Actually there are several very effective ways to include a video along with an email newsletter. One of the most popular methods, which forwards the video as a static image with the familiar “Play” triangle on the image itself, has been shown to increase click through rate significantly. According to GetResponse, emails containing videos received, on average, 5.6% higher open rates and a whopping 96.38% CTR than emails without videos! Additional research has shown that video presentations generate 373% more leads than white papers. (ASBTDC)

I’d like to add to Raymond’s point regarding the effective use of videos in reaching potential investors with a personal anecdote. In starting up a video business, the most natural medium for us to explain what we do was...you guessed it, through a video. That particular video was key to securing funding for our launch. Our own explainer video for our “explainer video business” laid it all out for people who were completely unfamiliar with our particular talents and the product we were selling. Our message was very clear and any objections they may have had were quickly answered by an effective visual. In the end we got the funding :-)

The use of an online video can be incredibly effective not only by introducing yourself to a wide audience, but also converting a potential customer into a real customer. The video for Dropbox that appears on its homepage is an out-of-the-park example of an explainer video translating into more signups and a higher customer conversion rate than without video. Some stats from Dropbox that illustrate just how well the video is working (Common Craft): * The video was viewed 750,000 times in October 2010. * The conversion rate jumps from 30% to 33.2% when the video is viewed versus when it is not. That’s a 10% increase in conversion just by watching the video! * That means thousands of new signups each and every day that are directly tied to the video. That’s pretty compelling evidence supporting how effective animated videos can be in explaining your product and getting your message out to the masses.

This trend towards online videos being used much more often as an effective marketing tool can be attributed to a couple of factors: 1. Videos are more effective when they are simple and fun. Animated videos quickly capture your audience’s attention, are easy on the eyes and by their nature generally keep things light. 2. Viewers retain 58% more information when they see a message, rather than simply reading it. Animated videos allows clients to incorporate the visual metaphors with key marketing information...more than one message can be delivered for greater impact. Take a look at one of our recent blog posts that explains the link between web videos and grabbing/keeping the viewer’s attention. And here are a few tips to increase the impact of your animated video.

It’s no surprise that online video growth has exploded over the last few years and will continue to do so. While the images in an animated video can be quite powerful in their simplicity, another layer of messaging can be conveyed through the use of background statistics and key product points. Several explainer videos we produced for World Food Programme (wfp.org) meet sensitive topics such as providing nutritious meals in underdeveloped countries and intelligent food aid head on with simple images, all the while transmitting a very powerful message.

It’s no surprise that online video growth has exploded over the last few years and will continue to do so. While the images in an animated video can be quite powerful in their simplicity, another layer of messaging can be conveyed through the use of background statistics and key product points. Several explainer videos we produced for World Food Programme (wfp.org) meet sensitive topics such as providing nutritious meals in underdeveloped countries and intelligent food aid head on with simple images, all the while transmitting a very powerful message.

If your home page is the first impression you don

The key to a successful video, whether you