Personalized videos in cold emails can significantly increase engagement, with subject lines including “video” seeing higher open rates.
Video allows for a more human connection, helping you stand out and build trust with prospects compared to traditional text-based emails.
Keep videos under 90 seconds, focusing on key points but speak naturally rather than reading from a script.
I used to play this board game called Othello as a kid. I think it’s sometimes called Reversi. Maybe you know it.
The saying printed on the box was “A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.” This tagline unduly annoyed me because at the age of eight, I felt I had definitely mastered the game. Nonetheless, this is the phrase that frequently jumps to my mind when I consider email marketing.
Email marketing takes just a moment to learn, in terms of what it is and how to execute it. But it truly requires a lifetime of constant optimizing and tinkering to master. Now I’d like to offer you another way to improve your email marketing: personalized videos.
Including personalized videos in your emails can encourage more engagement, strengthen relationships, and ultimately lead to more sales. Let’s dive into how to use personalized video in email marketing!
Benefits of using personalized videos in email marketing messages
Here are some of the benefits you might see from including personalized videos in your email marketing:
Higher engagement: Reps who include the word “video” in their email subject lines can see their open rate increase by 6%! Combining personalization with video content in an email is a great way to get recipients’ attention and have more interaction with your emails.
Greater connection:Video creates a person-to-person connection (as opposed to person-to-written-word) because it uses your unique face and voice to share your message, rather than the same black-and-white text that everyone else uses. And when you increase your connection to a lead, you help drive sales.
More concise communication:Video allows the salesperson to easily convey information visually that would have otherwise taken paragraphs of wording to explain.
Standing out from the crowd: Video, at the moment anyway, is rare in emails and, therefore, stands out. Even as video becomes an increasingly popular method of communication, it still taps into your audience’s desire to be acknowledged.
10 tips for including personalized videos in your email marketing
Want to take advantage of some of these benefits in your own marketing efforts? Let’s talk about how to use personalized videos in email marketing and do it well:
1. Use the right equipment
In order to create a stellar email marketing video, you need lighting equipment, a camera, and a microphone. The good news is, in the words of Dylan Echter, Brand Marketing Manager for Gartner Digital Markets and video production expert, “You don’t have to spend big to dramatically increase the quality.”
At the end of the day, you likely already have the equipment needed in order to make a video and start testing your success. (In fact, I might even recommend avoiding purchasing high-end production equipment until you’ve seen some initial success from using video in emails.)
To start, all you need is a decent webcam, some natural lighting, and the microphone on your headphones. Really. Just make sure that you position yourself facing a window (so the light hits you from the front, rather than from behind) and start recording.
Once you’ve given video a shot and decided to continue doing it (or roll it out to your entire sales team), you’ll probably want to invest in more scalable equipment. Natural lighting, in particular, is not super scalable. You probably can’t get your whole sales team next to windows all the time, not to mention the fact that daylight is not a permanent condition.
When you’re ready to invest in better production equipment, you’ll need to pick something based on your own needs, but you should start here:
Here’s a list of lights for under $50 that will make you look alive no matter what time of day is.
Here’s a list of the budget microphones you need to look into. (One is under $50!)
2. Use the right software
In addition to production equipment, you’ll need to select easy-to-use software that allows your team to edit their own videos.
For beginners, Echter says, “A lot of free video editing software can do far more than you think it can. If you’re familiar with iMovie, start with that. Don’t feel the need to spring for anything fancy if you don’t know how to use it, because having workable software and knowing how to use it are two different problems.”
Once your team is comfortable working with video editing software, there are many platforms available today that will really upgrade your video and types of marketing emails. Modern video management platforms will allow your team to edit videos and embed them easily into their emails.
Most of these solutions will even give you access to important metrics for the videos in your emails, helping you determine not just if your video emails get higher click-throughs, but also how engaging the video itself really is, so you can optimize your format and approach.
3. Do your research
Whether you’re recording your video for a cold email or a customer you’ve had for years, it’s important to research your recipient. Researching them before recording gives you a better idea of their needs so you can address them thoroughly. Learn a bit about their company, industry, and any other information that might be relevant.
Consider the following things when conducting research:
Have a goal: As with your other marketing materials, each video should have a goal. Do you want to inform the recipient of an upcoming event or product launch? Want to get them to sign up for a sales call? Research with that specific goal in mind and ignore other details.
Find the right recipient: It might be tricky if you only have one email subscriber working at a specific company, but sending your marketing email to the right person is important. You need to get your marketing messages in front of people who can actually act on them. If you do create a personalized video for someone who isn’t the ideal recipient of your message, make it clear that you’d love to get in touch with the right contact.
Decide how personalized to get: Depending on your email’s goal and what you know about your recipient, you might want to personalize your videos to varying degrees. A smaller degree of personalization might just include the recipient’s first name, while a more personalized video could include their job title, company size and name, and other details. Consider your relationship with the recipient to decide how personalized to make your video.
4. Plan your personalized videos, but don’t script them
A key aspect to using video to make a human connection is to make the video as naturally human as possible—and that means speaking in an off-the-cuff manner, rather than in a scripted monotone.
Spend some time carefully planning what points you want to make. For an intro video, you’re basically making your elevator pitch. Then hit the following points:
Who you are/what your company does
Trust factors
The prospect’s pain point (think of the infomercial cliché, “Are you sick of X happening to you?”)
How your product or service solves that pain point
5. Keep your videos under 90 seconds
Your prospects really don’t want to spend a lot of time paying attention to a stranger, especially a stranger who they know wants something from them. 90 seconds is the absolute longest that you should make your videos—and they should only get that long if you’re offering a micro-demo. Intro videos (which will make up the vast majority of the personalized videos you send in cold emails) really should be more like 30–45 seconds long.
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Dylan also shared this pearl of wisdom with me: “First impressions still matter in video. If you’re a video beginner, borrow a friend with a good eye to help you make sure that you’re not producing accidental-front-camera-selfie or Blair Witch-style videos. You ultimately want your prospect to be impressed with the level of effort, but a personalized video can quickly feel off-putting if the filming is poorly executed.”
Beyond having your first few videos spot-checked, you and your team should get together regularly to compare the success of everyone’s videos. You can pass around tips for things that do and don’t work, so you can get better at your video email strategy team-wide.
7. Visually customize
With video, you can and should go above and beyond displaying that you researched your prospect. One tip recommended by the sales video experts at Vidyard is to hold up a whiteboard with “Hi [Prospect’s Name]” written on it at the beginning. Including this whiteboard easily personalizes your thumbnail, drawing in the prospect’s attention.
Another method is to create your video as a screen recording of the prospect’s website for part or all of the video. Doing so allows you to both capture the prospect’s attention from the thumbnail and clearly indicate where your product will make a difference on their site. It can give a demo feel to an intro video.
8. Use images to present information quickly
One of the best things about video is the fact that you can graphically represent concepts that would take quite a bit of copy to cover. You can use graphics to cover the things that usually weigh down your cold emails, such as trust factors or success metrics.
To see what I mean, check out this mind-blowingly good video from a cold email that the CEO of ProfitWell sent to someone at Nutshell. You’ll see for starters that when Patrick mentions that 25% of his target audience already uses Profitwell, he displays an image with dozens of logos of big-name companies that use Profitwell. Because he uses a graphic instead, he doesn’t have to waste time or space dropping names to drive your trust.
Next up, as he gives a short explanation of what Profitwell does, he shows a clean, simple, personalized interface (presumably the Profitwell interface) demonstrating precisely what it would look like to be successful because of Profitwell. I think my favorite part about this graphic is that it allows him to give the impression that Profitwell would raise Nutshell’s success by about 25% without ever actually saying that. Of course, the second time he uses this style of graphic, he’s able to make it even clearer how much ROI Nutshell would see, without, again, actually saying it.
The best thing about these graphics is that in theory, you should be able to create them beforehand and largely reuse them over and over. Graphics with a company name on them can be quickly altered.
In addition to personalized graphics, some branded graphics such as a title card or a well-done CTA overlay can really elevate your videos and demonstrate to prospects the level of effort you put in just to speak with them. If you’re not strong in graphic design, Echter suggests “[asking] a friend who’s solid in software like After Effects if they’ll put something quick for you on the cheap (for the love of God, pay creatives!) that you can use over and over again. Have them export it as a video file that you can drag and drop into every video you produce.”
9. Have a clear CTA
If I was only allowed to give one more piece of advice ever to sales and marketing people it would be this: have a clear CTA. It honestly doesn’t matter what you’re doing, if you want someone to take an action for you, MAKE IT OBVIOUS AND EASY. That’s in all-caps because so many people fail at this simple task all the time.
Before you even make your video, decide on the action you want your customer to take afterward. Do you want them to schedule a time on your calendar? Fill out a form? Next, figure out a way to make this action as simple as possible. Instead of asking someone to respond to your email with the time that works for them, leave a link to available times on your calendar, for instance.
Now that you’ve figured out what your CTA will look like, lead your video message clearly into it. Something like, “If that all sounds good to you, click below to schedule some time on my calendar to continue this chat!” (If you need an excellent example of how to do this, again, watch that Profitwell video. The CTA at the end could not be clearer or simpler to follow.)
10. Keep the actual email short, sweet, and focused
Even if your personalized video is a home run, don’t forget that you still need to send an email. Instead of focusing on getting a response from the text though, you want to focus on getting the recipients to watch the video, so keep your text as short and decluttered as possible. Basically, you just want to introduce yourself and offer a reason why they should watch that video. Here’s a template from Vidyard:
“Hi [prospect],
As the [title] at [prospect’s company], I imagine you’re focused on improving [relevant item]. I put together a 45-second video explaining how [rep’s company] can [do X, improve Y, solve Z].
[Video]
Looking forward to sharing more best practices. How does [date and time] work for an introductory call?
Best,[Name]”
If your video is actually a link to another page (like the Profitwell video is), leave the secondary CTA off the email altogether and focus on getting them to click on that video. You can then rely on the video’s CTA to do its job.
Frequently asked questions
1. Beyond just saying their name, what makes a personalized video truly effective in a cold email?
While addressing a prospect by name is a good start, true personalization in a video goes much deeper. It’s about demonstrating genuine research and understanding of their unique situation, making the video feel tailor-made, not just templated.
Reference Specific Triggers: Mention something specific you noticed about their company (e.g., a recent news article, a new product launch, a LinkedIn post, a shared connection, or a specific challenge common in their industry). This shows you’ve done your homework.
Address a Specific Pain Point: Directly connect your offering to a challenge you believe they are facing, based on your research. Frame it as “I noticed X, which often leads to Y, and we help with Y by doing Z.”
Show, Don’t Just Tell: If possible, briefly show something relevant to them – perhaps a quick glance at their website, a relevant feature in your product, or a case study from a similar company.
Keep it Human: Maintain a natural, conversational tone. Authenticity builds trust far more effectively than a perfectly polished, but generic, message.
2. What’s the ideal structure or content for a personalized sales video to maximize impact in a cold email?
To make your personalized video concise and impactful, especially in a cold email, a clear and natural structure is key. Think of it as a mini-pitch designed to pique interest, not close a deal.
Hook (5-10 seconds): Start with a direct, personalized greeting and immediately reference the specific reason you’re reaching out (e.g., “Hi [Name], I saw your recent post about X, and it made me think…”). This instantly grabs attention and shows relevance.
Value Proposition (15-20 seconds): Briefly explain how your solution helps companies like theirs overcome challenges related to the trigger you mentioned. Focus on the outcome or benefit for them, not just features.
Social Proof/Credibility (5-10 seconds): A quick, relevant mention of a similar client you’ve helped or a key statistic can build trust.
Clear Call to Action (5-10 seconds): End with a single, low-friction call to action. This could be “Would you be open to a quick 15-minute chat?” or “Let me know if you’d like to see a quick demo.”
3. I’m camera-shy! How can I overcome the discomfort of recording personalized sales videos?
It’s completely normal to feel a bit awkward on camera at first! The good news is that authenticity often trumps perfection in personalized videos. Here’s how to get comfortable:
Practice, Don’t Perform: Don’t aim for a Hollywood production. Practice speaking naturally, as if you’re talking to a colleague. The goal is connection, not a flawless script.
Focus on the Prospect: Shift your mindset from “how do I look?” to “how can I best help this person?” When your focus is on delivering value to them, your discomfort often fades.
Keep it Short: The shorter the video, the less time you have to feel awkward. Aim for 30-45 seconds, which is just enough time to deliver a personalized message.
Authenticity Over Perfection: A slight stumble or a natural gesture makes you more human and relatable. Prospects appreciate genuine effort more than a robotic delivery.
Start Small: Begin by sending videos to prospects you have a slightly warmer connection with, or even to internal colleagues for feedback, before diving into completely cold outreach.
4. What are the technical considerations for sending personalized videos in cold emails to ensure they actually play and don’t get flagged as spam?
Sending videos directly as attachments in emails is a big no-no for deliverability and user experience. The key is to embed them smartly.
Host Your Video: Always host your video on a dedicated video platform (e.g., Vidyard, Loom, Wistia, YouTube, Vimeo). These platforms are designed for streaming and provide analytics.
Embed a Thumbnail with a Play Button: Instead of embedding the actual video file, take a compelling screenshot (thumbnail) from your video. Overlay a prominent “play” button icon on it.
Link the Thumbnail: Make this thumbnail image clickable, linking directly to your hosted video. This creates the illusion of an embedded video without the deliverability issues.
Optimize File Size (for thumbnail): Ensure your thumbnail image is optimized for web, so it loads quickly.
Keep Email Size Small: The overall email size (including images) should remain small to avoid spam filters.
Test Deliverability: Always send a test email to yourself and colleagues using different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to ensure the thumbnail displays correctly and the link works.
5. How do I measure the ROI of personalized video emails beyond just open and click rates?
While open and click rates are good starting points, they don’t fully capture the impact of personalized video. To truly understand your ROI, you need to look at deeper engagement and conversion metrics.
Video View Rate & Completion Rate: Most video hosting platforms provide analytics on how many people watched your video and how much of it they watched. High completion rates indicate strong engagement with your message.
Reply Rates: A personalized video’s primary goal in a cold email is to start a conversation. Track how many videos lead to a direct reply from the prospect.
Meeting Booked Rate: The ultimate goal for many cold emails is to secure a meeting. Track how many prospects who viewed your video go on to book a meeting.
Pipeline Progression: Monitor if prospects who receive personalized videos move through your sales pipeline faster or convert at a higher rate compared to those who receive text-only emails.
A/B Testing: Systematically test video emails against text-only emails (or different video approaches) to see which generates better results across your key metrics.
Maximize your email marketing efforts with Nutshell
Email marketing is a powerful tool for reaching out to new leads and old customers alike. By following the tips above, you can make your marketing emails even more effective through the use of personalized videos. Connect with recipients and boost engagement with well-planned and executed videos that pack a punch.
If you want to make the most of your email marketing campaigns, look no further than Nutshell. With Nutshell Campaigns, the email marketing software we built into our CRM, you can easily create marketing lists based on your CRM contacts, send scheduled and targeted campaigns, and integrate your marketing data with your CRM platform to quickly see the big picture of every relationship.
