Why Embed Video in Email?
Embedding video in email is a powerful tool to enhance your
email marketing strategy. Videos can boost engagement, increase click-through rates, and improve conversion rates. According to research, including a video can increase open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%.
Can You Embed Videos Directly in Emails?
Technically, embedding videos directly in emails is challenging due to varying support across different email clients. While some clients like Apple Mail and Samsung Mail support HTML5 video, popular ones like
Gmail and Outlook do not. This inconsistency means that embedding videos directly in emails might not be the most reliable approach.
Best Practices for Adding Video to Emails
Use a Video Thumbnail: Instead of embedding, create an engaging thumbnail image of your video. Link this thumbnail to the actual video hosted on a platform like
YouTube or your website. This approach ensures that all recipients can access the video, regardless of their email client.
Animated GIFs: Another alternative is to use an animated GIF that captures key moments from your video. GIFs are widely supported across email clients and can effectively convey your message.
Include a Play Button: Adding a play button on your video thumbnail makes it clear to the recipient that clicking the image will play the video.
How to Track Video Performance in Emails?
To measure the success of your video email campaign, it's essential to track specific
metrics:
Click-Through Rates (CTR): Monitor how many recipients clicked on the video thumbnail or play button.
Engagement Rates: If your video is hosted on a platform like YouTube, you can track engagement metrics such as views, likes, and comments.
Conversion Rates: Measure the number of recipients who took the desired action after watching the video, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
Tools to Help Embed Video in Email
Several tools and platforms can simplify the process of adding videos to your emails: Vidyard: Offers video hosting and provides tools to create video thumbnails and GIFs for your email campaigns.
Wistia: Another video hosting platform that integrates well with email marketing tools, allowing you to track video performance.
Mailchimp: While not a video hosting platform, it provides templates and tools to easily add video thumbnails to your email campaigns.
Conclusion
While embedding video directly in emails is not universally supported, using alternatives like video thumbnails, animated GIFs, and play buttons can still provide a rich multimedia experience. By leveraging these techniques and tracking key
performance metrics, you can successfully integrate video into your email marketing strategy and drive higher engagement rates.