Hi email marketing friend,
I came across several LinkedIn posts this week about using video in email, and it reminded me just how popular this tactic is. So, here goes for this newsletter! We’re asked regularly to embed video directly in emails, which makes perfect sense—who wouldn’t want to watch the content right there without leaving their inbox?
But here’s the thing: email isn’t like the rest of the internet. It doesn’t function the same way as webpages or social media channels.
Why?
The main reason is that most mailbox providers don’t support video.
Source: Litmus https://www.litmus.com/blog/video-in-email
And if you want to embed a video for a segment of Apple users on your mailing list then take note that video files tend to be large and need to be able to load quickly. This is harder in email. Also embedding video in an email needs to be custom-coded. (Most businesses lack budget for a dedicated email developer).
What you can do:
The easiest solution is using the video elements in the drag-and-drop builder in your email software provider (ESP). Those load the thumbnail of your video (that’s hosted on a video service like Vimeo or Wistia for example) with a play button on top. They’ll link out to an external source to play the video.
Ideally, host your video on a branded landing page that will guide your user to the next step in their customer journey.
Create a gif preview of the video and link out from your email. An animated play button is pretty cool.
Hope this helps!
Melaina Gross
PS: Brand identity is more important than ever. We help our clients represent their brand 100% in their email campaigns. Please reach out if this is something you’d like help with.
