The most effective communication comes from face-to-face interactions. This is the way we, as humans, communicated and interacted with one another before the age of email and texting. It’s the way the actual message we are trying to convey comes across as we intend, and doesn’t get lost in translation. And this is exactly why video is better than text.

Yet, it is plain, typed-out text the make up the bulk of our daily communications with others — especially in business settings.

The Washington Post estimates that if you were to start working at age 21, retire at age 67 and check your work inbox twice daily, you’d spend 47,150 hours of your life writing and reading work emails.

That’s a lot of hours of your life being spent on sending plain text emails that can easily be misinterpreted. And when your business is on the line, you definitely don’t want this to be the case.

We detail the benefits of video over text in five situations in our “5 Times Video Beats Text” webinar, taught by BombBomb National Speaker Alicia Berruti. Watch it below, or keep reading for a recap with key highlights:

Why and When To Use Video Email

The answer to this question can be summed up in a few of the following stats compiled by WordStream:

• After watching branded social videos, 64% of consumers make a purchase.

• Marketers using video see revenue growth 49% quicker than non-video users.

• Viewers retain 95% of a message when watched via video, and only 10% when reading it in text.

“Text communication leaves a lot to be desired,” Alicia explains. “We know the reason why video is so effective is because it helps people build that know, like and trust faster.”

How is video more effective than text?

There are several reasons why video is better than text, but how is it more effective in email? Alicia details the following reasons at the 6:10 mark:

• It saves you time – Ratatype reports that the average computer typist types 41 words per minute, while the National Center for Voice and Speech indicates that the average English speaker in the U.S. talks at a rate of around 150 words per minute.

Sending a video email instead of the traditional plain text email is faster because all you have to do is click record and say what you need to say.

• It closes the distance – Sending a video email gives your recipient the feeling that you are physically present, even if there is distance between you—no matter how near or far that may be.

A simple video in their inbox puts you right there in front of them. That’s something that plain text just can’t replicate.

• It improves the quality of your communication – While text can get the general message across to email recipients, all the important nonverbal cues—eye contact, body language, tonality and facial expressions—give added context to what you really mean are missing.

With video, all those key elements of avid communication are there so they can grasp and understand the full scope of what you are trying to say. This is equally important in screen recordings where visual demonstrations are critical.

• It adds emotion and human touch to your communication – Alicia describes this best, saying, “You can build a relationship with a human. You cannot build a relationship with black text on a white screen.”

And this emotion and human touch reflected through your video emails are what establish your connections with your customers, helping you build trust and rapport quicker with them.

Video Email vs Text Email: 5 Times Video Beats Text

There are five key business communication situations in which video beats text that Alicia details at minute 10:15. Video is better than text emails for:

1. Lead Response (10:15 minute mark) 

When a business lead or prospect reaches out to you for additional information, shows up on your website analytics or is requesting a demo, use video. Video is better than text in this situation because it sets you apart instantly.

Whether you pre-record these simple lead response video emails or record them in the moment, you are building that know, like and trust just by reaching out in a more personal manner. A perfect example of this is the video below, in which real estate agent Jesse Peters (who was also the #1 Listing Video winner in our 2018 Video Influencers Guide) follows up with a prospective client:

Within 10 minutes, Jesse has a response because he makes a genuine effort to build a connection with his lead. And this is something you can do, too. A formula Alicia recommends for lead response video emails is:

–Empathy: Align yourself with your recipients in your video email.

–Value: Make sure you have something of value to offer them in your message. Alicia says to keep this question in mind: “Why should they talk to you and take the next step?”

–Call To Action: You need to be very specific and clear about next steps you want the recipient of your message to take.

For a lead response script for your video emails, start watching at minute 14:30.

Alicia stresses, “You want to make sure that it’s natural, and it’s human, and you keep those three elements in there.”

2. Checking In (16:15 minute mark)

Marketing Donut reports that “80% of non-routine sales require at least five follow-ups,” and yet 44% of salespeople give up after only one attempt. So, this makes checking in all the more critical to your business communications, and video helps you do this in a more effective manner.

Checking in with video email is great for long-term nurturing cycles or analytics-based communications strategies because it doesn’t disrupt their day and they can consume it on their own time. But you need to make sure that you make your message about them—not you.

“You’re checking in on their needs, and you really [need] to focus on that,” Alicia says. “People are much more likely to engage with you when it is about them.”

Jimmy Burgess does this in the video below. Ane he’s seeing success with it in his business, as he has a 60% response rate from check-in video emails.

3. Updates (21:15 minute mark)
Updates are beneficial for anyone throughout the duration of the sales cycle. You can create them for product updates, team updates, or to let clients know where they are in any sort of buying or selling process.

A big reason why video is better than text in this instance is because it saves you time, especially when sending an update to an entire team of people. Instead of sending the same elaborate company update to each individual team member, you can record one video email, speak as naturally as you would normally, and send the video email out.

Here’s an example of a good team update video email:

And going back to the previously mentioned statistic about individuals retaining only 10% of the information they read in an email, when it comes to important business updates, you want to make sure they retain as much of it as possible. With video, Alicia says, “they’re going to understand that information right away.”

You can also send video email update for bad news—whether that’s a product line being unavailable, something changing in a contract, or if you have to lower the price of a product being sold. These are all tough conversations to be had, and video makes them go a lot smoother.

“Bad news is psychologically more compelling, and it takes longer for people to process,” Alicia explains. “Video gives you the opportunity to seed the information ahead of time and give them time to process information without someone staring at them or without the dead air on the phone.”

You can watch a good example of how to tackle bad news updates via video email at the 25:30 mark. Doing these updates via video shows your clients you acknowledge that this is a difficult situation, and that you care. Additionally, information is less likely to get misconstrued as it gets disbursed because it’s coming directly from you.

4. Asking for Referrals (26:25 minute mark)

By asking for referrals with a video email, you’re avoiding an interruption to both their day and your day. It’s something you can dedicate one day a month to and then schedule the video emails out.

Seeing your face on the screen asking for that referral is also more compelling than plain text and more difficult to ignore. So, they’ll be more inclined to take the time to give you that referral you’re asking for.

The video below showcases a great example of a referral video email sent by realtor Ken Mucha:

With 20 referral videos, Ken received three referrals for $400K, $600K and $1 million ranges.

The key is to not overthink it, and you’ll see the response you’re looking for. A good script to follow for referral video email is at the 31:00 minute mark.

5. Holidays and Special Occasions
Holiday and special occasion greetings are personal, so a text email simply does not have the same effect video does in celebrating these memorable moments. You can send videos for birthdays, home purchase anniversaries and other important milestones.

This is another situation in which you can pre-record and schedule video emails to be sent out for each customer. It closes the distance, and your video emails will stand out among everything else being done.

“A human face has more of an impact,” Alicia says.

Here’s an awesome example of a celebratory birthday video email:

You can also find an example of a Happy Birthday video email script you can use to get started at the 36:20 mark.

Alicia adds that using video for these special messages with customers is “powerful way to maintain the relationship” and the “personal connection with customers” without having to worry about doing them every day.

For an additional personal touch, check out our video email template library with an array of creative email designs you can use to accompany your video.

Don’t be afraid to have fun and be yourself in these videos. Because ultimately, as Alicia says, “The reason why they chose to work with you in the first place is because they like you.”

Get Started with Video Today

Incorporate video in all the business communications situations we covered today by using BombBomb via our desktop version or Gmail integration to send a video email to your current and future clients.

If you’re not already a customer, start your free 14-day trial. No credit card information is required.