Everything you need to know about personalized video marketing

What is personalized video marketing?

Basically, personalized videos marketing involves creating customized video content that is tailored to the individual preferences, behaviors, and characteristics of each viewer.

This approach is data-driven, relying heavily on analytics. Marketers collect data about their target audience, such as browsing history, purchasing behavior, and demographic information etc. This information is then utilized to craft video content that more effectively resonates with each unique viewer.

The key elements of personalized videos that can be customized are as follows:

• Text: Text personalization is perhaps the most straightforward aspect. Here, elements like titles, subtitles, or captions can be personalized to include the viewer's name, location, or other relevant information. For instance, a greeting in the video could say, "Hello, [Viewer's Name]!" or mention their city.
• Audio: Voice overs or background music can be adjusted based on the viewer's profile. Personalized voiceover can address viewers directly or include specific references that resonate with them. For example, a fitness app might use energetic music for a young audience but opt for calmer tunes for older viewers.
• Images: Personalized videos can include images that are relevant to the viewer. For example, if the viewer is known to be interested in outdoor activities, the video might feature images of hiking or camping.
• Video Footage: Different clips can be integrated into the video based on the viewer's interests or past interactions. For instance, a viewer who has shown an interest in cooking might see more kitchen-related product demonstrations.
• Color Adjustments: Colors in the video can be changed to align with the viewer’s preferences or to reflect brand colors more relevant to them. This subtle change can make the video feel more familiar and appealing to the audience.
• Scene Variation: Certain parts of the video, like specific scenes or segments, can be altered or rearranged. For example, a car manufacturer might show different car models depending on the viewer's interest or previous interactions with the brand.

Remember, the video you customize is supposed to be received by an individual viewer. If you send it to anyone else, the video would be considered as generic.

How did personalized videos become so important?

The roots of this type of marketing can be found in the history of marketing. To understand this, let me walk you through a short history timeline:

• 1940s: After the event of WW-II, the global market was booming and several new brands were emerging. However, they all mostly offered the same products. That is why companies targeted their differentiating factors i.e. unique selling proposition.
• 1950s-1960s: Concepts like consumer loyalty and lifestyle branding began to take shape in this era. Marketers recognized the value of tailoring their messages to fit into the lives of their customers. They also come to know the importance of client retention.
• 1960s-1970s: In this era, the shift was not just about what the product could do but also how it made customers feel. This period saw the emergence of emotional selling propositions.
• Late 20th Century: The focus shifted to brand selling propositions with the arrival of modern consumerism. People started buying products not only for their utility but also for the brand identity they represented.
• Present Day: We have now entered the era of the "me-selling proposition," a term introduced by Martin Lindstrom. Here, personalized content is key, as customers now expect to be recognized and addressed as unique individuals.

The benefits of personalized video marketing

According to a report, personalized videos have a 16 times higher click-to-open rate than generic ones. Wondering why this technique is so effective? Well, I would like to point out several compelling reasons behind that:

• Enhanced Engagement & Connection: Personalized videos capture attention more effectively than generic content. By addressing viewers directly, these videos create a sense of personal connection and relevance. This enhanced engagement often translates into longer viewing times and deeper emotional connections with the brand.
• Improved Customer Insights: Personalized videos rely on data - from demographic information to user behavior and preferences. This information can be used to refine marketing strategies, optimize future content, and create even more effective personalized experiences.
• Higher Conversion Rates: According to 93% of brands, personalization boosts their conversion rates. This can be attributed to the increased relevance and engagement that personalized content offers to the audience.

How does personalized video marketing work?

Personalized video content extends far beyond just tailored video advertisements. It encompasses the creation of personalized videos for customers at every interaction they have with your product.

Practically, personalized videos involve incorporating a client's website, their social media activities, or even personal images. This is how they work:

• Data Collection: The foundational step involves gathering detailed information about viewers. This is achieved through various methods, including monitoring cookies, analyzing social network activities, tracking website interactions, and accessing customer databases.
• Viewer Segmentation: The gathered data is then used to categorize viewers into distinct groups. This segmentation is based on multiple factors such as demographics, interests, browsing habits, and other pertinent characteristics.
• Video Distribution: Once the audience is segmented, custom-made videos are distributed through multiple channels, including email, social media, and other platforms. When a viewer engages with a video, the content they see is automatically adjusted to align with their individual data profile.

In a nutshell, the production of personalized videos involve producing multiple versions of the same video, each with unique content. This is achieved using dedicated tools designed for creating customized videos.

Industries where it makes sense to invest in personalized videos

Personalized video ads make sense for literally every industry out there. The potential is huge, but let’s look at a few major use cases:

1. Insurance

The insurance industry is highly competitive, and building strong customer relationships is crucial. Personalized videos can play a substantial role in this sector by helping insurance companies connect with their clients on a deeper level.

The key benefits of this technique in the insurance industry are as follows:

• Personalized video messages videos simplify complex policy details, enhancing client understanding and trust.
• This technique allows insurers to send timely updates and reminders. The result of this personalized experience? Reduced likelihood of missed payments or misunderstandings.

2. Events

Events, whether they are conferences, festivals, or corporate gatherings, are all about creating memorable experiences for attendees. Incorporate personalized videos in events to enhance the event experience, and foster long-term brand loyalty.

Here are a few key benefits of personalized videos in the events industry:

• Customized video invitations can be sent with personalized greetings, making attendees feel special and eager for the event.
• After an event, organizers can utilize personalized videos messages to create highlight reels and thank-you messages for attendees. This leaves a positive impression, which in turn encourages future attendance.

3. Sports

According to a Statista, there are millions of sports fans across the United States. Well, of course, you’ll need to engage them in order to retain them. Thankfully, personalized video marketing for sports offers unique opportunities for teams, organizations, and athletes to engage with their fanbase and forge deeper connections with them.

Here’s how:

• Personalized videos lifts customer engagement by offering fans exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at their favorite teams or athletes, keeping them invested in their journey.
• Before a big match, personalized videos can be used to deliver game previews, updates, and recaps, building excitement and anticipation among fans.

4. Gaming

The gaming industry is booming, and its market volume is expected to reach US$389.70bn in 2028. This means that retaining the attention of existing players will become equally important as engaging new ones. Personalized video production allows game developers and publishers to accomplish that feat.

The key benefits of this technique in the popular gaming industry include:

Personalizing videos is a powerful tool for increasing sales. Whether it's through upsells (e.g. using video to sell in-game items), referrals, or by acquiring new players with exclusive content, these videos create a more compelling and targeted sales pitch.

When combined with social media marketing, personalized video messages significantly outperforms generic video ads. The tailored approach results in a 3-5 times higher click-through rate (CTR), making it a highly efficient strategy for acquiring new players and generating referrals.

5. Travel

Travel is one of the most customer-centric yet competitive industries. Tourists expect a seamless experience and extraordinary service. Immediate assistance has become the norm, and travel agencies are doing their best to provide five-star stays. Using personalized videos helps in that purpose. Here’s how:

Personalized year-in-review videos showcasing memorable travel experiences foster emotional connections with customers. These loyalty personalized videos highlight the best moments, creating a more engaging and memorable interaction.

Personalized videos can streamline the onboarding process for guests. By addressing FAQs and providing essential information through videos, travel agencies can offer a more welcoming and informative experience. The result? Reduced workload on customer service agents and increased customer satisfaction

6. Sales

The sales industry revolves around building strong customer relationships and closing deals. Video personalization can be a powerful tool to engage prospects and customers at various sales process stages.

The key benefits of this marketing tactic regarding the sales industry involve:

Sales professionals can create video demonstrations of products or services for potential customers. Of course, these would be personalized and it can be a big factor in converting leads into customers.

Online retailers can employ these videos to recommend products aligned with customers' browsing and purchase history, increasing sales likelihood.

7. Support

The support industry, including customer support and technical assistance, is built on effective communication and problem-solving. Companies can enhance the support experience for customers and clients by sending a personalized video message to the user.

This helps companies in the following ways:

Personalized responses make customers feel valued and heard. Witnessing a real person addressing their concerns cultivates trust and a stronger connection with the brand.

Custom videos offer step-by-step guides that are easy to follow, potentially resolving issues more swiftly compared to text-based support. This efficiency translates to quicker problem-solving, benefiting both the customer and the company.

8. Apps

According to BusinessofApps, over seven million apps exist across iOS and Android platforms. It’s a competitive industry, right?  To stand out, you can create personalized videos. This technique can be a game-changer for app developers and providers. Let’s explore how:

Apps can use personalized videos to give users activity summaries, boosting a sense of achievement and promoting continued usage.

These videos can acknowledge and reward user loyalty with thank-you messages, exclusive discounts, or in-app rewards for increased customer engagement.

Personalized Video Examples

Here are 9 notable examples that illustrate the effectiveness and versatility customized videos. We covered 7 of these in depth in our personalized video examples article, so you can read more there.

1. The Paddington 2 Movie Promo

Paddington, the marmalade-loving, overly polite animated bear, holds a special place in the hearts of many, particularly in the UK. In 2018, an innovative personalized video campaign was launched to promote the DVD and BluRay release of "Paddington 2".

As per the campaign, users who showed interest in receiving a reminder about the movie's release were first sent a personalized video. This marketing strategy involved a video where Paddington wrote the user's name in marmalade and then wiped it down. As a result, this approach created a heightened excitement around the film's release.

2. The Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Breast Cancer Now, a leading research and care charity, initiated an impactful campaign known as "Wear it Pink." This annual event, held every October 21st, has been a tradition for over two decades.

In 2019, the campaign took a personalized approach. They sent tailored video messages to individuals who interacted with the #wearitpink hashtag. These 20-second videos addressed the supporters by name and included their personal photos. The results were quite amazing: tripled engagement rates and amplified social media reach!

3. Spotify Wrapped

In 2016, Spotify introduced a groundbreaking personalized video campaign “Spotify Wrapped”. As per the campaign, each user receives a video that compiles data and summaries of their activities on Spotify over the year. This includes information like the most-listened-to artists, songs, and preferred music genres.

These videos were not just informative but also visually appealing. This smart approach not only enhanced Spotify's visibility but also sparked music-related discussions.

4. Nike+ Campaign

Like Spotify, Nike embraced the concept of personalized videos, but with a unique athletic twist, through their Nike+ initiative. This platform, functioning as an activity tracker, provided users with a year-in-review video that was much more than just data compilation.

The videos included a summary of the user's athletic achievements, such as distance run, pace, and participation in events like half-marathons. And guess the results? These videos encouraged users to share their fitness journeys, enhancing Nike’s brand visibility and strengthening user-brand connection.

5. UNICEF's campaign

UNICEF's campaign invites users to "take a stroll down memory lane." It encourages users to create a personalized video timeline by selecting three meaningful memories from their youth. The campaign then connects these memories to UNICEF's mission and work.

UNICEF's nostalgic approach enhanced empathy and understanding of the organization's evolution among people. This can be beneficial when it comes to fundraising for social and humanitarian causes.

6. UGG's Christmas Campaign

UGG's Christmas campaign involved sending personalized videos to customers. These videos include a user's photo, often with their partner, cleverly framed within the holiday season theme.

This approach made the campaign memorable and engaging, transforming a simple product promotion into a personalized and relatable experience. It not only increased brand visibility but also encouraged consumer interaction and advocacy.

7. Cadbury Campaign

Cadbury's offered a unique and interactive experience to their fans. In a Facebook game, users could control a virtual claw to win chocolates. The campaign included personalized videos, featuring the participant's name, enhancing the sense of engagement and excitement.

This creative approach garnered significant attention, with millions of views and interactions. It effectively combined personalization with a fun and engaging game, strengthening the bond between the brand and its customers.

8. Adidas Campaign

For the Boston Marathon, Adidas created a remarkable personalized campaign. They captured footage of each runner during the event and then created 30,000 dynamic videos, each including the individual runner’s unique race data and footage.

This campaign achieved a 95% video completion rate and a significant increase in sales from emails containing the video. The immediate delivery of these videos on the same day added to their effectiveness and appeal.

9. Marketo Campaign

Marketo, a marketing automation software company, created a unique personalized video to invite users to their Marketing Nation Summit. The video smartly integrated the viewer's name (e.g., Melissa Smith) into various parts of the footage.

This level of detail in personalization led to an increase in the open rate by 36% and the click-through rate by 144%.

3 Steps to Creating Your Personalized Video Campaign

Creating a personalized video marketing campaign involves several key steps to ensure its success:

High-Level Steps

Revise Your Marketing Foundations & ICP

Before diving into creating your personalized video campaign, it's crucial to revisit your marketing foundations. This includes:

• Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP): Define ideal customers for effective tailoring.
• Brand Identity: Align your campaign with your brand's logos, colors, and image.
• Company Narrative: Define the story and its relation to your brand.
• Value Propositions: Communicate what sets your offerings apart.
• Cultural Values: Integrate company culture and values.
• Mission and Vision: Reflect on your company's mission and vision.
• Target Audience: Identify your target audience preferences.

Conduct Competitor Analysis and Market Research

Do a thorough analysis of your competitors personalized marketing efforts. Ask questions such as:

• Are your competitors investing heavily in video production, or are they taking a DIY approach?
• Do they collaborate with creative agencies for their campaigns?
• How frequently do they launch personalized campaigns?
• What is the response on social media to their campaigns?
• Can you estimate their budget for personalized videos?

Define the goal

Clearly define the objectives of your campaign. Your goals could include:

• Increasing sign ups for event you’re organizing
• Enhancing brand awareness and online reach
• Upselling to existing customers
• Strengthening customer relationships
• Boosting sales through a shareable video campaign
• Engaging employees by celebrating their milestones and contributions

Decide the Right Tool

Selecting the right personalized video marketing solution is crucial. The best tools are robust, they can handle large volumes and they should be flexible enough able to pull customer data from any kind of source.

Usually, the personal details you can personalize are: text elements, images, videos, audio, colors...and similar.

I've listed some of the best tools below:

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Important Factors to Consider When Selecting a Tool

When selecting a personalized video marketing tool, evaluate:

• Price: Ensure the tool's pricing plans and features fit your budget.
• Technical Capabilities: Match the tool with your team's technical skills.
• Campaign Frequency: Consider whether you'll use it for regular or one-off campaigns.
• Product Documentation: Look for comprehensive documentation, especially for complex tools.
• Video Templates: Assess the ease of creating videos and available template library.
• API Functionality: For large user bases, check API support for scalable campaigns.
• Customer Support: Evaluate the support team's responsiveness and availability.
• Learning Resources: Consider available educational materials to fully utilize the tool.

Tactical steps

After choosing the right tool, it's time to take tactical steps to create your campaign. In this case, we'll talk how to set this up in Plainly. Personalized video production consists out of 3 easy steps:

1. Template Creation: Create the template for your campaign. With Plainly, you can do so in After Effects. We don't restrict you in After Effects, you can let your imagination be free.
2. Plainly set up: After creating the template you can upload it to Plainly, and select which elements you want to personalize. This is all done within the Plainly Web App.
3. Connect your data & render: After you set up the template on Plainly, you can connect your data and start rendering. The data can be sent to Plainly via the API, CSV, or native integrations to your favorite tools. You can also automate the distribution of the videos using Webhooks or native integrations if you want.

Here's a video breakdown of how would this work:

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Ready to Launch Your First Personalized Video Campaign? Give Plainly a Try

In the dynamic landscape of marketing, personalized videos have emerged as a powerful tool to engage audiences, boost conversion rates, and create memorable brand experiences. Well, of course, you will need a reliable tool to create these videos.

That’s where Plainly steps in. We founded Plainly with a singular goal in mind: to make personalized video creation quick, easy, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their coding experience. As part of this aim, we made sure that we don't limit creativity in After Effects and that the platform is fully self-serve.

Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a passionate founder wearing multiple hats, Plainly is tailored to your unique needs. If you want to see Plainly in action, book a quick demo and we'll show you around.

FAQs

What are the 4P’s of marketing personalization?

The 4P's of marketing personalization are:

1. Precision (targeting the right audience)
2. Personalization (tailoring content to individual preferences)
3. Pace (delivering content at the right time)
4. Privacy (respecting user data and preferences).

How do you measure the success of personalized video campaigns?

Success in personalized video campaigns is measured by engagement metrics, conversion rates, and the overall return on investment (ROI). Analyzing viewer feedback and behavioral changes also provides insights.

Is personalized video marketing expensive?

Personalized video marketing can vary in cost. It's more costly than standard video marketing due to the technology and data analysis involved. However, scalable solutions exist for different budgets, making it accessible even to smaller businesses.