For a long time, long-form letters have been a tried and true conversion tactic for postal direct mail — especially for financial newsletters. And many subscription sites have simply transferred those long-form letters online.But in this week’s Case Study on Subscription Site Insider, Eagle Publishing had some interesting test results regarding video landing pages. Specifically, Eagle’s financial division found that video landing pages converted a lot better online than those standard long-form letters.This just shows, once again, how print publications have to adapt their content and marketing for the third screen. Reading and scrolling are not comfortable activities for someone seated at a desk. But having the content of a letter presented in a video allows prospects to sit back and enjoy. Plus your message sinks in two ways by being read out loud and presented visually (Eagle’s videos don’t contain people — just a slide deck with words).

Of course, sometimes video doesn’t work — a prospect is missing a plugin or is using an old browser or operating system. That’s why Eagle converts its video landing pages back into the long-form letter text when a visitor tries to click away. That’s a key “save” tactic that provides up to 10% of Eagle’s conversions.For more tips on how you can use video landing pages, including a surprising test result as to the optimal placement of your call-to-action button, check out this week’s Case Study on Subscription Site Insider.