If you’re tired of sending the same “Just checking in!” emails on repeat, this one’s for you. Maybe you’re in sales or customer success. Or you just want your follow-ups to actually get noticed—and not end up in the trash. Here’s how you can automatically send personal-feeling video follow-ups using Vidyard and Salesforce, so you spend less time on copy-paste and more time actually closing deals or helping customers.
This isn’t a magic “AI does it all” setup, but it’ll save you hours and make your outreach harder to ignore. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts.
Why bother automating video follow-ups?
Before we dive into the setup, here’s the reality check:
- Video gets noticed. Inboxes are full of boring text. A video thumbnail with your face is more likely to get opened.
- Manual follow-up is soul-crushing. Nobody wants to record and send 50 nearly identical videos, or worse—forget to follow up.
- Automation helps, but only if you do it right. Over-automate and it feels spammy. Skip automation, and you’ll never scale.
If you’re looking for “set it and forget it” magic, this isn’t it. But with a little work upfront, you can make video follow-ups feel personal and save yourself a ton of manual effort.
What you’ll need
Let’s keep it honest—there’s no point starting if you don’t have these basics:
- A Vidyard account (Pro or higher if you want advanced integrations)
- Salesforce (any version that supports automation and custom fields)
- Permission to connect apps/integrations in both tools (if you’re not the admin, get their blessing first)
If you’re missing any of these, stop here and get your access sorted out.
Step 1: Map out your follow-up triggers
Don’t start wiring things up just yet. Figure out when you actually want to send a video follow-up. Some common triggers:
- After a demo is booked
- When a deal moves to a new stage
- If a lead hasn’t replied in X days
- After onboarding is complete
Pick one to start. You can always expand later. If you try to automate “everything” at once, you’ll drown in edge cases and half-baked workflows.
Pro tip: Start with a single, high-impact trigger (like “Demo Completed”) and get that working before you try to cover every scenario.
Step 2: Create your Vidyard video(s)
You’ve got a few options here, and this is where most people overthink it:
- Truly personal videos: Record a new one for each person. Great if you have 5 accounts, not scalable for 50.
- Semi-personalized: Record a handful of videos for different use cases (“Thanks for booking a demo!” “Sorry we missed you!” etc.) and use merge fields for names.
- Fully generic: One video for everyone. Loses some punch, but better than a wall of text.
If you want to automate, go with semi-personalized. Record a video that’s friendly but not hyper-specific (“Hey there, wanted to follow up on our recent demo…”). Use Vidyard’s personalization features to drop in the recipient’s name or company in the video thumbnail or the landing page—don’t try to fake it in the video itself unless you’re ready to record dozens.
What to ignore: Don’t get hung up on video production quality. Webcam and decent lighting is fine. Just be authentic.
Step 3: Set up your Vidyard–Salesforce integration
Time to connect the dots. Here’s the process, minus the fluff:
1. Connect Vidyard to Salesforce
- In Vidyard, go to Integrations > Salesforce.
- Follow the prompts to connect. You’ll need Salesforce admin creds (or someone who has them).
- Authorize the connection. Once it’s set up, Vidyard can send video view data back to Salesforce, and vice versa.
2. Verify data syncing
- Make sure Vidyard fields (like video views, video URLs) show up in Salesforce on leads/contacts.
- If not, check your field mappings. You might need to add custom fields in Salesforce for video links or engagement metrics.
Heads up: This part can be annoying if your Salesforce instance is locked down. If you hit a wall, loop in your Salesforce admin.
Step 4: Build your automation in Salesforce
Here’s where you actually make the follow-up happen automatically. There are two main ways:
Option A: Salesforce Process Builder (Classic, but still works)
- Go to Process Builder in Salesforce Setup.
- Create a new process that starts when a record changes (e.g., Opportunity moves to “Demo Completed”).
- Set criteria for when to trigger (e.g., Stage = Demo Completed).
- Add an action to send an email.
- Use an email template that includes your Vidyard video link (more on this below).
- Use merge fields for the recipient’s name, company, etc.
Option B: Salesforce Flow (More powerful, slightly more complex)
- Go to Flows in Salesforce Setup.
- Create a new Flow (Record-Triggered is usually best).
- Define your trigger (same as above—when a field changes or a certain amount of time passes).
- Add actions to send an email (or even create tasks for reps, if you want more human touch).
Which to use? If you’re new to Salesforce automation, start with Process Builder. If you want to get fancy with delays, branching logic, or Slack alerts, use Flow.
Step 5: Add your Vidyard video to Salesforce email templates
You can’t embed a playable video in most email clients, but you can add a thumbnail image that links to your Vidyard video page. Here’s how:
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In Vidyard, get your video share link.
- Copy the link to the video landing page.
- Download or copy the thumbnail image.
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In Salesforce, create an email template.
- Insert the thumbnail image.
- Hyperlink the image to your Vidyard video link.
- Use merge fields for recipient name, company, etc.
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Test it.
- Send yourself a test email.
- Make sure the thumbnail links to the right place and the merge fields work.
Pro tip: If your Vidyard plan supports it, use dynamic video thumbnails with the recipient’s name or logo. It’s cheesy, but it works.
Step 6: Test, test, test
Don’t assume your automation works the first time. Here’s what to check:
- The right trigger fires at the right time.
- The email lands in the inbox (not spam).
- The Vidyard link works and tracks views.
- Merge fields actually fill in (and don’t say “Dear {!FirstName}”).
Do a few dry runs with test records before you roll out to real leads.
Step 7: Track and tweak (don’t set and forget)
Here’s where most people drop the ball. Automation’s not “done”—you need to see if it actually works.
- Check open rates and video views. If nobody’s clicking, tweak your subject line or thumbnail.
- Watch for unsubscribes or spam complaints. If your “personal” video is too generic, people will spot the automation and tune out.
- Iterate on triggers and timing. Maybe your follow-up should go out 2 days after a demo, not 10 minutes later. Test and adjust.
What to ignore: Don’t get obsessed with vanity metrics (like total video views). Focus on replies, meetings booked, or whatever actually moves the needle.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to avoid
What works: - Keeping the video short and direct (under 90 seconds) - Using real merge fields for names, companies, etc. - Sending follow-ups based on real actions (not just “time since last email”)
What doesn’t: - Trying to automate every type of video follow-up—start with just one - Overly slick or generic videos (people can spot a robot a mile away) - Ignoring the human touch—sometimes, a manual check-in is still worth it
What to avoid: - Don’t try to “fake personalization” by obviously copying and pasting generic scripts - Don’t ignore compliance—if your automation keeps spamming, you’ll hurt your reputation - Don’t rely solely on automation; it should make you more human, not less
Keep it simple and iterate
Don’t worry about building a perfect automation right away. Start with one trigger, one semi-personal video, and see how it performs. Refine your process based on what actually gets responses—not what looks fancy in a demo.
Remember: Automation’s supposed to save you time and make your follow-up better, not just faster. Keep it simple, stay authentic, and you’ll stand out in a world of boring, forgettable emails.
Ready to stop chasing leads and let your videos do the heavy lifting? Give it a shot—and tweak as you go.