ThoseinMedia

Not exactly on topic, but, I’m looking into apps like Gowalla and Foursquare, which seem to me to be great platforms for local search, local rewards, enhanced mobile experience, etc. Anything that extends the social media optimization in mobile is a hot button with me, these days.

Whitepaper Alert! Incorporating Video into Email Marketing Campaigns: Links, Animated Images and New Solutions for Embedding…

This is the copy from a whitepaper we recently released, shoot me an email (jdempsey at goldlasso dot com) if you want the easier on the eyes version or any other research / whitepapers we have published on a number of new media topics:

Introduction
Considering that more than 10 billion videos are viewed online every single
month (according to comScore, Inc.), it’s no surprise that marketers and retailers
are eager to incorporate video into their email marketing campaigns.
When the content is compelling, relevant and useful to the viewer, videos have
the power to engage customers far more than simple text or images. Videos let
you show, not just tell, customers about your products. And if the video’s especially
educational — or entertaining — it can become a viral marketing tool,
which can lead to more subscribers.
While videos are certainly popular, marketers who want to use videos in their
email campaigns have been stymied by the inability to properly display videos
via embedding. To work around these obstacles, companies have simulated videos
through links and images, but those alternatives come with downsides. As
of spring 2009, however, new technology is emerging that may move retailers
closer to solving the video embedding problem.
This white paper describes the history of video in email, why embedding has
been next to impossible, how marketers simulate video through links and images,
and what’s on the horizon for true video embedding in email.
Video in Email: A Brief History
Incorporating video into email used to be a simple matter. Several years ago,
marketers had the ability to embed video in emails, by including HTML code
that “fetched” the video fi le to run in the email itself, just as one would embed a
YouTube video in a blog post or web page.
ISPs, however, grew wary of spyware and viruses, so they eliminated the opportunity
by blocking JavaScript and Flash functionality that enabled the video
to display properly. Nowadays, nearly all the major email clients and webmail
services block embedded videos from playing directly in emails.
Since ISPs began blocking video functionality, marketers discovered that they
could best avoid video/email compatibility issues by instead simulating video,
i.e., putting the actual video on a web page and using the email to drive traffi c.
While simulating, rather than embedding, video has become the best way to
incorporate video into email, these approaches come with downsides in terms
of display, accessibility and the video’s ability to grab attention.
How popular is
video?
• U.S. Internet users
viewed 11.5 billion
online videos during
the month of March
2008, a 13% net gain
over February 2008
and over 64% gain
over 12 months ago.
• 139 Million U.S.
Internet users watched
an average of 83
videos per viewer in
March 2008.
• 73.7% of the total U.S.
Internet Audience
viewed video online
during the month of
March.
• 84.8 million viewers
watched 4.3 billion
videos on YouTube
alone.
Source: comScore, Inc.
Page 2 – Incorporating Video into Email Marketing Campaigns: Links, Animated Images and New Solutions for Embedding
The Pros and Cons of Simulating Video in
Email
Marketers have used primarily two approaches to simulate
video in their email campaigns: inserting a simple
text link, or linking with an animated image/GIF.
Text Link
The simplest alternative to embedding video is to insert
a text link to the video from your email. The video then
opens in an external browser. While this approach is
straightforward and uncomplicated, it lacks the obvious
visual draw and speed of an embedded video or a related
image. For this reason, the best practice for most marketers
has been to insert a clickable screen shot or animated
image of the video (discussed below).
Link with Image/Animated GIF
Simulating video with images typically generates more
visual interest. How it works: once the video is loaded to
your referring web site, a screenshot is taken. HTML is
coded to display this screenshot image when the email
is opened, and link it to the web page where the video
resides.
Because images will render across all email platforms, this approach is considered a safe and alternative to
embedding. Unfortunately, images also get blocked. Animated GIFs no longer run properly, as they are also
blocked because spammers used to bypass fi lters. Marketers have a few options to bypass this obstacle, including
the addition of a text link below the image and using alt attributes in the HTML code.
While using images to simulate video is an industry
best‐practice, this approach has its limitations:
• No support for sound
• Much larger fi le size and poor im
age quality
• CPU load makes it diffi cult for mobile
email clients and Mac users
• User has no way to control playback
New Embedding Solutions on the Horizon
Not satisfi ed with these alternatives, marketers are
still searching for a way to embed videos directly
into their emails — with sound and image quality
intact. The goal is to reach prospects instantly
without waiting for a video to load, or without the
added step of linking to another site.
Encouraging Video Viewing
with Text and Visual Cues
Even though simulating video has
its limitations, marketers can
encourage people to click through
to their videos by:
• Referencing the video in the
email subject line
• Use strong visual cues to
indicate a link to video
• Match your video content to
your message
Source: Lisa Smith of Smith-Harmon
Example of Video
Simulation with
Image
Nashville Nissan simulated
video in a recent
email campaign to
promote its guaranteed
trade minimum campaign.
The click takes
viewers to Nashville
Nissan’s web site for a
quick, engaging 30-second
commercial.
Page 3 – Incorporating Video into Email Marketing Campaigns: Links, Animated Images and New Solutions for Embedding
While many companies and marketers alike have tried to fi nd ways to embed videos, none have been consistently
successful. Recently, however, a few companies have introduced new technology for true
video embedding.
Gmail YouTube Capabilities
Gmail recently announced a new “Labs” feature allowing users to
preview YouTube videos in emails. This technology is currently only
for Gmail users, and is limited to YouTube videos, but it stands as
signifi cant progress in the move towards true video embedding.
Goodmail Systems
Goodmail Systems has also found a way to insert and play videos
from email messages. The Certifi edVideo™ platform enables qualifi
ed senders to incorporate rich video and audio content
directly in email messaging, without additional mouse‐clicks and
pop‐ups.
Certifi edVideo is based on Goodmail’s core Certifi edEmail™
technology with the addition of a new Certifi edVideo tokenclass.
Senders’ messages are delivered directly to the inbox and
ISP restrictions are lifted, enabling video to be instantly viewed
by recipients. Certifi edVideo supports streaming and
progressive download of .SWF and .FLV fi les, playable in
Adobe® Flash® Player.
The platform will offi cially launch in 2009. Yahoo, AOL, Cox,
Comcast and several other media companies have signed on to
partner with the system.
Conclusion
If your business wants to include video in its marketing, you have
several ways to accomplish this – and possibly new and better ways
are just around the corner. Be sure you answer these questions before
you move forward, though:
• Does the video serve a business purpose? (build awareness,
build engagement, better showcase
products to improve sales, educate, etc.)
• Does it deliver value to the recipients? (relevant and
valuable?)
If the answers are yes, then decide what’s the best way to display those videos so that your customers can
quickly and easily reach the information you want to convey.
“ Having to click through to another
page and wait for a video to load
—even if it’s only for a matter of
seconds — can deter a person
with limited attention. Every time
consumers are asked to take one
more action and click onto a Web
site, you lose some of them.”
GoodMail Systems CEO Peter Horan
“ Interruption or disruption as the
fundamental premise of marketing.
You have to create content that is
interesting, useful or entertaining
enough to invite (the consumer).
Viral is the ultimate invitation.”
Jeff Hicks, Chief executive and
Partner at Crispin Porter + Bogusky
About Gold Lasso
Gold Lasso is the fastest growing email service provider, speciaizing in the needs of the middle and enterprise
marketplaces. Gold Lasso consults with clients to follow technology best practices, manage black list
and ISP relationships, and contribute to the ISP and spam fi ghting community.
Gold Lasso off ers its clients enhanced sender reputation and deliverability services:
• Deliverability analysis
• Feedback loops
• Automatic list management
• Complaint reports
• Personal work with ISPs
• Authentication (Domain Keys – DKIM, Microsoft Sender ID, SPF)
• Two-level throttling
25B Chestnut Street
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
301-990-9857 x 217 Phone
301-990-9856 FAX
http://www.goldlasso.com
© Copyright Gold Lasso, Inc. All rights reserved.
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