Hi friend,

You see that video 👆? That's what today's email is about. 

Including a link to a video or audio version of your newsletter is one way to build a more engaged audience.

I'm not talking about creating a whole separate script and producing it in a fancy studio. I recorded the video above on my iPhone in my home office to give an example of what’s possible with just your phone and a few minutes.

But just because something is easy isn't reason enough to do it. Let's talk about why video versions can be so helpful.

Increased engagement

Links to videos are frequently some of the most clicked items in the AWeber newsletter. Video thumbnails tend to be visually appealing when compared to the walls of text you see in your inbox and people have been trained by the internet to interact with video.

Better accessibility

We all have different preferences, right? Some of us prefer to dive into a good book, while others prefer to binge-watch the latest Netflix series. By including a video version of your newsletter, you're giving people the option to consume your content in a way that suits their fancy.

This inclusivity will expand your reach and make your newsletter accessible to a wider audience.

For me, I'll often listen to something while I'm working. An audio version of a newsletter makes it much more likely that I'll engage with it fully.

But won't I lose conversions?

You might think that by linking people off to a video you're distracting them from taking some other action you want them to take. I think that in most cases, that fear is unfounded. As long as the video is relevant to the point you’re trying to make or the product you’re trying to sell, they can actually help you convert.

Convinced? Let’s make your first video.

Like I said at the top you don't have to over-produce these. Something (as long as people can see and hear what's going on) is better than nothing.

Get your camera set up.

Using your phone to record? Set it up in a holder above or next to your computer screen so you can see and read from your newsletter without having to look down or to the side. I put my phone in gooseneck mount so I can easily position it exactly where I need it.

Using a webcam? When I'm reading from a script or reading my email, I use a teleprompter app to make my read look more natural. I prefer this Teleprompter app on iOS because it easily lets me load in Google docs.

Record yourself reading your newsletter.

Don't focus on getting this perfect when you're just getting started. Focus on getting it done.

Upload your video.

I upload my videos to YouTube as public videos so my newsletter ends up getting indexed by YouTube, the second most used search engine in the world.

Add a link to your newsletter.

You can paste a link to your video on YouTube or your landing page onto a blank line in your message and AWeber will automatically turn it into a stylized link preview block.

Adding YouTube videos to your newsletter is as simple as copy + paste

Instead of just text links, you can turn your link to your latest video into a cool, eye-catching mini preview.

Link previews give your readers a fun sneak peek that gets them excited about what they're about to watch.

So don't just drop a text link and hope for the best – give your fans a taste of the action with AWeber's Link Previews.

Behind the newsletter

No behind the newsletter this week. Instead, take a gander at the video version of this very email!
 

Get our latest expert advice and helpful tips 

As always, thanks for reading!

- Chris Vasquez and the rest of the AWeber team
 

What's a Feed Element???

Have you ever seen the feed element in your message editor and wondered "that looks cool, what is it?"

You can drag that feed element into your email, add the URL to a blog post, YouTube video, Etsy product and so much more. Then, like magic your image, title, description are automatically pulled into your email.

Here's one of the ways it can look in your email.

Now go try the feed element in your next email.

👉 Learn how use the feed element