There’s really no question that the more personal the relationship, the more powerful it is. In the business world, the big trend for everything from email marketing to e-commerce websites is personalization.
In the influence marketing world agencies and brands hope to break through the inbox clutter and get influencers or media members to respond to their pitch. Personalization here is almost required because few media or influencers are going to respond to an email blast. You have to make that connection.
But it works for the influencers too. For those who want to drive revenue from their community of followers, or those who just have a genuine interest in engaging and valuing the people who do follow them, one-to-one communications goes a long way. Why you think someone like Gary Vaynerchuk is now asking people to text him? It’s personal.
Now let’s ask how it is we can cut through the clutter of traditional methods of connecting with influencers, or with community or audience members. The way that is emerging as highly relevant and now much more accessible is video emails.
Matt Barnett is the CEO of Bonjoro, one of a number of video email platforms out there. You pay a subscription fee and have a certain number of video emails you can record on our computer or phone each month. A new customer transacts on your website? Hit them with a personal video thank you. It’ll blow their minds.
Someone joins your new online community or posts a question in the comments of a blog post? Hit them with an email video, calling them by name and addressing their specific issue. Or, send an influencer an email where you quickly explain the value exchange that could come from a partnership as if you’re talking right to them.
Think your response rates won’t go up? I believe so.
Matt joined me from his home in Australia to talk about the opportunity for both brands and agencies, but also influencers themselves. Give the talk a listen and then go sign up and try it. You can start impressing people today with a free trial.
Connect with Barnett on LinkedIn. Find more about Bonjoro, learn more at Bonjor.com.
Winfluence Transcript – Matt Barnett – Bonjoro
Jason Falls
Hello again, friends thanks for listening to Winfluence – The Influence Marketing Podcast. There’s really no question that the more personal the relationship, the more powerful it is. In the business world, the big trend for everything from email to e-commerce is personalization. In the influence marketing world, agencies and brands hope to break through the inbox clutter and get influencers or media members to respond to their pitch. Personalization here is almost required because few media or influencers are going to respond to an email blast. You have to make that connection.
Jason Falls
But it works for the influencers too. For those who want to drive revenue from their community of followers, or those who just have a genuine interest in engaging and valuing the people who do follow them. One to one communications goes a long way. Why do you think someone like Gary Vaynerchuk is now asking people to text him directly? It’s personal. Now let’s ask how it is we can cut through the clutter of traditional methods of connecting with influencers or with community or audience members. The way that is emerging as highly relevant, and now much more accessible is video emails.
Jason Falls
Matt Barnett is the CEO of Bonjoro, one of a number of video email platforms out there. You pay a subscription fee and have a certain number of video emails you can record on your computer or phone each month. A new customer transacts on your website, hit them with a personal video thank you. It’ll blow their minds. If someone joins your new online community or posts a question in the comments of a blog post. Hit them with an email video, calling them by name and addressing their specific issue. Or send an influencer an email where you can quickly explain the value exchange that could come from a partnership as if you’re talking right to them. Because you are! Think your response rates will go up? I believe they will.
Jason Falls
Matt joined me from his home in Australia and talk about the opportunity for both brands and agencies, but also influencers themselves. I’ve tried video emails before when I hosted my own events, and I can tell you from experience, the response was phenomenal. People are super impressed you took the time to talk directly to them. So let’s find out more about how you can do this for your business. Matt Barnett and video emails up next on Winfluence.
Jason Falls
Matt, I’ll never forget the first time I received the video email, it was a sales guy for a software company and I had met him at a conference a month or so before so I knew him and I trusted that I can click on the little video icon in the email. Otherwise, I probably would have deleted it. And, you know, thinking it was malware or something. When the video popped up, and he said, “Hey, Jason, great to catch up at the conference last month.” Well, I mean, I think I think the fact that I still remember it speaks volumes. How is it that everyone isn’t doing video emails yet, Matt?
Jason Falls
So I think I think video has, it’s always been on a pedestal. So you know, video originally was always the the space of film and TV. And it’s only in recent times that we’ve understood that we can use it for B2B communication, obviously, this year’s kind of driven that ahead. And so I think I think this has been a natural learning curve, I think I think that’s all it is. And there’s been a bit of a bit of a catch up with infrastructure as well. You know, obviously is the internet fast enough, mobile data fast enough, but now it starts to become just another tool that we can use as successfully as we could do text before. So it’s partly just timing and partly everyone understanding that you do not need to, you know, put on your best makeup and your best shoes to do video.
Jason Falls
So wha wha I mean, you mentioned a couple things there. But really what had been the barriers to entry to date for widespread adoption to that simple video recordings as emails. I mean, what are they? And what are the barriers that continue to challenge platforms like yours?
Matt Barnett
I think there’s always a there’s a learning curve with any new technology, I think video as a as a communication tool, not the film tool, that that curve is still happening. I think we’ve gone past early adopters. Now a lot of majority coming on. Like you need a reason to do it. So in business, basically the the the bottom line is always will this help us grow the business faster? Will this help us you know, win? And now we’re starting to see ways to measure how effective video and comms are, in terms of you obviously lead conversion, engagement, etc. So I think there’s that there’s a proof behind it that gets the majority on board that’s starting to happen. I think there’s still probably a few jumps of people to make, again, understanding video to the ROI. To be blunt. I think the more we can fill that in, and the more people will come on. And then again, just those barriers in terms of I mean, for some reason, you know, being shy on video, when really it’s no different, you know, having a coffee or having a chat with somebody. Like that, you know, I think it still is impressions, but video is still a little bit on this pedestal, it’s something important. Whereas really, again, it’s no different to being in person, I think that will just naturally take some time to iron out.
Jason Falls
Now, this may be a terrible question, but just out of curiosity, can you explain in simple terms, why we can’t embed video in an email? That seems like something that shouldn’t be hard to me. All email displays are, are just web pages these days? I think that extra click is an issue too. And I can’t understand why that’s a problem.
Matt Barnett
Yeah, so I see a few technologies try and do this. I think the challenge with getting videos to embed and what specifically an email is there’s so many different email providers. So that’s one of the challenges. So you have Apple mail, Gmail, everything else, they all work slightly differently, they have different tech hidden behind them as to how they display can be quite different. It’s you can’t include a video file because of the size. And obviously you don’t want to do that. So you do your web page. So I think it’s partly technology side for some reasons, not catching up. I think there’s ways around that, you know, which you’ll see if you see video emails that include gifs, which which do play, which like, like a short clip of the video. That’s the best way around. And the benefit then, obviously, is if you’re watching the video, then on another web page, you don’t only have the video, you can also include other context and other links and other value to the viewer. But I think that’s traditionally where has been the barriers and given the fact that so many players in email, you know, it’s it’s like, I wouldn’t put my money on them all getting together and figuring out.
Jason Falls
Well, we I think we need to call somebody who whoever invented the internet, Al Gore, whoever invented it …. Okay, back from back from my technical tangent here. Let’s talk about the use cases here because video email platforms, like Bonjoro are super powerful for both agencies and brands trying to engage influencers, which is what we talked about here on this show a lot, but also really powerful for influencers trying to build their audiences. So let’s start with the latter there. I’m an influencer. I’m trying to build an audience or a brand for myself, maybe I’ve got a paid subscription site where I give lessons about something or I sell retail goods on my website to monetize my audience, how can a video email application like Bonjoro help me?
Matt Barnett
Yes, the first thing I’ll say here is take your mind off video a little bit, which sounds a bit strange. But what you’re really doing here is investing time in your community, in your customers, in your leads. I think that’s actually what the video is really doing. So, if you look at the psychology behind it, the reason these work is because someone receives it and they go like it’s extremely unexpected, especially in terms of an influencer, that they would get a message from them. It’s extremely, extremely unexpected, that it’s personalized to them. And this is what we do is one to one videos. It’s very transparent, it’s very authentic as well. So now that our video happens to capture that, but it’s the fact that we’re actually taking the time and being yourself and acknowledging somebody in your community. That’s the real power behind it. So that in mind where we see this user influences, you know, both on the B2B side people like Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas over to Kyle Vee. I guess B2C side on which is might be like Patreons and kind of obviously, like B2C brands, is when you have paid customers coming in or you know, high value customers or customers that have been with you for a while or important community members, taking 30 seconds to drop that individual a message, saying, “Hey, John! Saw you join the community, amazing to have you really excited to see what’s gonna happen from this point forward, etc, etc.” Taking 30 seconds to do that, just absolutely astounds, anyone who knows you for who you are, and knows your name. And if you don’t think they’re going to take take to social media, or take to their networks and talk about that. it like it’s amazing. So I think we’re not expecting this level of personalization. And that’s really where it cuts through, and gets that word of mouth going, and then also gets retention going as well. So the more you engage in your community, the more likely they are to stay with you and ultimately become an advocate or as Pat Flynn calls it a Super Fan.
Jason Falls
And it taps into that sort of psychological … if if anybody out there has ever done any amount of therapy, and anybody who knows me knows I’ve done a ton of it. But if you’ve done any amount of therapy, you know that it taps into that psychological need for acknowledgement. And and just being recognized just having someone call you by name, and acknowledge that you’re there just like opens up this emotional floodgate of acceptance and joy. And pheromones or some crazy word that I don’t understand. But I mean, it really taps into that psychological need that community member might have doesn’t it.
Matt Barnett
It does, I think, especially with a soul moving to kind of more disconnect like, well, like a more disparate world where you know, like like me right now. I’m in Australia, you’re in the States. The fact that you know, we’re not together, we can’t get together. The fact that people go online that we potentially have a bit more isolated today. I feel like human the human psyche is craving this more than ever. You know, we’ve like we are we are evolved as social creatures, you know, we need other people in order to function, as or most of us do, as we do so. So having this acknowledgement satisfies that deep, deep kind of primal urge. And it works both ways, by the way, so if you’re thanking customers and leads, on the other end, there’s actually a positive reflection on yourself. Just saying, Thank you, helps you feel good. Obviously, when people respond, they’re like, “Wow, this is amazing,” doubles down that as well. So it works for both the giver and the receiver.
Jason Falls
That’s great. I would think with the dominance of Instagram stories, and those kind of short snackable elements of video these days, this type of application would be really super, super easy to implement for us for an influencer, right? Just from a, just from a habit perspective of what they’re used to doing, right?
Matt Barnett
Yeah, it’s easy. I think we always talk in my company about automating processes, but not relationships. But that’s kind of the key part here is that you want to when you do these new things, you want to build habits, make sure it’s a process that goes through. So with the video thing, have a system that each morning tells you, “Hey, look, here’s you know your latest 20 high value customers, go welcome them, click up button, do it and then move on.” So you just got to build it into your process and workday, you know, initially measure it and make sure it works. And then and then off you go. You don’t want to be thinking about it too much.
Jason Falls
I’m actually thinking about it way too much. Because I’m thinking I want to respond to every email by video. So I don’t have to type. And I can just click a button and say, “Yes, I heard that in the meeting, stop emailing me.” Send. You know that I want to do that all day. I wonder if I want Do you have any people that are doing that that are just incorporated in their regular inboxes?
Matt Barnett
Yeah, like some people do not. Look, I also think I know we’re on video here. But I just think audio is quite interesting as well. Audio is also rising. So people are getting to a state, and I think these two could go in combination where we’re understanding that we don’t necessarily need to write anymore. It’s faster. I mean, if you’re for dyslexia, we have challenges or like me, I’m just not a wordsmith, then talking writing gets across a lot more personalities a lot more engaging. That’s starting to happen. I think, I think I found the right medium for the right time. I think writing has its place. I think audio has its place, I think video has its place. I think VR, ultimately one day will have its place and then in-person does. So I think it’s it’s matching up. What makes sense at the right time, what makes sense for you as an individual. Some of us are great writers, we might want to write others a better in person, we’re gonna want to talk. But I think the ability is there for everyone’s can’t do this today. My suggestion to you, sir, is to is to forge ahead and do that be an early adopter.
Jason Falls
I just I just don’t want my HR people to adopt it either. Because I’d rather get an email written email from them, rather than, you know, a video that says, “Jason, you need to come talk us again …” Anyway. Okay, so let’s let’s flip it over to the brand and agency folks trying to engage influencers because it works the same way for them. But But what makes it so special to them in trying to pitch influencers and get them on board.
Matt Barnett
I think again, this comes down to the personality type. So I’m x agency, I’m a very much jazz hands kind of guy, I am 100 times better in person than I am ever through an email. So if I want to go win, win jobs and win leads and win people onto my cause, I will always force to get in front of them either on video, or obviously in person. The video thing is obviously the best way to do that in remote situations. So in my agency days, I would always be pitching to the States and London and I’m from Australia, you can’t do that person. So it gets across you, who you are, gets across your team, it gets close to brand. And, if someone’s with an agency, because it’s the services side is such a heavy part of it. The people are absolutely crucial. So you kind of want to taste before you buy. I think video gives you that ability.
Jason Falls
Right. That’s good stuff. I would imagine you made an allusion to this earlier, but I would imagine COVID has really shifted the response you’ve been getting from prospective customers, right?
Matt Barnett
Yes, I think people just just having to communicate with customers in different ways. Yeah, and they also understand, I mean, alongside this, like, just at the same time competitions getting getting heavier and heavier people struggling on line those are trying new things like right now are seeing like big returns because they can jump ahead of the curve, I think. But yeah, I mean like back to that connection piece. I think it’s a bit more of a struggle now. And we go 6-6-6 months in with some of these signs in our heads to go on man. I miss. I miss humans. I gotta I need the big ad.
Jason Falls
I miss some humans. I don’t know. Humans. Some of them I’m gonna you need to stay quarantined after this is done because I don’t need to talk to you anymore. Alright, so if I’m an influencer or if I’m a brand, what am I looking for in? or What am I looking at in terms of like pricing? And what do I do to get started with something like this?
Matt Barnett
So, there’s a few tools. I mean, obviously, I’m biased but go check out Bonjoro. Have a have a little play around? Look with us, we have free options, we have, you know, options around $15. So, we’re a tier-based pricing. So depending how active you are, how many team members you have, I think, what I’ll say here is test out first. You know, like make. So again, right, right comms, the right person at the right time. This kind of thing is very easy to test. This is plenty of free trials on every single platform out there, give it a go, do 20 by don’t spend a lot of time you’ll work out very, very quickly, at least qualitatively. If you start to get more responses than your other efforts. If you start to get more engagement from your community or your customers, if you’re an influencer. Try it out and you’ll get an indicator very quickly if it’s going to work. Then my next suggestion is spend a bit more time on it, potentially if you have a team evolve them and start to see if you can measure that back to conversions, retention, one one meetings, you know, whatever it is the metric that is that you’re trying to shift. And I again with Bonjoro my suggestion is have a look at our case studies because you’ll be able to find cases in there for influencers and agencies and try to look at what people have done. Again, the point here is to move important metrics your business you know although video is wonderful, it’s not it’s not about just doing it for the sake of doing it if that makes sense.
Jason Falls
Well and and and I want you to make sure that you tell people where they can find you online to get those case studies and and maybe you know sign up for their their test with Bonjoro, because those other platforms aren’t here. I’m talking to you. So eat it up,
Matt Barnett
Head on to Bonjoro.com. Jump in, you’ll get your you’ll get a video for my team. So you’ll get to experience it firsthand as well. And then, and then have a chat to us.
Jason Falls
That’s fantastic. Man, thank you so much for all this. It’s very helpful. I hope that the influencers and brands and agencies out there listening, give it a shot and maybe it’ll improve their business. I appreciate you being here with us.
Matt Barnett
No problem, Jason. Thanks for having me.
Transcribed by otter.ai
The Winfluence theme music is “One More Look” featuring Jacquire King and Stephan Sharp by The K Club found on Facebook Sound Collection.