What do you think matters the most in effective communication? If you said it is the presentation, then you are right. Yes, presentation matters the most in communicating your ideas across individuals. You can make the presentation more engaging by embedding the images, videos, and graphs in them. Video is the most favorable form of communication. It represents ideas at their best. You can convey your ideas in a great way in a video, as compared to text or images. If an image says 100 words, a video says 10000 words.
Embedding video in your emails significantly increases the engagement rate of the consumers, leading to more clicks. Getting more clicks is directly proportional to more and more conversions. The emails with videos are more interactive and visually compelling, which drives more sales. Additionally, they improve your growth rate and enhance performance and productivity.
Videos are a great way to share your message. When you add them to emails, they become even better. This guide will help you learn how to use videos in your emails.
If you want to improve your email campaign, adding a video is a good idea. It is easy to do and can make people more interested.
By the end of this guide, you will know the benefits of videos in emails. You will learn which types are best and how to put them in your emails. You will also see when it is not a good idea to use videos and look at other options.
Let us start. Are you ready to learn?
The Power of Videos in Email Campaigns
Many people watch videos more now. Videos give a fun and interesting way to share information. This is why many marketers use them in email campaigns more and more.
The results are clear. Research from Backlinko says that using the word “video” in an email subject can increase open rates by 19%.
Videos make click rates higher, too. Wistia saw their click rates go up by 41% when they added a video thumbnail to their email.
If you want to sell a product, a video can help a lot. Studies say that 64% of people are more likely to buy a product after seeing a video about it.
Campaign Monitor found that using videos can lower unsubscribe rates by almost 26%. This makes videos very useful.
We have a separate detailed guide on how to add Loom videos in an email. You can check that out to learn more. So, what types of videos should you use? How do you add them to your emails the right way?
Which Videos Are Best for Your Emails?
You can choose many types of videos to include in your emails. Here are some options you can think about:
- Instructional videos.
- Webinar recordings.
- Video case studies.
- Product walkthroughs.
- Brand storytelling videos.
However, adding videos without a good reason does not work. You must make sure each video gives real value to your audience and meets their needs well.
Ways to Add Videos to Emails
There are five different ways to add videos to your email campaigns. Each way has good things and bad things.
1. Use HTML5 to Embed Videos
Embedding videos is a very interactive way. It lets viewers watch the videos directly in the email. But be careful. Most email service providers do not support direct video embedding.
Popular services like Gmail and Yahoo do not allow embedded videos. Some versions of Outlook may show them, but they do not work for all versions. Gmail business accounts have more perks and privileges. Check out how to make one.
You need to include a fallback image. This image will show when the email client cannot show the HTML5 video.
Here is an example of HTML5 code to embed a video:
<video poster=”path of the poster image” width=”400″ height=”250″ controls=”controls”>
<source src=”path of the video” type=”video/mp4″ />
</video>
However, we do not recommend sending videos through email. It can give some users a bad experience because of compatibility issues. It also needs some technical knowledge.
Fortunately, there are other better ways to add videos to emails. These ways do not require coding skills and can result in good engagement rates.
2. Use a Hyperlink to Share Your Video
The easiest way to include a video in your email is by adding a simple hyperlink. When recipients click the link, they go directly to your video.
To do this, just copy the video URL. Then, write your email content. Highlight the anchor text, click “Insert link,” paste the video URL, and confirm it.
This is simple, right? But this method has some downsides. The video link can look like any other hyperlink. This means it might not catch the attention it needs.
Some email providers can make a thumbnail look good after sending it. Gmail does this.
But the thumbnail can be at the bottom of the email. This can mean that your video is not as visible as you want.
3. Use a Static Image Instead of the Video
You cannot always embed a video, but it is easy to add a static image. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Go to YouTube and find the video you want to share. Click the “Share” button.
Step 2: Choose “Embed” to show the video thumbnail.
Step 3: Take a screenshot of the thumbnail and paste it into your email.
Note: You can also create your own custom thumbnail.
Step 4: Use a design tool like Canva. Click “Create a design,” search for “YouTube,” and pick “YouTube Thumbnail.”
Step 5: Click “Uploads” and then “Upload files” to put the image you want for your thumbnail.
Step 6: After you upload, go to “Elements.” Type “YouTube” in the search bar and add an image of the YouTube play button to finish the thumbnail.
Step 7: To download the thumbnail, click “Share” and choose “Download.”
Step 8: Open Gmail, start a new message, and paste the video thumbnail image into your email.
Step 9: Next, add a link to the video thumbnail. This lets people go to the video when they click on the image.
Step 10: To do this, select your thumbnail and click the hyperlink icon. This links your image to itself.
Step 11: Change the link by selecting “Change” on your video thumbnail, then paste it into your video URL. That is it! It is a simple way to share a video by email.
This way is powerful. You can take extra steps to make your video more visible.
4. Change Your Video into a GIF
You can use a GIF instead of a still image. The movement will make your email more interesting for people.
Step 1: To change your video into a GIF, go to Giphy.com. Make an account or log in, then click on “Create.”
Step 2: Upload your video or paste the URL of your video into Giphy’s GIF maker.
Step 3: Cut the length of your video. Make it between 5-10 seconds to keep the file size small. When you are happy, click “Continue to Decorate.” If your GIF is too big, try to make it shorter, or look at our guide on email size limit.
Step 4: Now, you can add things to your GIF. Click “Stickers,” search for “YouTube” in the bar, and add a YouTube Play button to your GIF.
Step 5: When you are ready, click “Continue to Upload” to save your GIF on Giphy. Right-click on the GIF, choose “Save image as,” and save it on your computer.
Step 6: To put your GIF in your email, click on “Insert photo,” select your saved GIF, and click “Open.”
Step 7: The last step is linking your video to the GIF. Choose your GIF, click “Insert link,” and add the URL. You do this with a static image. To change, click on the link, select “Change,” and paste the video URL.
Step 8: That is it! You can send the email now. When people click on the GIF, they will go to watch the full video.
If you are running out of storage on Gmail when adding large videos, do check out how to optimize your storage.
Conclusion
Using videos in your email campaigns is a good way to get your audience’s attention. It can also enhance engagement a lot. You can embed a video, link to it, use a static image, convert it into a GIF, or use other creative methods. Each method has its strengths and special uses. You need to understand the limits of each method. You must use them based on what your audience likes and what email clients can handle.
Videos can increase click-through rates. They can also improve how well your email marketing works. Videos help to create a more immersive experience for your recipients. If you use video content well, you can improve your communication. You can provide real value, and you can encourage your audience to take action.
If you want an easier way to add videos to your email marketing, you can use tools like DejaFlow. This tool makes it simple to integrate videos. It helps you manage your video-email workflow in one place. This reduces technical problems. It also makes sure your campaigns look professional. With a tool like DejaFlow, you can focus on creating content and engaging your audience. You do not need to struggle with technical issues.