Video email doesn’t just build trust and rapport, it makes your message clearer and more memorable, as opposed to plain text communication. This is part of the reason why video is becoming a fundamental component of an online marketing strategy—and if you are sending emails via Outlook or GMail, you are marketing your business online!

In this post, I am going to go over how I use video email to send responses to the questions I get asked most frequently.

Firstly, I use the Logitech C910 webcam because it produces the best picture and sound.

I then fire up the jiveSYSTEMS video email software.

In my mind, I make a quick bullet point draft of what I want to say. I don’t use scripts - in my opinion they reduce the impact of the video. It takes months of training to read from a teleprompter naturally.  Plus, teleprompters are very expensive.  Video email doesn’t warrant that level of production quality either.  This is because speed is one of the advantages we have as small business owners over the large corporations………while they are waiting for their next board meeting, we can pump out informative and timely content.

Example Script Outline

Introduction

• Joe, it was a pleasure talking to you today (via phone). I know it is always nice to put a face to the name, so here I am.

3-7 Prioritized Bullets

• Salient points from call:
• We have unlimited storage and bandwidth;
• Team and enterprise capabilities;
• Exit links for call-to-actions.

Call-To-Action

• Click link to the right to learn more.

Next…

Once I have the outline organized in my mind, I memorize it—a process which takes just a few seconds once you have done it a few times. I use the outline as an anchor and then adlib around each marker.  The outline is merely there as a guide.  The most important part is the opening ‘hook’ that grabs their attention, and the call-to-action, which drives them where I want them to go.

Rinse & Repeat

For the questions I get asked most frequently, I rinse and repeat the above process to record and save video email responses into my jiveSYSTEMS video email account.

Moving forward, when I get asked one of my FAQs, I simply fire off one of my canned video email responses.  The response I receive in reply to the video email is always positive!

We Make It Easy

We make it easy for you to select a video template and dynamically display exit links for your call-to-actions.  I have put a screenshot of our video template below.  We have many stock templates in the system.  You can also create custom templates with your logo and website theme.

I have been using Infusionsoft for four years now… that is right, I AM A BADASS (see proof to the right). I have also set up Marketo, OfficeAutoPilot, HubSpot and other systems for my clients over the years.

Infusionsoft has become very powerful and the usability has improved tremendously.

For 90% of the small businesses out there, Infusionsoft is the best solution. Even if money was not an object, I would still choose Infusionsoft over Eloqua (and Eloqua costs about 8 times more money). The reason is simple, Eloqua, like many other marketing automation platforms, doesn’t have a CRM, Affiliate Module, Order Forms and Shopping Cart. It’s kinda like having a sick whip without wheels. Granted if you run a B2B business and your lifetime customer value is in the tens of thousands or more, you will likely want to spring the green for Eloqua and plugin SalesForce for the CRM piece. However, very few businesses fall into that bucket.

In my opinion, HubSpot is a waste of space at the moment. Why anyone would spend $400 per month for HubSpot (1K-10K list size), when they can get WordPress and Google Analytics for free, plus an Infusionsoft account and do 10X MORE and do it FASTER, still eludes me.

If you want to learn more about Infusionsoft, I wrote an article earlier in the year, the title says it all “The Most Important Piece of Software That We Use“.

Begin Wicked InfoGraphic

End Wicked Infographic

Download PDF: Top 20 Marketing Automation Software Solutions

Fax machines will never catch on, especially since the person at the other end needs one as well.

Social media is a waste of time! Nobody is going to increase their sales with a bookmark or a Tweet.

Facebook … that is just a site for college kids who should be studying.

This is why I have dedicated the posts over the last couple of months almost exclusively to explaining the value proposition of video email.

Posts from the Past Couple of Months

Video Email: It Is a Matter of Trust

When it comes to business, trust is the most valuable currency in the world. Video email is a quick and easy way to put a face to the name, which creates trust and builds rapport. In this post, we cover the basis of why video email creates trust and how it differs from web video (e.g. a video on YouTube).

The 5 Keys to Success with Video Email

I have worked with hundreds of people from many different walks of life, who work in a surprising variety of industries. These five keys are the product of hundreds of hours of research and personal testing. By mastering the keys, you will put yourself on the fast track to success with video email.

3 Types of Video Email Message: Personalized, Evergreen, and Automated

Learn about the three different types of video email message that you can use in your marketing and daily communications: personalized, evergreen and automated. Evergreen and automated video emails can save a great deal of time, while still maintaining the personal touch. A great example of an evergreen video email is a response to a FAQ.

Choosing the Right Equipment for Your Video Emails

With so many video options on the market, it is difficult and time-consuming to know which video equipment to choose. So I have created a six-minute screencast to make things really easy for you. I deal with webcams, camcorders, lights and more. In addition, I cover from the bare essentials all the way up to a mini-studio.

Software Updates & New Features

Video Email Templates: A Fresh New Look and Feel

We have updated three of our video email templates. The new design has a larger background image, so the video email templates display well on both low and high-resolution screens (small and large monitors). We have also improved the way exit links work, to drive more focus to your calls-to-action.

“Hotspots” Launched: Perfect for Qualifying Leads and Interest Level

This is the data you need, to focus on your most qualified leads. Video analytics isn’t just about number of views. Frankly, numbers alone can be very misleading. What you need to know is how many people watched your video and where people started to x-out (lose interest in the content). This is why we created ”Hotspots”: a heatmap view of how people watch your videos.

P.S.

The larger our audience becomes, the more time we can invest in creating content. So feel free to make liberal use of the floating share buttons to the left of each post.

Now, evergreen video email messages are, basically, responses to frequently asked questions. Think of them is canned responses. Now, in evergreen video email messages, you don’t want to mention someone’s name, or anything that would give the communication away as not being addressed to the specific individual, or the group of people that you’re sending it to.

Now, automated video email messages are the coolest, in my opinion. Because this is where you start to really leverage the power of automation, to do your job for you, in a way, while you’re sleeping. You can string together a series of Evergreen video email messages– for example, The Seven Deadly Sins of Online Marketing– put them in a follow-up sequence, or set them up in your autoresponder.

A follow-up sequence is just an autoresponder with a little bit more automated intelligence built into it. It’s the difference between something like AWeber and Constant Contact, and then, for example, a system like Infusionsoft, which we use. Which is just a little bit more robust. And then when someone fills out a web form– or after you’ve finished talking to them on the phone– you drop them into that sequence of automated video emails that, then, educates them on your value proposition, or whatever it is that you’re offering them.

So those are the three types of video email message, folks. You’ve got personalized, Evergreen, and automated. So let’s just do a quick recap of what those are. Personalized video emails are intended for an individual or group or a specific time– for example, an event. Evergreen video emails are, basically, reusable video emails. For example, responses to frequently asked questions, canned responses, that you or your assistant or someone in your company, would send to people. And then evergreen video email messages graduate and become automated video email messages, when you string them together in autoresponders or follow-up sequences.

So, thanks for watching. I’m Will Franco, otherwise known as Flywheel, here with jiveSYSTEMS. If you wouldn’t mind doing me a favor, please share this post, using the buttons to the left. I would greatly appreciate it.

The video is from inside the jiveSYSTEMS member success portal. It is one of many videos that I have created to compress the learning curve with video email (and web video in general).

Here is what you will learn about:

• Logitech C910 Webcam
• Q3HD Flipstyle Camcorder
• Manfrotto MKC3-H01 Tripod
• xShot Camera Extender
• More Light = Better Picture
• Natural Daylight Lamps
• Fluorescent Softbox Kit
• LED Lights Kit by Fancier

P.S.

Do you know anyone who is interested in video? Do us all a favor and share this post with them. Please help spread the good word. I sure would appreciate it. – Will Franco aka Flywheel

Imagine the possibilities… being able to track how your people watch your videos!

How To Use Hotspots:

Send your video email to an individual or a group, and then look at the Hotspots data to qualify your prospects for follow-up. Hotspots also work with the Post Link feature, for those of you who are using a mass email marketing systems (e.g. iContact, aWeber, ConstantContact, and Infusionsoft) with your jiveSYSTEMS video email account.

We are still ironing out some kinks with the accuracy of the data. Sometimes when someone watches the entire video, it will only show as 98%. The jiveSYSTEMS techs are working around the clock the get this fixed. Also, it is currently not possible to track mobile device views, at least most mobile devices. We will be implementing an icon that will indicate the viewing device, so you can easily interpret the data.

The Road Ahead:

These features are part of a slew of updates and improvements we will be making to the system in the new few months. We have the second round of usability testing scheduled for early next year, ready for our national and global launch.

Even though we have done no mainstream marketing (print ads, commercials, national press), we still have members signing up from all over the world. We are coming to the end of our 3rd and final beta period and only have 193 lifetime discounted memberships left. So if you are curious about our system, take a moment to watch the new video on our homepage.

My good friend Shane MeLaugh has put together an excellent webinar about outsourcing.

Don’t worry, he is not selling anything… this webinar is what I call “safe-content.” Don’t be a freeloader though… it’s just not polite or respectful. Shane is running a business, just like you and I. So, if you enjoy the video, “Like” this post on Facebook, or “Tweet” about it, using the button on the left-hand side, and make sure to check out Shane’s Blog in the “Learn More About Shane” section below.

Ultimately, Shane is leveraging the law of reciprocity, not crappy fear based marketing tactics like so many online marketers do. This is a process known as paying it forward and it’s how I believe all good marketers do business.

Enjoy the presentation:

Resources Mentioned:

• The Content Authority – great article writing service
• IM forums mentioned: Backlinksforum, Warriorforum, Wickedfire
• oDesk – for finding workers for all kinds of jobs and projects
• vWorker – same as oDesk, but a little more complex (good for larger projects)
• Google docs – to create and share your project details with workers
• For wireframing your projects: Pencil Project (free, Windows and Linux), Mockingbird, Balsamiq

Learn More About Shane:

• IMImpact Blog – Internet Marketing (IM) Impact
• Get Access to More of Shane’s Free Content (Opt-In Required)

Shane lives in Zurich, Switzerland. He and I became friends about 4 months ago. I found one of his blogs and really liked the content. I emailed him to connect, stating we were on similar paths and should mastermind together every couple of weeks. Since then, we have come to call each other friends. Shane was sharp, and recognized that I was methodical in the way I built our relationship. He asked me one day, so I wrote a post about it in my notebook, How To Build a Mastermind Network.

jiveSYSTEMS was launch in May 2008. From that time, I have worked with hundreds of people from many different walks of life who are working in a surprising variety of industries. These 5 Keys are the product of hundreds of hours of research and personal testing.

1) Overcoming Camera Anxiety

• Sending a video email needs to feel the same as a text-based email. If you have any hang-ups, you are not going to succeed, unless you find a way to overcome them. You can practice by sending video emails to friends and family. After all, life is not just about making money and everyone loves to receive video email messages, especially ones where you have the training wheels on.
• Once you have broken the ice, it is critical that you don’t let it freeze over. Make a commitment to send at least one video email per day, even if that video email is to yourself (e.g. a video log of each day, or better yet at the beginning and the end of each day).
• Find comfort in the fact that you don’t walk around the world with a paper bag on your head… you talk to people all day… video email is no different, apart from the fact you can hit delete and do another  take!  Life doesn’t have a rewind button, video email does.
• Don’t become a perfectionist and fall into the zone of diminishing returns. In most cases, good is good enough. This is especially true with video email because it is designed to supplement text-based email. It is not supposed to be a professional brochure, that is what web video is for (videos that are produced, edited and published to a web page).
• Don’t try to become Steven Spielberg. Video email is supposed to be quick and easy, it is best leveraged as a  follow-up to a first phone call with a new prospect or lead, to help put a face to the name–thus establishing trust in the sales process.  When you have trust you have sales!

Related Blog Posts: On-Camera Training
You may also like this post, Video Email Comparison: Putting Myself on the Chopping Block.

2) Location to Film

• If you don’t have a studio and feel you need one, think again. When we first started, I would sit on the back of my sofa with a flip style camera held at arms length. Sure my videos were a little shaky, and they certainly didn’t have the best lighting, but the content was sound. The members that have been with us since the beginning still remember those videos, and many have stated they signed up, at least in part, because of them. They got to know me by watching my video emails and started to trust me, and in turn took a free 30 day test drive of our video email marketing software and training. Imagine what a free, well placed video email, in a marketing sequence, can do for your business.
• That being said,  don’t just record video emails anywhere. Note that I recorded my video emails on the back of my sofa in my living room, I did this because I have a painted wall and a nice ? piece as the backdrop there. You want to work towards having a dedicated location to film, a room in your house if you work from home most of the time like me, or a suitable location at work. You can even use this as an excuse to decorate a little and make your office look a little nicer, which I can assure you will boost your energy levels while you are working.
• Surround yourself with the things that define you and will represent you to your clients. If you can’t create a dedicated location, pay close attention to the noise in the room where you are going to film. Aim to pick a quiet place, and if that is not possible know the rhythm of the room (e.g. the best time to film is 1100hrs to 1400hrs while the kids are at school).

3) Recording Devices

• Not all webcams are created equal. I have tried many of them  and the best by far are Logitech. I am currently using the Logitech C910 which costs around $80 on Amazon. Before that I was using the Logitech 9000 which you can get for around $50. The difference between the cameras is barely noticeable for video email. However, the C910 can record in HD which means it can double-up as an exceptionally economical web video recording device. I often use my C910, instead of my expensive Sony Prosumer camcorder, for really high quality videos that I edit in Sony Vegas and then publish the landing pages. It really is that awesome. The sound quality is also superb… more than capable for most screencast or podcast type recordings.
• To get a really good picture, you need lots of light in the room. Webcams have small image sensors–the more money you pay for a picture capturing device, the larger the image sensor and the better quality picture you will get in lower light conditions, is the general rule of thumb. Since we don’t want or need to spend thousands of dollars, switch on all the lights in the room. If your room is still not bright, you can buy some natural daylight lamps for around $30 a piece to brighten things up while being kind to your face.
• If you are using a laptop, put it on top of a box, to bring it up to eye level. You don’t want people looking up your nose now do you? You should also turn the webcam mic level down and speak loudly instead, this will, in most cases, eliminate the background noise (e.g. computer fans, air conditioners, noisy neighbors).

Related Blog Posts: Video Equipment

4) Camera Readiness

• Be ready to record when you re working. This trips a lot of people up, especially  for those who work from home like me. In fact, it still trips me up on occasion. If you are not camera ready, you are not going to record video emails. It is that simple, if you have to do your hair, shave or makeup or whatever it is that you need to do to feel good on camera, just quit now. ALWAYS REMEMBER, video email isn’t supposed to be polished, it is meant to be REAL.
• Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you should record videos with bedhead. What I am getting at is this: you need to find a happy medium between looking good and feeling like a rock star, a look you can achieve everyday right when you wake-up for work, so you are camera ready.
• If you have been following me for a while, you will note my outfit of choice is blue jeans and a black T-Shirt. I have 2 pairs of blue jeans and 9 of the same black T-Shirt. For those of you who monitor stats closely and have read my previous posts, I used to have more black T-Shirts but some wore out and I am yet to replace them, lol. For those of you who don’t feel one outfit is enough, I hear you, but that is just my style. The key is to have your wardrobe ready and defined, so you are camera ready when you are working. The goal is to be able to switch on your webcam with the least preparation possible when you are working.

5) Understanding the Technology

• Video email isn’t a common place piece of software like MSWord, it is a living breathing cutting-edge marketing tool. The online streaming video space has few standards and therefore is a complex environment that is flux. This means it is a constant challenge for the software developers like us to keep up with the changes and to cater to the new and growing numbers of applications for video email as they arise. Part of this process involves making frequent changes and updates to the software, which needs to be done in frequent iterations and then explained to the users.
• Video email has barely entered into the early adopters stage of the technology adoption lifecycle. I would say that less than 1% of the entire business population is using video email, way less. So you need to have a really good relationship with your video email provider, so you can grow with them as the applications for the technology expand.
• Choose a company that provides not just support but training, which of course we offer. Make sure your videos will stream on all the popular devices PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android; not many companies can say that, but of course we can. These are the facts, you can take them or leave them. I am not trying to market to you, merely putting it all out there. The fact that there are no other video email companies that I am aware of that offer these things is not a marketing pitch, it is simply the truth.

Conclusion

Success and failure are largely based on how you master these 5 Keys. If you are using or intend to use video email, don’t try and break the mold. Focus on these 5 Keys until you have mastered them.

To find out more, watch the following short video:

Over the coming weeks, we will be updating all of the video email templates to the new and improved version.

FAQ – Why are the video email templates so basic?

Answer – Video emails are not supposed to be flashy. If the templates looked like a million dollars, the person viewing the video email would feel as though they were about to spend a million dollars! For most businesses, our clean and low-key style works very well. However, if you are running a branding agency or selling high-ticket items, you will likely need something with more polish. This is why we created the option for you to purchase custom templates that can be branded with a logo and website theme.

When you send a video email right out of the gate, after a first phone call with a new lead, it changes the dynamics of the sales cycle. The silent objection “Why should I trust you?” is removed. Unlike web video (e.g. a YouTube video or a video embedded into a landing page), video emails are quick and easy to create and send.

Video emails are also perceived differently than web videos. Think about it: when you see a slick looking landing page with a video embedded into it, what do you think? “They must be selling me something!” By contrast, a video email feels like a regular email, a personalized communication from you to them. This is the primary reason why video email works so effectively.

To learn more about video email, I highly recommend reading my posts How To Use Video in Emails.

The world isn’t going to slow down. In fact, the rate at which information is currently expanding is exponential. Some futurists predict that in a few years we will no longer be able to keep up. However, if you think of yourself a gyroscope, and you become truly centered, the faster the world moves around you and the more stable you will become. ¹

The Newsletter

We’ve been climbing up Google’s results for our search terms this month, and also made some significant changes to our video email software and website. Plus, I have found some more awesome and thought provoking TED Talks.

This Month’s Posts

Video Email Software: Systems Updates and New Features for July 2011

Since we launched in mid 2008, our video email software has come a long way. This latest batch of improvements is focused on usability (we streamlined the use of a couple of key features), but we have also implemented the foundation for some major changes in the near future. To find out what we have got brewing, read this post.

The Most Important Piece of Software That We Use

In the modern world, the tools may not make the person, but they do play a major role in how far they can go and how quickly they can get there. In this post, you can learn about the most powerful tool in our toolbox. This one tool alone enables us to run jiveSYSTEMS with small team at a very high output.

Seth Priebatsch – The Game Layer On Top of The World

The game layer is an integral part of the rapidly approaching future. In this talk, Seth Prebatsch shows us how different aspects of games take hold of our attention and can influence massive amounts of people; we just have to lay the framework first. What game will you build to support the growth of your business?

Dan Pink – The Surprising Science of Motivation

This is one of my favorite TED Talks. Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories — and maybe, a way forward.

Up 15 Positions in the Search Results for “Video Email”

There have been many opinions circulating about the benefits of SEO post-Panda. Some internet marketers have even been saying Panda is the death of SEO. From my perspective, the people that have been hit the hardest are Black Hat SEOs. Google is giving less precedent to low quality backlinks and more weight has been given to Traffic and Social Media.

The Google Panda Update: What Does it Mean?

Rand of SEOMoz is a world authority on white hat search engine marketing (SEO). In this video, he gives you a bird’s eye view of the recent changes that Google has made to their search algorithm. If you want to rank high in the organic search results, you need to watch this video. This is the most informative video on SEO that I have ever come across!

The Recent Changes to Our Blog Navigation and Setup

In this post, I talk about the changes I have made to our blog and how they will improve our rank in the search engines and the overall user experience. Blogs are the new newspapers and magazines. In my opinion, a blog is an one of the essential parts of building a successful business.

Compilation of Our Free Resources

This post is a compilation of information and links to the free resources that we have put together to benefit the internet marketing community (small business owners and entrepreneurs). Our free resources are packed full of insight that will enable you to take your business to the next level.
.
Footnotes

Quick Recap

• Tri-Transcode: As many of you already know, video emails sent through our system play on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android devices thanks to our automatic tri-transcode and universal player. This was the major breakthrough that set us apart from other video email providers.

To learn about our core features, read 7 Core Features of jiveSYSTEMS.

New Features

• Auto-Update for Desktop Software: Once you update to the latest version of our software, v7.2.3, you will not have to update it again. We have added a mechanism that will automatically update the software for you.
• Batch Upload: You can now upload 5 videos at once through the back office, which will be a big time saver for power users, who like to record videos on flip-style cameras.

System Updates

• Simple(r) SMTP Setup: A step-by-step setup assistant has been implemented for common email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and AOL) to help you configure your video email account to send from your native address.
• Upgraded Video Player: We have updated our video player, which is now primed for bitrate switching technology¹ (the same tech that Hulu and Netflix use to switch the bitrate of the video file based on your internet connection speed).
• Preview Video Templates: When selecting a video template in the back office, you can can now see a live preview as opposed to a static image.

If you have any feedback, comments, or questions, please feel free to leave them below.

Footnotes

Imagine we are at the race track in the 1940s, and I appear on the scene in a ’90s Lamborghini Diablo. You could put the best driver in the world against me, and I would beat them without even leaving 2nd gear or breaking a sweat.

Just like me in a Diablo, a person with less skill can beat an expert while putting in considerably less effort if they have the right equipment.

Why put yourself at a disadvantage? Why not get the best? It is usually because of money. Well, I am here to tell you that 9 times out of 10 that excuse is complete baloney. Most people do have enough money, they just aren’t willing to cut their expenses. So it is not money, it is a prioritization issue. And when you factor your time into the equation (the extra time you will need to invest by using inferior tools), you will discover that you are actually spending more money by using them.

Liberation from the daily grind is no longer just about being a good delegator, that is a recipe for skyrocketing expenses and laborious management duties. The real secret that everyone is chasing is good automation. And it really isn’t that much of a secret. It is usually just the elephant in the room that no one seems to see.

Anyway I digress, it is time for me to get to the point…

Some people use aWeber and similar solutions, others use 1ShoppingCart or one of the many other solutions that are on the market. If you do a little research, you will quickly realize that most marketing automation tools come from either infomarketers or companies with no real marketing experience. They have little infrastructure or long term planning in place as well.

This is what makes Infusionsoft unique, they have:

• grown from 3 guys in a garage to a team of 143 people in only 7 years.
• gone from 0 to over 22 million in annual revenue during the process.

Do you think they might have something special going on? I can tell you for certain, they do. They have something very special. They have the equivalent of a Diablo in the ’40s, today. Plus, they specialize in helping small business owners with 1 to 15 employees.

I will be 100% upfront with you as I always am, Infusionsoft did have a rough patch for the last couple of years, in my opinion. Any company that grows that quickly is bound to have some fallout. Hence my not promoting them for several months. Plus, when you are that successful the haters tend to pop up out of the woodwork.

But you can rest assured that Infusionsoft is firing on all cylinders now.

Find Out What Infusionsoft Can Do For Your Business

Watch a Live Infusionsoft Demo Today – It’s the Quickest and Easiest Way to Understand What Infusionsoft Can Do For Your Business!

Seriously, if you are stuck and can’t figure out why you can’t move your business forward, Infusionsoft is likely one of the missing ingredients. I would bet that traffic is also a stumbling block, but that can be cured by following up properly with the leads you already have in your pipeline. If you don’t have a couple hundred leads in your pipeline… you might want to consider changing careers, unless you are working with really high-ticket items.

Feel free to leave a comment on this post and I will gladly field any questions you have. I have two Infusionsoft applications, one for jiveSYSTEMS and the other for AskFlywheel. I have also been a CMAC (a certified Infusionsoft coach) for several years now and keep an open mind by continually testing the other solutions on the market, so I am in an excellent position to advise you.