Checklist for Creating Vimeo Videos For Marketing Emails – 2023

Companion Post for “Using Vimeo Videos With Marketing Emails – 2023”

Dr. Hale Pringle  2/4/2023  V. 1

This document is a version of the long and detailed description of turning a video hosted on Vimeo.com into a marketing video (I call this a Vimeo Video).  The checklist just says “Dp it.”  If you want to know “How to Do It” or  “Why Do It”, check the other post.   Here is the link:  https://halepringle.com/vimeo-videos-and-email-marketing/

You will need a Vimeo PRO account for this to work.

Files Needed To Create Marketing Vimeo Videos:

We start wi the basic video, then we add two Image files.

1. The video – The video is usually a file with an MP4 file type.
2. Intro Image – This is an image (like a PNG file or JPG file) that shows the beginning of the video.
3. Outro Image – This is an image (like a PNG file or JPG file) that shows the end of the video.
4. OUTRO PLUS VIDEO “PLSY BUTTON” – a copy of the OUTRO with a video play button added to make it look like a video.

DECIDE ON A Call-to-Action (CTA)

• CTA – You need a Call to Action message you can place on top of these images.   You will need a second CTA when we get to the Vimeo internal CTA system.  They can redirect viewers to the same place.
• This is the text I used for the CTA

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STEP 1 – Get the Video – the core of our Vimeo Videos.  The video file (usually an mp4) needs to be somewhere that it can be read by Video and uploaded to your Vimeo account.

• You need the video to take screenshots of the beginning and end.  You also want to upload it to your Vimeo account so you can make it into one of hour Vimeo Videos.
  My videos were displayed at 1200 x 628 pixels.  I resized the images I got for the Intro, Outro, and Email Button to that size.  Bet “close enough.” Don’t be a perfectionist.
• Rename the video to something relevant. The viewer will usually see the file name. (You can turn that off, but it tends to show up in several places.) The file name (minus the:.mp4″) is the default title for your video.

STEP 2 – Add  CTA Related to Text to the PNG files for the Intro and Outro screens.  Do the Intro plus Button too.

• Try and find a font for your additional messages that match any text already on the image.  There are tools for this, but all we need is close, not perfect.  (Get it DONE!)

STEP 3 -Upload the Video and Enter a Title and Description

• Get the file from your computer\
• Enter the Title and the Description
• Put the link to the webpage you want the person who sees this video to go to on the first line of the Description.  It is the only line that is visible initially.
• Check that the video and the text fields are good.
  Note Vimeo will turn the URL you enter into a clickable link when the video is viewed.

Big, Big, BIG NOTE:  This is for marketers.  Be sure your link has your affiliate number attached.  Mine do, you just can’t see it.    All this work would be for nothing if you don’t get credit.

Sample Desciription>

https://HalePringle.com/ERTC

Click the link to Start a FREE Analysis, prepared by CPAs who specialize and only work on the “Employee Retention Tax Credit” (ERTC) program. A specialist will call you within a few minutes. All you need to do is fill out your contact information and an estimate of the number of W-2s you issued in 2020 and 2021.

*** End ***

STEP 4 – Change the video’s Privacy Setting (Lock Icon) to unlisted and Get the Link to Your Vimeo Videos

• Ge sure you set the Privacy to UNLISTED before you get the links for files marked as Public are different than the links for files set to Unlisted.
• BTW I wanted people searching Vimeo to be able to find my file, so I uploaded a second copy and let it stay Public.  I won’t try to integrate that copy.
  Note:  This link changes after you mark the file as UNLISTED.

Get Vimeo links to your Vimeo Videos (Chain Icon)

•  Save your Link for inserting in your email

Setting 2 – THE PLAYER ICON – Modifying What Vimeo Adds to Your Vimeo Videos

NOTE:  I found that if the options don’t work, clicking the Ctrl+ or the Ctrl- (zoom and un-zoom) may get you to a place where they do work.

 Setting 3 – (Optional) – Your Profile

There are three elements in the upper left corner of Vimeo Videos.  You can turn them on and off.  Click on the blude box around your profile picture to see the options.

• Your Picture
• The Video Title
• Your name

I decided to turn them all off for this short video (partly because the Title line overlaid the special Message I had placed on the Outro.

Setting 4 – (Optional) – Change the Controls the Viewer Can Access on Your Vimeo Videos

If you click on the blue rectangle at the bottom of the screen (#1), you can turn the controls (like Volume or Full Screen)(#2) on or off (#3).

I turned off the Vimeo Logo and left the others.  Be sure to leave the sound control.  People get very annoyed if they can’t control the volume if they are watching where the sound would annoy others.

STEP 6 – Set the End Screen to Call to Action in Your Vimeo Videos

   Setting 5 – Choose a Call to Action to Turn THis Video Into One of Your Vimeo Videos

Use the P;ayer Icon –> End Screen to activate the left side menu and go to the End Screen Drop-down menu.

Note: The little arrow link at the top of the screen will take you back to the right side of the screen menu.
You need a PRO Account or better.

Using Custom Image as a Call to Action with Free Accounts

I’m going to skip all this and go right to the Call to Action Option

Setting 6b –  Vimeo’s “Call to Action” End Screen 

I’ll start here at the point we chose “Custom Image” as the End Screen type before.

 We start by clicking on the pencil and then choosing Call to Action (#2)
Enter a new Title for the Call to Action overlay.  This overlay will be placed in the middle of your Outro image.
Enter a new short description,

Fill in the text and URL for a button a button

Fill in the text and the URL for a link

Think about reasons a customer might want to click on something and move forward.  These only allow 20 characters so you need to work on it some. For example:

Example:

Button Text -“Talk to a Specialist”
Link Text: “Book a Call With Me.”

Upload the OUTRO Image we created in Step 1

Be sure to set the Background Image toggle to ON.

STEP 7 – (also Setting 7) Set the Screen That Shows Before our Vimeo Videos Start – the Intro

• This is the INTRO image you created in Step 1.
• Go to Advanced Settings→General→Thumbnail. That is where you can upload an image.

Setting 8 -TURN COMMENTS OFF – Protect You Marketing with Vimeo Videos

• Right Below the Thumbnail, I turn the Comments off.

Setting 9 – REMOVE THE “.MP4” FROM THE TITLES OF OUR VIMEO VIDEOS

• While we are in the GENERAL section, we can make one small change and check our Title and Description. These are the Title and the Description that is shown under the video. The Description should have a link in it.

STEP 8- Always Check That Your Vimeo Videos Work Correctly

• You ALWAYS need to check that your edits work.

DONE! – SETTING UP ONE OF YOUR VIMEO VIDEOS IS DONE!!

USING YOUR VIMEO VIDEOS

AWEBER EXAMPLE

Email Step 1 – First we Think-

Decide what you are trying to do and Ask if the Video Helps

Email Step 2  Write the Email with special considerations around Vimeo Videos

Writing effective marketing emails is way beyond the scope of this already too-long post.  There are a few things worth noting about using this Vimeo  Video.

1. You need some teaser text before the video to encourage  Leads to watch it.  In this case, the video is only 30 seconds long.  You can make a big deal out of that.  No one wants to commit to an hour-long video about something they may or may not be interested in.  30 seconds is a MUCH easier sale.
2. Assume the Lead did not watch the video and cover the main points after the video.  This is especially true for any links you had in the email.  Duplicate them in your email.
3. Don’t be afraid to include one of your Vimeo Videos in several emails.  People do not open many.
4. Place the video AFTER you have made most of your points.  Since the Lead is sent to another site, they may not come back.

Email Step 3 – Insert the Vimeo Video into the email

•  We insert images into the emails and link the images to our Vimeo Videos.

See the accompanying Doc for an Aweber Example

Have a Great Day!  Oh Hale Yes!