If your sales emails look like everyone else’s, don’t be surprised when they get ignored. B2B buyers are buried in pitches. Video cuts through the noise—if you actually use it right. This is a no-nonsense review of Vidyard for sales teams: what it gets right, what’s overhyped, and how to use it without wasting time.
Who should care about Vidyard?
- Sales reps and SDRs who want replies, not just opens
- Sales managers looking for a repeatable way to stand out in crowded inboxes
- RevOps folks who want real engagement data, not just guesses
- Anyone tired of “personalized” emails that aren’t personal at all
If you’re sending cold emails, doing outbound, or running account-based campaigns, Vidyard is worth a look. If you’re just looking for a lightweight way to record the occasional explainer, there are simpler (and cheaper) tools.
What is Vidyard, really?
Vidyard bills itself as a “video platform for business.” For sales teams, that mostly means three things:
- Record: Capture quick, personalized videos from your webcam or screen
- Share: Drop videos into emails, LinkedIn, or landing pages with a simple link or thumbnail
- Track: See who opens, watches, and clicks—down to the second
It’s not just for sending videos. You also get analytics, integrations with CRMs, and some basic editing. But the core use case is simple: get your face (and message) in front of leads in a way that feels human.
How Vidyard actually helps sales teams
Let’s cut through the marketing fluff. Here’s what Vidyard gets right, and where it falls flat.
What works
1. Personalization that doesn’t suck
- You can record a 30-second pitch using your webcam—drop a prospect’s name, reference something specific, and hit send.
- You can also screen record a quick walkthrough (great for showing how your product solves their problem).
- The video thumbnail animates in the email, so it stands out compared to a boring wall of text.
Honest take: People do notice a real video. It can boost reply rates, especially in cold outbound. But only if you keep it short and actually make it personal. “Hi, [FirstName]” doesn’t cut it.
2. Actionable engagement data
- See who watched your video, for how long, and if they clicked your CTA.
- Integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, Salesloft, and others. Data shows up in your CRM automatically.
- You can trigger workflows based on video engagement (e.g., auto-enroll someone in a follow-up if they watched 80%).
Honest take: This is genuinely useful. You know who’s just opening vs. actually watching. You can prioritize your follow-ups based on real interest—not just “email opened.”
3. Easy to use (once it’s set up)
- Chrome extension and desktop apps make recording quick.
- Copy-paste links or thumbnails into Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, or wherever you’re working.
- No fancy editing required—just hit record and send.
Honest take: It’s faster than you think, especially once you’ve recorded a few. Most reps can crank out a decent video in under 2 minutes.
What doesn’t work (or isn’t worth stressing about)
1. Over-engineered features
- Vidyard has a full-blown “video hub” for sharing libraries of content. Most sales teams don’t need this—it’s overkill for outbound.
- Editing tools are basic. If you want to cut out every “um” and polish your video, you’ll get frustrated.
- The in-app teleprompter sounds nice, but in practice, it looks stiff and unnatural. People can tell you’re reading.
2. Analytics get noisy
- You’ll get notified for every view—even if it’s just a prospect opening the email three times. It takes some tuning to avoid notification overload.
- Teams with lots of shared videos can muddy the data. If you’re sending one-to-many videos, don’t expect super-granular insights.
3. Not a magic bullet
- If your pitch is bad, video won’t save it. People can smell a generic script, even if you’re on camera.
- It doesn’t “automate” personalization. You still need to do real research and speak directly to the prospect’s pain.
How to actually use Vidyard for better sales results
Here’s a step-by-step approach that works without turning your day into a video shoot.
1. Get set up (10 minutes)
- Install the Chrome extension or desktop app.
- Connect Vidyard to your email and CRM (Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, etc.).
- Make a 30-second intro video just to practice. Don’t overthink it.
Pro tip: Don’t worry about lighting or background at first. Just avoid backlighting (no window behind you) and check your mic.
2. Identify when to send video (and when not to)
- Best times:
- Cold outbound to high-value accounts (breaks the pattern)
- Following up after a meeting (“Here’s a quick recap…”)
-
Answering a specific question or objection
-
Not worth it:
- Mass outreach (your video won’t be personal enough)
- Super-early or unqualified leads (don’t waste time)
3. Record like a human, not a marketer
- Keep it under 60 seconds. Seriously.
- Use the prospect’s name, reference their company or a recent trigger event.
- Show your face (webcam beats screen-only).
- End with a clear, simple ask. “If this looks interesting, does next Tuesday work for a quick call?”
Pro tip: Don’t script every word. Jot bullet points if you need, but speak naturally. If you flub a line, keep going—people prefer real over perfect.
4. Share it smartly
- Use Vidyard’s animated thumbnail when possible—it gets more clicks than a plain link.
- Personalize the email or LinkedIn message around the video, not just “see my video above.”
- Set a clear CTA below the video. Don’t make them guess what you want.
5. Track and follow up based on real engagement
- Vidyard shows you if and when someone watches your video.
- If they watch most or all of it, bump them to the top of your call or reply list.
- If they don’t watch, try a different subject line or channel (maybe LinkedIn instead of email).
Pro tip: Don’t overreact to partial watches—sometimes people are just busy. One view isn’t a buying signal, but it’s better than nothing.
Integrations and workflow tips
Vidyard works best when it fits into your existing sales process. Here’s what to actually connect (and what to skip):
- Connect to your CRM. Get engagement data right in Salesforce or HubSpot—no copying and pasting.
- Use with Outreach or Salesloft. Add video steps to your sequences/cadences.
- Don’t bother with… the full video hub or marketing workflows unless you’re running big, multi-touch campaigns. Most B2B sales teams just need the basics.
Real-world results (and real limitations)
Where teams see a lift:
- Reply rates: Personalized videos can double or triple response rates on high-value accounts (compared to plain text). Not every time, but enough to matter.
- Faster deals: Prospects who engage with your video tend to move through the funnel faster—they feel like they “know” you.
- Better qualification: If someone won’t click a 40-second video made just for them, they probably aren’t worth chasing.
Where it falls short:
- Scalability: You can’t personalize hundreds of videos per day. Quality drops fast if you try.
- Team adoption: Some reps will resist being on camera. (You can’t force charisma.)
- “Video fatigue:” If everyone starts sending videos, the novelty wears off. Use it where it counts.
The bottom line: Should your team use Vidyard?
If you’re in B2B sales and struggle to break through with cold outreach, Vidyard is a solid tool. It’s not magic, but it does make your outreach feel more personal and trackable. Just skip the overhyped features, focus on quick, direct videos, and don’t let “video anxiety” get in the way.
Start simple: try sending 5-10 personalized videos this week. See if you get more replies. Tweak your approach. If it works, roll it out wider. If not, don’t be afraid to ditch it and try something else. In sales, what matters is what gets you a real conversation—not what’s trending on LinkedIn.