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How to Distribute Video Content to Utility Customers

You created the perfect video to promote your utility program or service — now what? The next step is finding the ideal places, from short clips on social media to personalized video emails, to share your video to reach the right customers. That’s why understanding how to distribute video content is key to achieving success for your engagement strategy.

Your utility can create the best video in the world, but if it’s not shared on the right channels, it won’t reach the intended audience or accomplish its engagement goals. Plus, you’ll lose valuable time and money. To reach your program promotion goals, the right video distribution strategy is just as important as producing the best video content.

What Are the Best Channels to Distribute Video Content?

When choosing the right platforms to distribute your video content, energy utilities should assess how each platform works with the video’s message. For example, an in-depth video explaining your demand response program would be completely out-of-place on TikTok, but it would a helpful resource on a website landing page where customers can sign up for your demand response program.

“Different videos do better in different forums,” says Matt Irving, Creative Director of Video Content for Questline Digital. “It’s not just about having people see your video, but they need to see it at a time and place that makes sense. In other words, how you deliver the message depends greatly on the message.”

For example, sharing a billing video would be a great option within a personalized video email versus being posted on YouTube. According to Irving, energy utilities should always be thinking of their video’s message and what platform is best to deliver it.

With your message in mind, here are the best places for energy utilities to distribute video content.

Channel #1: Website Landing Pages

For energy utilities, learning how to distribute video content can make a tremendous impact on your program promotion goals. The first, and perhaps most obvious, channel to share your video content is on your utility’s website.

Video has a powerful impact on website engagement. In fact, consumers stay 60% longer on website landing pages with video compared to those with just text and images. Video can also increase organic traffic, as websites with video content rank higher on Google’s search results. According to the latest research, landing pages with at least one video are 45 times more likely to achieve high rankings.

Compared to other industries, utility programs and services can be technically complicated and difficult for customers to understand. By adding videos to your landing pages, you can educate customers about a complex topic, such as time-of-use rates, demand response or beneficial electrification. In fact, 94% of marketers believe video plays a vital role in increasing customer understanding about a product or service.

PSEG Long Island utilizes video on their Time-of-Use (TOU) landing page to encourage customers to make the switch. The video explains how a TOU rate plan works and the main benefits for customers. This landing page is a great example of how to distribute video content to educate customers who would benefit from TOU.

Example of how to distribute video content on website

To help customers understand their monthly bill, Duquesne Light Company provides a helpful video on its residential bill landing page. This animated video provides a quick overview of the recent bill changes and where to find important information. The video is embedded on the page so viewers can easily watch it from the utility’s website.

Channel #2: Social Media Platforms

When planning how to distribute video content to utility customers, social media is likely one of your go-to tools. Your utility’s social media channels are a great opportunity to reach a wide audience, including residential and business customers.

Your utility’s YouTube page is the perfect place to both host and share your videos. Currently, YouTube has more than 122 million active users in the U.S. each day. Utilities can host their videos on the site and then use the video link in various marketing communications. Since YouTube is owned by Google, which prioritizes content from the site, your energy utility will also boost search rankings for web pages with embedded videos.

Keep in mind, your utility’s video is competing with a ton of other content on social media. In order to get customers to watch it, you’ll need to use videos that are short, fun and lighthearted. The reality is not all videos posted to social media will give you the desired views.

For example, an animated video with tips on how customers can take advantage of smart home technology is ideal for Facebook and Instagram. However, a long webinar with in-depth information would be better suited for your utility’s website or LinkedIn page.

A great example of how to distribute video content on social media, Duke Energy shares videos of their employees in the field to help humanize the utility and showcase their work in the community.

Since 80% of social media browsing is now from a smartphone, your utility should include text and captions in your videos to make them mobile-friendly. This is becoming a must-have on social media for consumers who want to watch videos without audio while in public. We Energies utilizes videos with captions on their Facebook page to ensure all customers can get important outage restoration updates.

Channel #3: Newsletters

Monthly email newsletters are a powerful educational tool for utilities, so it only makes sense to share your video in this effective communication channel.

Your utility customers look to your eNewsletter for helpful education, advice and resources; adding video gives them the information they want in the format they prefer. In fact, visuals, like video, have the power to improve the learning and processing of information by up to 400%.

Video is also more engaging than other content types, leading to higher click-to-open rates. Questline Digital data finds that email newsletters with video have a 7.1% average click-to-open rate versus a 5.7% average click-to-open rate for email newsletters without video.

For utility marketers, exactly how to distribute video content in newsletters can be a challenge. Unfortunately, you can’t embed a video into your newsletter; instead, you’ll need to add a “play button” graphic on top of a static image and link to YouTube, Vimeo or another web page with the video. This makes it clear to customers that they need to take action to watch the video.

This newsletter example from one of Questline Digital’s utility clients features a video with tips to help business customers adapt to a hybrid work environment. The video includes a large play button to make it clear that it’s a playable piece of content.

Channel #4: Banner Ads

Another recommended channel to share your videos is banner ads. A potentially unexpected channel, banner ads are a great way to generate brand awareness and click-throughs. With less text and more visuals, banner ads capture attention and invite customers to learn more about your utility’s programs and services.

Just like emails and newsletters, you’ll want to link directly to your video on YouTube, Vimeo or a website landing page. You can include a play button on a static image or use a GIF to illustrate movement in the banner ad. Your utility can also take advantage of outstream video advertising that plays the video without sound (unless the viewer chooses to unmute it). When using video for banner ads, be sure to use captions and text to effectively communicate the message.

An example of how to distribute video content, PSEG Long Island took advantage of banner ads to promote the Smarter Home, an interactive video experience to educate customers on energy efficiency. The banner ads linked directly to the animated microsite.

Example of how to distribute video content with banner ad

Channel #5: Personalized Video Emails

Personalized video emails are a powerful tool for energy utility marketers looking to distribute video content and increase program enrollments.

With an average of 16x higher click-to-open rates and a 4.5x increase in unique click-throughs compared to non-personalized content, it’s clear that personalized videos capture the attention of customers and drive engagement.

Unlike most platforms that don’t allow individual targeting, personalized video emails enable marketers to create unique experiences tailored to each customer. By using personalized video emails as part of communication strategies, energy utilities can effectively encourage customers to take action, whether to enroll in a program, sign up for a service or purchase a product.

These videos provide additional information that customers need to make informed decisions, enhancing the overall effectiveness of marketing campaigns. With personalized video emails, energy utility marketers can deliver engaging and impactful content directly to their target audience.

Facebook utilizes personalized video emails that are tailored to each customer. By using their back-end consumer data, they can deliver personalized video emails for users’ birthdays, anniversaries and more. The videos make users feel seen and special and, in the long run, encourage them to continue visiting Facebook and sharing on their profile.

By using a similar strategy and delivering highly relevant and targeted content through personalized video emails, your utility’s customers will also have a compelling reason to visit your website or program landing pages. It allows your utility to stand out and create a memorable experience.

Right Fit, Right Format, Right Channel

Keep in mind that videos can be shot or edited in any number of formats to fit your needs. The distribution channel you plan to use will determine what aspect ratio (or shape) you will use, such as horizontal videos for laptop or TV screens or vertical videos intended for smartphone screens.

According to Irving, the standard HD aspect ratio of 16:9 works in most digital environments. Videos designed for social platforms such as TikTok or Instagram stories should use the inverse aspect ratio: 9:16 for vertical viewing on a phone. Square videos (with a 1:1 aspect ratio) will also work well on many social platforms and can also be adapted for use in video display ads.

Distribute Video Content to Reach Program Goals

Creating a great video is only one piece of the puzzle. The next step is deciding how to distribute video content and finding the right channels to get as many eyes on your video as possible. The challenge is choosing the platforms that work best with your message, whether it’s a fun clip for social media or a relevant, personalized video email for a program promotion.

“Make sure the people in the space you’re jumping into want or care about your video,” Irving says. “It’s important for energy utilities to understand how the video is going to resonate with people. The platform has to fit the message.”

Learn how a video content strategy from Quetline Digital will help your energy utility build customer engagement.

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How Much Does It Cost to Make an Explainer Video?

Some energy topics can be challenging to explain in an article or infographic and require a more in-depth, engaging format to communicate the complex information. Video content is a great way to grab your customer’s attention and make the intended message easy to understand. But as it turns out, producing an explainer video isn’t that simple.

An explainer video can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $45,000 to produce. Yes, you read that correctly. Where your video content will fall in that range depends on several aspects of the project, from the type of video to who produces it.

The Video Production Process

To better understand why an explainer video could cost that much, let’s break down the phases of the production process.

Every explainer video begins with a topic and in-depth research, followed by a script and storyboard.
Next comes the search for and selection of one or several actors who will record the voiceover narration or appear on screen.
Production on the video itself begins, with videographers and their crew directing live-action or animators putting things in motion digitally.
The shots are assembled and placed in order. Any errors are corrected, and the video takes its final shape.
Finally, a sound designer will balance the spoken words, sound effects and music to finish the video.

The complex process and varied tasks require different skillsets from multiple team members. Writers, animators, illustrators, directors, videographers, sound designers and more have a hand in creating the video, while a production manager handles the communication between all parties to ensure the client’s expectations are met throughout production.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Explainer Video Production

Depth or complexity of the topic
Visual style
Number of sets and scenes
Video length
Project timeline

Considering the topic, what types of videos are most successful with your customers and your marketing goals can determine which choices you should make and how much your explainer video may cost.

Visual style

Considering various video styles is essential, but it’s important to remember that they differ in the types of concepts they can explain and how labor-intensive — and costly — they will be to produce.

Animated and live-action explainer videos are incredibly effective, and there are multiple types to choose from. Let’s break down a few of the most common options.

The most basic video style, whiteboard animation, is often the cheapest option, but it is genuinely engaging for a limited number of energy topics.
The next step up, 2D animation, may seem simple, but the clean and clear design is anything but basic.
3D-animated videos add an extra dimension — literally — to your video content, but the additional cost may not be worth it.
Live-action videos are another excellent option for explainer videos, but hiring actors, reserving locations and completing additional post-production steps can increase costs.

Video length

Though it may seem that a longer video will cost more than a shorter one, that’s not always the case. The basic production work required — and the number of team members involved — will be the same whether a video is 10 seconds long or a full two minutes. A longer video typically has a lower price per second than a shorter video, but it’s important not to get carried away.

Best practices suggest that website videos shouldn’t exceed two minutes, while social media videos should be between 30 and 60 seconds long. Questline Digital Benchmarks data found that Facebook posts that fall in this range get 200% more likes, comments and shares than text-based social posts.

Remember that a five-minute-long video may technically give you more bang for your buck, but it won’t be nearly as effective as a concise explainer video a customer can get through in half the time.

Focus on Value with Expertly Crafted Explainer Videos

It can be easy to get caught up in the cost of an explainer video and forget about the purpose: creating engaging content that communicates energy topics or explains a service’s benefits to your customers. Questline Digital can help you accomplish this goal without adding more stress to your plate. Our experienced team will take care of every step of the process, from research and scriptwriting to shooting, editing and final production. Or, you can choose an existing video from our ready-to-use energy content catalog.

Explore how Questline Digital can help you create high-quality, engaging explainer videos for your customers.

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Why You Should Use Customer Testimonial Videos in Program Promotions

Customer testimonials are a powerful tool to increase credibility and loyalty. In an age where product reviews on Amazon or Target are paramount for driving sales, it only makes sense that customer reviews could do the same for your energy utility.

Customer testimonial videos are impactful for a number of reasons, including:

First-hand accounts from customers are more natural and trustworthy than staged videos.
Testimonial videos let customers speak about benefits and experiences in a way that appeals to other consumers.
Video testimonials help customers easily understand how a program works.

A customer testimonial video allows customers to learn from another person’s experience that they can relate to. Read on to discover more about the value these videos could bring to your utility’s customer engagement strategy.

What Is a Customer Testimonial Video?

A customer testimonial video includes a first-hand review from a customer about a product, program or service. In these videos, a customer will discuss the program or service, their experience with it and their overall views.

Using testimonial videos is a great way to leverage positive consumer experiences to help convert potential customers.

“The value of testimonial videos is to provide real-life, real-world examples of programs or incentives that have worked for other people,” explains Jason Meeker, Questline Digital’s Director of Video Production.

Customer testimonial videos are nothing new. Dive into YouTube and you can find a myriad of “unboxing videos” from YouTubers sharing their opinions that endorse (or not) a brand’s product. These videos don’t even have to be about a tangible product, they could be about software, like this example:

Example of customer testimonial video used in email

Videos like this are popular because people like to learn about products from others rather than blatantly being sold to by a brand. In fact, research from Forrester says that 32% of online consumers trust a stranger’s opinion more than brand advertisements or marketing collateral.

This alone should be reason enough for your utility to invest in customer testimonial videos. Why put money and effort into other materials that your customers don’t want to see?

Why Does Your Utility Need Customer Testimonial Videos?

A customer testimonial video is an advantageous way to sell to and win new customers.

Whether you’re promoting your utility’s products, programs or services to residential or business customers, audiences find value in learning from peers and other satisfied consumers. Nine out of 10 people say that they trust what a customer says about a business more than what that business says about itself.

Additionally, a customer testimonial video gives potential customers the information they need to make a purchase decision. The beauty of a customer testimonial video is that it can be used at the top of the sales funnel to increase awareness in your utility’s program, or it can be used near the bottom of the funnel to convert leads into sales.

First-hand accounts from customers are more natural and trustworthy

People trust people. It’s as simple as that. According to research, 90% of consumers are more likely to trust brand recommendations from other customers, even if they’re strangers.

Sharing testimonials from actual customers who have used your products or programs helps build trust and highlight the user benefits.

It’s important to let these customers speak naturally, so they sound like they’re talking to a friend or family member — not reading from a script. The greatest strength of a customer testimonial video is this relatable language.

Some questions you can ask customers to get the ball rolling include:

What was your main concern before buying this product or program?
What challenges were you trying to overcome with the purchase?
What specific feature do you like the most?
How have your day-to-day activities been impacted?
Would you recommend this product or program?

Meeker encourages asking prompts that dig into a customer’s experience.

“There are always those questions that can get people talking,” he says. “Try to think of more probing questions that really get to the ‘why’ or the feelings behind it. For example, ask, ‘What are some of the things you wish you had known before you started with the program that you’d recommend people think about before signing up?’”

Testimonial videos share benefits in a way that appeals to other consumers

Would you rather learn about the pros and cons of a new smart home device from your tech-loving friend or have a salesperson hound you to purchase?

The choice is easy. And it’s the same way for your customers.

For business customers in particular, testimonial videos can often balance the technical details these consumers want to know about with the real-life use cases that they’re also interested in.

“For the most part, the business side is going to lean more toward, ‘How does this impact my bottom line and make or save me money?’” says Meeker. “At the residential level, it’s more of an even split between a personal value or belief of wanting to do something as opposed to strictly how it’s going to save money on utility bills.”

The Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative shared that consumers are more likely to adopt energy-efficient technology or programs if their neighbor has adopted them. Likewise, if your utility’s program is focused on reducing demand on the grid, research shows that people use less energy when they think their neighbors care about the environment.

This is all to say that customers are more likely to take action if another customer with a similar situation recommends a solution.

Video testimonials help customers understand how a program works

Testimonials in any form can be useful, but the impact of a customer testimonial video far outweigh the benefits of written or audio content.

For one, customers may question the authenticity of written or audio testimonials. Video testimonials are much more authentic. They feature real people who are willing to associate their name and face with your utility’s program or service.

Additionally, video testimonials are typically more personal and engaging, produce higher conversion rates and can be shared on various channels for distribution.

“The benefit of testimonials being on video is that it puts a name, face and personality behind the story,” Meeker explains. “It becomes much more personal. You can actually see and hear the person who has experienced the benefit of the program.”

According to research, 73% of customers prefer to watch a video to learn about a product or service, while 47% of people say testimonial videos are effective because they help visualize how a product or service actually works.

Video testimonials also allow your utility to demonstrate a product or program in action while the customer speaks about it.

“The use of cutaway shots — close-ups of a facility or retail store or apartment complex — gives a visual reinforcement and what you’re hearing that you don’t get with audio or written testimonials,” says Meeker. “It’s a much more visual and immersive experience.”

Chart listing the differences between customer testimonial types such as video testimonial and written testimonial

Where to Share Customer Testimonial Videos

Customer testimonial videos should be shared on multiple distribution channels, including:

Product or program landing pages

Place testimonial videos where interested customers will most likely visit, like the program page. This allows customers to learn about the product or program and immediately be able to watch firsthand reviews.

Using these videos on landing pages can significantly boost conversions because it’s showing proof that your product or program works. Research shows that including videos on landing pages can increase conversions by 86%.

National Grid has a landing page dedicated to their Upstate New York Electric Vehicle Charging Station Make-Ready Program.

Here, customers can learn more about the program and watch customer testimonial videos related to EV charging locations. These locations are separated into categories so customers can view the testimonial video most similar to their situation, like workplace stations, multiunit building stations, retail stores or public destinations.

Video testimonials were chosen to help viewers connect with the program on a personal level. “We tried really hard to put customers in an environment that showed what they were talking about,” says Meeker.

Questline Digital worked with National Grid to create each of these individual testimonial videos, as well as an animated explainer video, to create a well-rounded customer outreach campaign.

“One of the things that stuck to me in this interview series as a whole is the diversity of interview subjects,” says Meeker. “We had a university, medical center, municipality, private business, even a contractor that did the installation of charging stations. They all had different and unique perspectives to share.”

All of the customer testimonial videos can be viewed here.

Examples of customer testimonial videos on YouTube

Social media

Different customers prefer different using digital channels to learn about new products or services. Offering customer testimonial videos on social media is imperative to extend the reach of your campaign.

Videos perform exceedingly well on social media platforms. In fact, Questline Digital’s data shows that videos shared on Facebook attract 200% more engagement than static content.

Create “scroll-stopping” content by creating short snippets of customer testimonial videos for social media users to watch. If they want to hear more from the testimonial, link to the full video on your utility’s website or YouTube channel.

Make sure all videos include captions, as many people prefer to watch videos without audio on social media.

Emails

Some studies show that including the word “video” in email subject lines has the potential to increase open rates by 19%. Additionally, including videos in emails can boost click-through rates by 65%.

Your utility should already be deploying email campaigns to engage with customers, so adding customer testimonial videos to the mix is an easy addition.

Sending these real-life recommendations will have a stronger impact on customers than just having your utility talk about its benefits. An email campaign including a customer testimonial video could be a turning point for sales. In fact, 77% of people who have watched a customer testimonial video say it played a part in convincing them to buy a brand’s product or service.

It’s important to remember that videos can’t be solely embedded into emails. Rather, make it clear that there is a video to watch with a large “play” button overlayed in the hero image or a specific CTA to click through and watch the video.

Events

Now that in-person events are returning, nothing is stopping your utility from including customer testimonial videos in your event or booth set-ups. In fact, hosting in-person events and inviting customers who have had positive experiences with your utility can be some of the best advertising.

“Identifying customers that are good advocates for your utility company is very important,” says Meeker. “For example, National Grid did a really good job at picking interview subjects that were not only pleased with the results but wanted to share their story. This is just as important as the success of the program itself — finding someone who is willing and able to talk about the success in a way that comes across well on camera.”

At the 2022 SECC Consumer Symposium, Dave McKee from JEA shared that their utility hosted in-person events for customers to learn about purchasing and owning electric vehicles. Real EV owners were in attendance to share their experiences with interested individuals.

McKee said, “Electric vehicle owners are so excited to talk about their EVs and share their own experiences that they make for the best salespeople.” This event alone led to two customers purchasing EVs on the spot.

Customer testimonial videos should be integrated with your utility’s broader marketing strategies. They work in tandem with other tactics to push the campaign’s reach and connect with customers in their preferred way.

Harness the Power of Customer Testimonials

Customer testimonial videos are influential because they feature real people talking about real challenges that your utility helped solve. They are persuasive because they’re personable and insightful. Customer testimonial videos provide:

An honest way for potential customers to connect with existing customers
A dimensional way to show how your utility’s product, program or service works
A tool to move customers through the sales funnel

Including customer testimonial videos in your utility’s program promotions is a surefire way to build trust and increase conversions.

Learn how a video content strategy from Questline Digital can put the power of customer testimonials to work for you.

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When to Use Video vs. Written Content in Your Customer Engagement Strategy

Comparing the effectiveness of video vs. written content isn’t clear-cut. There are numerous factors to consider, like, who the content is for, why you’re making it, what your goals are and where you’re going to use the content. Often, you might even decide to use both formats in tandem to accomplish your goals.

But there are some best practices you can follow to make the choice easier. Check out the following advice from Questline Digital’s content experts.

Chart listing the differences between video and written content

When to Use Video in Your Content Strategy

The popularity of video continues to rise, spanning all audiences. Video content has become one of the most effective tools to capture attention and teach new concepts, but alas, isn’t always an attainable option or even the best choice. It all depends on your goals, timeline and audience. Marketers must identify the best-fit scenarios to invest in video production.

Goals and audience

“I think intent is the most overlooked aspect of video,” explains Matt Irving, Creative Director of Video Content at Questline Digital. He warns that people sometimes make video just to have video, not because it’s the best tool for the job.

Understanding your audience and how they learn best is step one. Do they require visuals? Are they familiar with the subject?

“Video is usually really good at simplifying topics or concepts that are easier to show than describe,” Irving adds. “It’s also good any time you want to show something that’s moving or changing.”

The most popular videos in Questline Digital’s Content Catalog include clips that provide an inside look at how new technology works or explain a complex energy concept. Without video, you can’t see beneath the surface. With animation and video editing, you can offer an x-ray view.

Humans struggle to conceptualize the abstract. With just text to rely on, an intended message about a new program or initiative can easily get lost. “Video works well in demonstrating something that is new or something people have heard about, but never seen,” Irving says.

So, if you’re promoting a new service that requires visual aids or want to explain the inner working of a complex energy topic, video is likely your best choice.

Inspiring action

What do you want your audience to do? Are you trying to make them sign up for a program or convert to a new rate plan? Or are you trying to educate them about an important energy or safety topic?

“The best campaigns use all the tools to move people toward and through the funnel and video can do a lot, especially near the top,” explains Irving.

“Videos can tell someone what’s in it for them if they take action, then facilitate that action. But if someone already knows what they want — say, a new fridge — video is probably not the way to go. If you’re to the last part of the funnel and want to convert with one click, video isn’t your best choice. If you are near the top of the funnel or trying to shift the feel overall, then video is great.”

If you’re introducing a new program or want to educate audiences on an efficiency topic, video could be your best tool. But if you want to push a warm audience to final conversion, asking them to first watch a video could complicate or stall the journey.

Simply put, Irving says, “I don’t sell cars or pizza. My goal is for someone to watch my video then find or call the person that does.”

The right channels

Where your content is shared matters. It’s a fact that videos perform better on social media than articles. Questline Digital’s data shows that videos shared on Facebook attract 200% more engagement than static content.

Why? Because compared to written content, video is much more effective at adding personality and emotion to a message. Social algorithms favor videos because they capture a viewer’s attention quicker and for longer, meaning more exposure to your message.

Videos can also be repurposed across multiple platforms. They are effective not just on social media but also on websites, in newsletters and for advertisements.

When to Use Written Articles in Your Content Strategy

Video isn’t always the answer. Often, written copy emerges as the clear and best choice. If you are still debating video vs. written content, here are some concrete reasons why you might choose text.

Complexity and depth

If you’re releasing new research findings or covering a topic that includes copious statistics, written content is your best bet. Generally, people don’t remember numbers when they see them in video. They will recall the broad strokes of the message, but not the specifics.

Additionally, if you need to go deep into an idea, written content should be your go-to tool. Marketing videos are typically short and cover high-level concepts while articles can cover a topic from every angle.

“Articles are better for discussing a subject from a variety of angles,” explains Scott Miller, Director of Energy Communications at Questline Digital. “Videos are generally less than two minutes long, so they often give a broad overview of a topic or cover a limited part of it. If we want to take a deeper dive, we will typically choose an article.”

Timeliness

If you need to produce and deliver a message quickly, it should come as no surprise that written content is the better choice. Professional video production can take weeks or months and often requires the involvement of multiple people.

Once produced, videos are more difficult to update than a written article. Hitting the edit button and changing a statistic, updating a link or correcting a quote is no issue for text-based content. Updating a video, on the other hand, requires editing software, audio mixing, new graphics, and a number of other steps.

“We want to ensure that our content is relevant today and three years from now,” adds Miller. “So, topics like ‘findings from a recent survey’ are best covered as articles that cost less to produce and are easier to keep up-to-date.”

Audience size

Articles have mass appeal. They can be used for both small and large audiences because of their versatility and ease of creation. If your target audience includes just 30 customers, would you recoup the money spent on video production? Most likely, an article would be a more economical choice for your small audience.

Articles are better for niche topics such as “best lighting choices for college campuses” and videos are best used for broader topics like “how the electric grid works.”

Video vs. Written Content: What’s Best for Customer Engagement?

What content format will you use for your next campaign? We hope our comparison chart and best practices make your choice simpler. Still unsure of video vs. written content? Don’t hesitate to reach out! Our team of experts is here to help.

Increase customer engagement with a content strategy from the experts at Questline Digital.

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Improving Your Email Newsletter with Video

With the popularity of TikTok and YouTube, it’s obvious that consumers love video content. But you shouldn’t limit the use of video to your energy utility’s social media platforms. In fact, an email newsletter with video should be an integral part of your communications strategy.

According to Forbes magazine, watching video makes up 50% of all online activities. Today’s utility customers are already looking for video content on a daily basis, whether inspiration from their favorite Instagram influencer or energy efficiency advice from their energy provider. An email newsletter with video gives customers helpful information in the format they prefer.

Educate and Entertain with Video Content

For energy utilities, video content serves two key purposes in email newsletters: to educate and entertain customers. Not only are videos fun to watch (compared to reading a text-heavy article), but they are also a great educational tool. Visuals, like an email newsletter with video, have the power to improve learning and processing information by up to 400%.

“Everyone learns in a different way — that’s why video is so important,” says Scott Miller, Content Director at Questline Digital. “Video is an ideal format to show people how to do something or simplify complex information. A quick and engaging video is an easy, yet effective, way to educate utility customers.”

Videos are also a powerful driver of email newsletter engagement. According to Questline Digital’s data, email newsletters with video have a 7.1% average click-to-open rate versus a 5.7% average click-to-open rate for email newsletters without video.

In fact, simply including the word “video” in the subject line can increase open rates by 19%. Email newsletters with video have an average open rate of 27.7%, while those without video have an average open rate of 24.8%. As these metrics demonstrate, energy utilities should take advantage of the popularity of video to capture attention and build long-term engagement.

Best Practices for Email Newsletters with Video

To incorporate video into your email newsletter, follow these best practices:

1. Less is more

According to Miller, adding one or two videos to each newsletter is enough to increase engagement. Diversity of content, giving customers a choice to watch a video or two while also reading an article and playing an interactive quiz. In Questline Digital’s experience, most utility clients include a variety of content types in their newsletters.

“It’s a good idea to have a mix of content for customers to look forward to each month, whether they prefer video, infographics or articles,” Miller explains. “Utility customers will appreciate the variety of content options.”

This email newsletter with video from Sackcloth + Ashes — a mission-driven company that donates a blanket to a homeless shelter for every blanket purchased — utilizes a video in the hero image to highlight an artist that works with the company.

2. The right topic matters

The topic of your video needs to be relevant to customers. For example, a video about saving energy and staying cool in the summertime is timely for a June or July newsletter. You can also give readers tips or resources ahead of storm season or spring home improvement season.

According to Questline Digital’s Energy Utility Benchmarks Report, the most popular videos are simple explainer videos on how to increase energy efficiency and make home improvements, such as reducing phantom energy and installing a smart thermostat. An email newsletter with video lets you simplify these complex topics into digestible pieces — something not possible with a technical article.

“The most popular video topics explain how to do something in a simple and engaging way,” Miller says. “For example, five ways you can save while making dinner or doing laundry. The ‘You Can’ series of videos featuring Jeff Wilson also receive a lot of engagement. This series shows how to air-seal your basement or install a smart outlet. These home improvement topics really hit home with people.”

Top 10 Most Popular Video Topics

Video Title	Pageviews
5 Ways to Save Without Spending Money	21,520
Are You Aware of Phantom Energy?	14,068
Room for Energy Savings: Laundry Room	9,903
Does Putting Lids on Pots Really Cook Food Faster	8,200
You Can Install a Smart Thermostat	7,343
3 Cheers for Air Source Heat Pumps	7,018
Energy Savings Magic: Laundry Room	5,989
You Can Install a Ceiling Fan	5,107
Room for Energy Savings: Holiday Decorating	4,736
Energy Innovators: 3 Facts About Edith Clarke	3,085

3. Utilize different styles of video

To capture attention and keep customers engaged, your email newsletter should include a mix of video styles. Animated explainer videos are effective at explaining complicated technical topics while keeping the content lighthearted and entertaining.

Live action provides an opportunity to showcase utility employees and customers. For example, feature your energy utility’s lineworkers in videos that talk about storm, outage or downed power line safety. Many videos feature a combination of both live action and animation, such as an eye-catching graphics of an LED light bulb while the on-screen talent speaks to energy efficiency benefits.

This Questline Digital client newsletter incorporates both animated and live-action videos to engage readers:

4. Incorporate a video series

A video series is a great addition to your email newsletter. It creates familiarity and encourages continuous viewing. Your customers will look forward to the next newsletter to see another episode in the series, while the messages reinforced across the series will be more memorable. This relationship between customers and the series can lead to increased newsletter engagement.

“With a video series, customers get attached just like they do with a show on Netflix,” Miller says. “There is something that keeps them coming back for more, whether it’s the style, storyline or the way information is presented.”

This Questline Digital client email newsletter incorporates the “5 Ways to Save” video series, which provides utility customers with quick and easy tips to save energy in their home.

5. Link to YouTube or Vimeo

Keep in mind, you can’t embed video into your newsletter and stream it. Instead, you’ll need to add a play button on top of a static image and link to YouTube or Vimeo. The bottom line: You just need to make it clear to readers that it’s a playable piece of content.

To give the feel of video, another option is to add an animated GIF in the hero image. GIFs are well-supported across browsers and email clients making them a great option for newsletters.

In this business email newsletter with video, the hero image features a play button. This illustrates to readers that they can click on the image to watch the video, “Space for Energy Savings: Office Space.” The call-to-action button also includes a link to the utility’s YouTube channel.

Boost Newsletter Engagement with Video Content

An email newsletter with video has a tremendous impact on utility customer engagement. Video content is an effective and popular way to educate residential and business customers about complex topics, whether DIY home improvement or energy efficiency. When customers expect to see a video in their newsletter, it gives them a reason to open it each month — and makes the content inside more entertaining and memorable.

Learn how an email newsletter with video content will help your utility reach its engagement and marketing goals.

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