again demonstrated significant improvements in engagement rates, customer loyalty, and conversion metrics.
In fact, just by using the right video email marketing tool you could achieve a whopping 90% of email video views, and literally skyrocket your CTR and overall campaign engagement.
Here’s a breakdown of the main advantages that personalized videos has on marketing and lead generation campaigns:
High Engagement: Videos capture attention more effectively than text alone, leading to higher open rates, click-through rates, and overall engagement metrics. Compared to static images, videos can convey more information in a shorter time, keeping viewers interested and engaged.
It’s 2024 after all, and this is literally the way of the world now.
There’s no point in resisting it: TikTok is doing it (and killing it), Instagram is doing it (with their constant push of “Reels”), and to be honest, you should also be doing it.
Increased Conversions: By showcasing your product or service in action, personalized videos can not only build brand trust and credibility, but they can also do it quickly. This ultimately leads viewers to take action, like making a purchase (based on emotional responses), signing up for a service, or agreeing to a demo meeting.
Storytelling Power: They say a picture's worth a thousand words, well, how about a video? Well, videos allow you to tell full stories in a compelling and emotional way, connecting with your audience on a deeper level than text could ever achieve (even at its best) And of course as you know, this emotional connection can influence and lead to purchasing decisions.
Personalization: There are many ways to personalize video marketing strategies, and more personalization equals more clicks, and more sales.
You can create segmented video content based on demographics, interests, or purchase history, or dynamically add personalized greetings or calls to action within the video itself.
Accessibility: Videos are becoming increasingly accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise. The rise of affordable video editing tools and platforms like YouTube and Vimeo makes creating and sharing video content easier than ever.
In other words, if you’re not using video for your lead generation efforts, it’s probably because you didn’t think about it before, but not because you’re not able to.
Measurable Results: Email marketing platforms provide detailed analytics on how your video content performs, allowing you to track engagement, click-through rates, and even conversions directly attributed to your video. This data will help you optimize your marketing strategy for better results.
Improved Brand Awareness: Using video content in your email marketing can help you create a more recognizable and memorable brand identity. Eye-catching visuals and engaging storytelling can leave a lasting impression on your audience, differentiating you from competitors.
It’s now obvious that by leveraging these advantages, video can become a powerful tool in your email marketing strategy, helping you connect with your audience on a deeper level, drive conversions, and achieve your marketing goals.
How To Implement Personalized Videos in Your Lead Generation Strategy
Now the question becomes, how?
Implementing personalized videos in your lead generation strategy will involve thoroughness, but nothing that can’t be achieved with a detailed, step-by-step approach that carefully considers key aspects for your campaign, such as your audience, the technology at your disposal, and the content you produce.
Here's how you can do it effectively:
Step 1: Audience Segmentation
Begin by dividing your target audience into distinct segments based on key criteria like demographics (age, income, location), purchasing behavior (past purchases, frequency, value), interests (hobbies, social media activity), and engagement history (website visits, email opens).
To do this, you’ll need to conduct market research, deeply analyze customer data, and leverage marketing automation tools to understand your audience composition.
After this is done, you’ll be able to develop representative profiles of each segment to visualize their unique characteristics and preferences.
This segmentation allows for precise targeting, ensuring that the personalized content you create is truly relevant to each group's specific needs, preferences and pain points.
Step 2: Data Collection and Analysis
Data is literally the name of the game, and the fuel you’ll need for personalizing your videos. By gathering high-quality information, you’ll be able understand individual motivations and tailor your message accordingly.
To collect relevant data you’ll have to use website analytics, CRM systems, social media insights, and surveys to gather details beyond just names and locations.
Then, to focus on specific data points, look for purchase history, browsing behavior, email engagement, and content preferences to paint a detailed picture of each segment.
We also recommend using (and combining) platforms like Google Analytics, marketing automation dashboards, or AI-Powered research platforms like Lasso.ai to do research, and then easily identify trends and patterns within each segment.
Step 3: Content Creation
Generic messages fall flat; it’s as simple as that.
You HAVE to create compelling videos that actually resonate on a personal level by varying the message and elements based on the viewer's journey and preferences.
Sure, they’re leads, and prospects, and potential buyers and clients, but they’re also humans, and humans respond to human approach.
To do this, you’ll need to:
- Map your content into journey stages: Create specific videos, for specifically different stages (awareness, consideration, decision) addressing specific needs and pain points.
- Integrate personalized elements: This is one of the most crucial steps in the whole process. You want to use dynamic content insertion to include viewer names, company logos, or references to their past actions or wins.
- Consider your tone and style: Adapt the video's tone, humor, and visuals to align with each segment's preferences.
Remember the ultimate goal here: connect, connect, and connect.
Step 4: Personalization Technology
Delivering personalized videos at scale requires the right tools.
Choose a platform offering dynamic content insertion, seamless integration with your CRM/marketing tools, and automation capabilities.
To do this, you’ll want to evaluate video marketing platforms ensuring that they’re reliable, CRM friendly, and automated.
A perfect example of just the right tool is viewed.video: you’ll be able to send personalized marketing videos to each customer in bulk, using personal details such as your customer’s name with customizable images, voice-over and text, making each email you send unique and valuable to your target customers.
Step 5: Campaign Execution
When the time comes to pull the trigger, it’s important for you to know and remember to launch your personalized video campaign through channels where your audience is most active, such as email, social media, or your website.
And when it comes to lead gen execution, you have to ensure that each video is delivered in a format that's easily accessible and provides a smooth playback experience on any device.
Also, and do not overlook this: double check and make sure that the landing pages that you choose linked to your videos, also align with the personalized message and segment expectations (don’t lose them in the final step!).
Welcome the Future of Lead Generation Today
The future of lead generation is here, and it seems like it’s here to stay:
“Personalized emails achieve an open rate of 29%, and a click-through rate of 41%” [Campaign Monitor]
"66% say AI can help them provide a more personalized experience and understand their customers better.” and perhaps even more surprisingly, “63% of sales leaders say AI makes it easier for them to compete with other businesses in their industry." [Hubspot]
The answer becomes crystal clear: by embracing AI, personalized video strategies, cutting-edge technology, and comprehensive data analysis, you as a sales professional can revolutionize your lead generation efforts, forever.
