If you’re tired of sending emails that sound like they were written for a robot, you’re not alone. Most people ignore generic outreach—they can spot a mail merge a mile away. But recording a custom video for each lead? That’s just not realistic unless you’ve got hours to burn. This guide is for anyone who wants to cut through the noise with personalized video emails—without spending all day recording.
We’ll walk through using Hippovideo to send truly personalized video emails to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of contacts. You’ll learn what works, what’s a waste of time, and why “personalization” isn’t always as magical as it sounds.
Why Personalized Video Emails?
Let’s get this out of the way: not every cold email needs a video. But when you want a response—especially for sales, recruiting, or relationship-building—video can help you stand out. People are more likely to reply when they see a real person talking directly to them. It’s a human thing.
But here’s the catch: Sending one-off videos is a massive time sink. Most people bail after a dozen. That’s where Hippovideo comes in—it lets you record one video, then personalize it for each recipient using automations and dynamic fields. It’s not magic, but it’s as close as you’ll get without hiring a clone.
Step 1: Get Set Up with Hippovideo
First things first, you’ll need a Hippovideo account. They’re usually happy to give you a trial, but double-check what’s included—some features (like integrations or bulk sending) might be paywalled.
- Go to Hippovideo and sign up.
- Poke around the dashboard. Don’t be intimidated—most of it is straightforward, but the personalization tools take a bit of learning.
Pro Tip: Don’t import your whole contact list on day one. Start with a small batch for testing. Trust me, you don’t want to accidentally spam 1,000 people with your “test” video.
Step 2: Prepare Your Contact List
Personalization lives and dies by your contact data. If your CSV is full of missing names or weird formatting, your “Hi {FirstName}” will turn into “Hi ,” real fast.
- Export your list from your CRM or spreadsheet tool (Google Sheets, Excel, whatever).
- Clean it up:
- Make sure every row has at least an email and first name.
- Add any extra columns you want to reference in your video (company, job title, etc.).
- Save as CSV.
- Double-check for weird characters or blank fields, especially if you’re planning to use them in dynamic video snippets.
What’s worth personalizing? Stick to first name, company, maybe a key pain point if you’ve got it. The more fields you try to use, the more chances for screw-ups.
Step 3: Record Your Base Video
Here’s where most people overthink it. You don’t need Hollywood production. Webcam or phone is fine—the point is to sound like a real person, not a commercial.
- Script it, but don’t read it. Jot some bullet points, then talk to the camera like you would to a single person.
- Leave pauses or cues for where Hippovideo will drop in personalized elements (like first name or company).
- Smile. People can tell if you’re faking enthusiasm, so don’t.
- Keep it under 90 seconds. Shorter is almost always better.
- End with a clear call to action (“Reply to this email,” “Book a call,” etc.).
Pro Tip: If you feel awkward, do a test run and send it to yourself or a friend. If you cringe watching it, redo it. Don’t aim for perfection; just don’t sound like you’re being held hostage.
Step 4: Add Personalization with Hippovideo
Now for the techy part. Hippovideo’s “personalization” features work in two main ways:
- Dynamic Text Overlays: This puts things like
{FirstName}directly on the video as text (like a name tag or company logo). - Dynamic Video Snippets: This is more advanced—record short clips (e.g., “Hi, Sarah!”) and have Hippovideo stitch them in. This takes more work but can feel more personal.
How to Set Up Dynamic Fields
- Upload your base video in Hippovideo.
- Use their editor to add dynamic text fields where needed. Map them to your CSV columns (e.g., “Hi, {FirstName}!”).
- For video snippets, Hippovideo will walk you through recording a bank of short clips (“Hi, Sarah!”, “Hi, John!”, etc.). This is only realistic for small batches—not 500 names.
What Actually Works: - Text overlays are fast and look decent, but don’t pretend they’re super personal. - Dynamic video snippets are impressive, but only worth it for VIP prospects or tiny lists.
Step 5: Set Up Your Email Campaign
You’ve got your personalized videos ready—now you need to send them.
- Go to “Campaigns” in Hippovideo.
- Import your cleaned CSV list.
- Choose your video and map your fields to the right CSV columns.
- Write your email template. Keep it short—most people check email on their phone.
- Use placeholders for first name, company, etc., just like in your video.
- Hippovideo will automatically generate a video thumbnail (usually a GIF) linked to your video landing page.
Sending Options: - Send directly from Hippovideo: Good for small batches or one-off sends. - Integrate with your email tool (Gmail, Outlook, HubSpot, etc.): This gives you better deliverability and tracking, but setup can be fiddly.
Pro Tip: Test on yourself and a coworker first. Make sure every field pulls through right, and that the video loads on mobile.
Step 6: Track Results and Optimize
Don’t just blast and pray. Hippovideo gives you analytics—use them.
- See who opened, watched, and clicked your video.
- If nobody’s watching past 10 seconds, your intro probably needs work.
- If emails are landing in spam, tweak your subject line or sender name.
- For high-value leads, follow up with a real, one-off video if they watched but didn’t respond.
What to Ignore: Don’t obsess over every analytic. Focus on replies and meetings booked—not vanity metrics.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Watch Out For
What works: - First-name personalization plus a real, unscripted intro. - Keeping videos short and honest. - Following up—most replies come after the second or third touch.
What doesn’t: - Overly flashy videos. Animation and effects usually backfire. - Trying to fake one-to-one at massive scale. People can tell. - Relying on Hippovideo for everything—sometimes your email platform is better for deliverability.
What to watch out for: - Bad data. If your CSV is messy, your videos will be too. - Sending too many emails at once. You’ll hit limits or get flagged as spam. - Not testing on mobile. Half your audience lives there.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t get caught up chasing the perfect workflow. Start small—send a batch of 20, see what lands, and adjust. The best results come from sounding human, not from using every feature Hippovideo offers. Personalization is about relevance, not trickery.
Remember: People want to deal with real humans, not mass-produced videos. Focus on that, and you’re already ahead of the game.