Latest / The Newsletter Podcast with Fexingo: Substack, Beehiiv, and Email Newsletter Business / How Newsletter Writers Use Video Snippets to Boost Conversions
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's a finance newsletter called 'The Daily RIA' — not huge, about 40,000 subscribers — and in March they added a 30-second video snippet to their welcome email sequence. Just a quick clip of the founder explaining why they started the newsletter. Nothing fancy. And their paid conversion rate from that email jumped by 22 percent. Luna: Twenty-two percent from a 30-second video? That's wild. Was it a produced video or just him talking into his phone? Lucas: Just him sitting at his desk, talking into his laptop camera. No edits, no graphics. The key is that it was personal — he made eye contact, he spoke directly to the subscriber. And that's the thesis of today's episode: short-form video snippets, used strategically in your newsletter funnel, can significantly boost trust and conversions. Luna: I've been seeing more writers do this. I follow a marketing newsletter called 'Marketing Examined' — they include a 60-second video recap at the end of each weekly email. The founder just recaps the top three takeaways. And it's become the most-clicked part of their newsletter. Lucas: Exactly. Video adds a layer of human connection that text alone can't replicate. When a subscriber sees your face and hears your voice, it builds familiarity. And familiarity leads to trust, which leads to paid conversions. Luna: But I imagine a lot of newsletter writers are like me — not comfortable on camera. Where do they start? Lucas: Start with screen recordings. Show a chart, show a graph, show a tool you use. You don't need to show your face at all. One writer I know does a weekly 'chart of the week' video — just a 20-second screen recording of a stock chart with his voiceover explaining the trend. His open rates went up 8 percent. Luna: That's smart. And it's low friction. You can record a screen recording in two minutes. Lucas: Right. And the best part is you can repurpose content you already have. If you wrote a newsletter about three ways to save on taxes, record yourself summarizing those three points. Now you have a video for social media and for your email. Luna: So where exactly do you place these videos in the funnel? Welcome email is one spot. What about the regular weekly newsletter? Lucas: There are three high-impact placements. First, the welcome email — that's the one that converts best because subscribers are most engaged right after they sign up. Second, the bottom of your regular newsletter, just above the signature. It works as a 'thank you' or a quick teaser for next week. Third, the confirmation page after someone subscribes — if you can embed a video there, it's gold. Luna: And for paid subscribers? Do you send them different videos? Lucas: You can. I've seen writers create exclusive weekly video briefings for paid tiers. One tech newsletter I subscribe to sends a 10-minute video every Sunday analyzing the week's biggest story. It's basically a mini-podcast, but on video. And that alone is the reason I stay paid. Luna: That makes sense. But I also wonder about the technical side — email clients don't always play videos inline, right? Lucas: Right, so don't embed the video file directly. Use a thumbnail image that links to a landing page or a YouTube unlisted video. Or use a GIF preview. The goal is to get them to click. Once they click, they're on your turf. Luna: And what about length? I've heard that shorter is better for email video. Lucas: Keep it under 60 seconds. Ideally 30 to 45 seconds. Long videos get abandoned. Think of it as a trailer, not a feature film. You want to hook them, not overwhelm them. Luna: So if someone's listening and wants to start today — what's the one thing they should do? Lucas: Record a 30-second introduction video about why you started your newsletter. Upload it to YouTube as unlisted. Grab the thumbnail, put it in your welcome email with a link. Test it for two weeks. I bet you see a lift in clicks and conversions. Luna: That's actionable. And honestly, it's free to do. Lucas: Exactly. Now, I should also mention — a handful of listeners support this show directly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what keeps us ad-free and able to dive deep into tactics like this. So if you've gotten value from episodes like this one, consider joining them. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group, but it makes a big difference. We don't run ads, so listener support is what keeps the lights on here. Lucas: And that support lets us spend time on stories like this — real data from real newsletters. On that note, let's talk about one more case study. A lifestyle newsletter called 'The Morning Calm' started adding a 15-second video tip at the end of each email. Their click-through rate on that video link was 11 percent — way above their average link click rate of 3 percent. Luna: Eleven percent is impressive. And that's a non-finance newsletter, so it works across niches. Lucas: Absolutely. Whether you write about knitting or quantum computing, a short video that shows your personality or explains a concept can cut through the noise. Luna: One concern I have is production time. If I have to record and edit a video every week, that's extra work. Lucas: You don't have to edit. Just record in one take. If you mess up, start over. Most phone cameras are good enough. And if you're doing screen recordings, tools like Loom or QuickTime let you record and share instantly. No editing needed. Luna: So the barrier to entry is really low. Lucas: It is. And the return on time can be huge. One writer told me that their video snippet alone accounted for 30 percent of new paid subscribers in a month. That's a strong return for five minutes of work. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I'm going to try the welcome email video this week. Lucas: Do it. And let us know how it goes. We'd love to hear — maybe we'll feature your results in a future episode. Luna: Sounds like a plan. And for everyone listening, if you try this, drop us a note. Lucas: That's it for today. We'll be back next week with another tactic you can use to grow your newsletter business.