{"id":4838,"date":"2020-06-09T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T15:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/?p=4838"},"modified":"2020-12-04T00:54:26","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T06:54:26","slug":"improve-outreach-response-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/improve-outreach-response-rate\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Videos to Improve Your Cold Outreach Response Rate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cold outreach is typically used to target a relatively small number of high-value potential clients. People who have an important role in the workplace are generally very busy. On average, American workers receive over 120 emails a day<\/a>. This number is probably much higher for most decision-makers and CEOs.<\/p>\n

The tricky part of your cold outreach campaign is standing out. That\u2019s where video comes in.<\/p>\n

Today we\u2019ll look at how you can use videos as part of your cold outreach strategy<\/a>. It\u2019s a strategy that can help you grab the attention of decision-makers so you can achieve your marketing or sales goals<\/a>. Before we take a deep dive into the topic, I want to touch on why it\u2019s so important to use an email sequence.<\/p>\n

The Basics Of An Effective Outreach Sequence<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a shockingly common rookie mistake when it comes to cold outreach strategies<\/a>. In short, this is sending off a generic sales pitch<\/a> to leads, and then moving on with your life when you don\u2019t receive a response. While this could technically be described as cold outreach, it\u2019s not how the pros do it.<\/p>\n

Rather than firing off emails and hoping for the best, successful cold outreach strategies leverage effective email sequences.<\/p>\n

Sending multiple emails in a row to a person increases the chance of getting a response. Just think about the last time you meant to reply to an email, only you forgot for whatever reason. Sometimes those messages remain unanswered until you either review your inbox or receive a reminder.<\/p>\n

Numerous case studies show it\u2019s not a problem unique to you or me.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Source: Mailshake<\/a><\/p>\n

A good email sequence works a bit like a sales funnel. Rather than repeating the same message three times, you gradually warm the lead up by revealing different things about your product or service that would make them interested in your offering.<\/p>\n

The most basic email sequences have three stages<\/a>;<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Creating awareness<\/li>\n
  2. Following up to warm leads<\/li>\n
  3. Attempting to close<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Each email in your sequence will attempt to get the prospect to take the desired action. This action is always the same; it\u2019s just that your approach will differ. Let me give you a hypothetical example:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. In the first email, you use a video to introduce who you are, and what you have to offer<\/li>\n
    2. The second email you rely on client testimonials to create trust in your ability to deliver a service<\/li>\n
    3. The final email in the series is where you offer something for free – say a guest post if you offered a link building service – in exchange for their time<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Varying your approach helps reduce the chance of you annoying the prospect. Furthermore, an email series recognizes that there is no \u201cone size fits all\u201d solution to getting a response. Everybody is unique, and the approach you take to outreach should reflect this.<\/p>\n

      Specifically, using a video as part of your outreach campaign will not make every lead respond. However, some people do engage with the content, so it’s something you should experiment with in your outreach campaigns. I\u2019ll talk more about that in the next section.<\/p>\n

      Why You Should Use Video in Your Cold Outreach Email<\/h2>\n

      A large part of how we communicate is based on how we speak and body language. When you send an email to someone, you miss out on that element of communication.<\/p>\n

      Just as importantly, you need a lot of words to express complex ideas. The average email is 3-5 paragraphs. There is a limitation to how much you can say with so few words. However, even in a short video, you can say a lot.<\/p>\n

      This dual reason – more effective communication and a higher volume of information you can convey – make video an effective sales channel. This is why including an email with a video in a cold email outreach<\/a> sequence is effective.<\/p>\n

      This naturally brings us to the question, how does the recipient consume the video?<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      You deliver your video through a custom landing page, which then clicks through to a registration page or something similar. Effectively it\u2019s a simple sales funnel, and you can use sales funnel software to make your landing page.<\/p>\n

      Good marketing doesn\u2019t need to be complex. The important thing is it\u2019s effective.<\/p>\n

      Tips for Using Video in Your Email<\/h2>\n

      We\u2019ve covered some of the theories behind why you should use video in your outreach email<\/a>. In this next section of the guide, I want to share a couple of tips for creating your video before sharing a few inspiring case studies that will motivate you to test out a video in your outreach.<\/p>\n

      Create Engaging Email Copy & an Effective CTA<\/h3>\n

      Your first task is to ensure that recipients watch your video. Otherwise, you\u2019ve wasted your time. The main variables you can play with are your email copy and the video thumbnail, also known as the preroll. This is the image that recipients see before they click play.<\/p>\n

      For the thumbnail, if you are going for something basic, I\u2019d recommend a still image of you talking from the video. Make sure you dress appropriately, and there is good lighting.<\/p>\n

      You can improve on this. For example, you can significantly increase engagement by as much as 800%<\/a> using personalization. This is a lot easier than you might imagine. For example, tools like PicSnippet allow you to add custom text to an image in much the same way as an email template.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Source: PicSnippets<\/a><\/p>\n

      You can create animated thumbnails like this that look like a video thumbnail or a short animated Gif as your video thumbnail. Both strategies are worth testing and can help improve your CTR.<\/p>\n

      Concerning how to structure your email copy, I suggest you head over to the email outreach masterclass<\/a>. This series of eight videos provide a comprehensive overview covering every aspect of email outreach.<\/p>\n

      Use a Proven Sales Pitch<\/h3>\n

      Ensuring the right messaging for your cold outreach videos is important. The first thing is to have a clear idea of your goal. This will inform both the content and the format of your video.<\/p>\n

      For an introduction video, it\u2019s best to keep things simple and speak directly to the camera, as if you were introducing yourself in real life. The key here is to convey the problem you want to solve and why you\u2019re a reliable person to provide the solution.<\/p>\n

      Below is a simple video sales script you could follow:<\/p>\n