Top Methods For Embedding Videos In Emails

Sometimes, in business particularly, you need to look for more exciting ways to email. In general, this could mean a who range of different things, and you do have a host of options available to you as you look to make things interesting. Engagement can be absolutely crucial for any marketing efforts that rely on email. You must have the tools available to you if you need to impress with some video. In this article, we’ll introduce you to three different options on embedding videos in emails, along with their pros and cons.

Can that be possible? Well, the answer is yes.

While this idea has been in debate over the years, adding video to your email might work. Though, doing so depends on what your email marketing goals look like. It can be a bit of a complex task, so it makes sense that you’ve arrived here for a bit of advice.

We hope that you’ll get a better sense of how to incorporate video into your email marketing by the moment you finish reading this guide. Without further delay, let’s get into the best ways to put a video in your emails.

Keep In Mind: Video File And Hosting

Before proceeding to your options in embedding videos into emails, let’s talk about video files and hosting.

Significant factors to consider when planning to implement video in your email marketing are both file size and hosting site (or service). These two determine how your video will play within emails.

  1. Many times, a file size of 1 MB max. is recommended so that load times don’t take too long, and it’s a better experience for the email recipient.
  2. Using platforms like YouTube won’t work for hosting sites unless you host the video yourself by linking your recipients directly to the video file.

The good news is, third-party video-in-email companies are there to host and embed your video in emails.

Also Read: How Explainer Videos Can Help In Your Business Growth

Top 3 Methods For Embedding Videos In Emails

Top Methods For Embedding Videos In Emails 1

First Option: The Direct Embedding Videos into Emails

Embedding videos directly to email is the bold but complex route, which can have positive or disastrous outcomes.

  • Embedding video directly means rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in with HTML5 and coding.
  • It’s not high-tier coding, but it does require a bit of know-how.
  • The HTML5 code that you need to insert should be easy enough to find, ideally with some accompanying instructions to ensure that you’re able to put it all in the right place.

If you’re ever uncertain about this sort of process, you can look to a service like Playable, which you can employ to handle it for you.

Email Client Specifications

Unfortunately, you’re still at the mercy of the email clients since some of them will outright reject an HTML5 video insert and will display an image in its place. While some heavy hitters like Apple Mail and Mac Outlook will support it, the vast majority will still reject and replace it with the fallback image.

Many email clients won’t support video, which goes as follows:

  • Office365, Outlook (2000-2003), Outlook (2007-2019), and Windows 10 Mail for Desktop Clients.
  • For Webmail Clients: AOL, Comcast, G Suite, Gmail, Office365, Orange.fr, SFR.fr, and Yahoo! Mail.
  • For Mobile Clients: AOL, Gmail, Gmail IMAP, and Yahoo.

So, you see, you’ll need to see which clients will support video and which ones won’t.

The Highs And Lows Of HTML5 Embedding

Far and away, the most significant benefit is that the email might play effortlessly in the receiver’s email client. It’s classy when this effect is achieved, with the video playable inside the email itself. You can also have a great deal of control over how your video plays. The biggest downside is that many users won’t see the video at all, which is actively detrimental to their experience.

Also Read: How to Create Tutorial Videos in 6 Steps?

Second Option: The Video Image Accompanied By A Link

Top Methods For Embedding Videos In Emails 2

This is one of those sneaky and slick solutions that will leave your users without any sense of what has just occurred in a convenient and fast way. The image plus link method is quick and straightforward. You take a ‘thumbnail’ image, something enticing, and you superimpose a play button, ideally realistic looking, so that it draws a click. The link then takes you out of the email to somewhere the video is hosted.

Benefits and Negatives

The good thing about this is it’s ultra, ultra-simple, and relies on a clever little trick rather than anything invasive like the HTML5 code stuff. By setting the link they click to auto-play the video on arrival, you can also provide a seamless experience. The negative is that it might not work quickly, depending on their Wi-Fi, or the new tab/pop out could come across as ‘spammy.’

Also Read: 5 Email Marketing Challenges That Need Resolution Today

Third Option: Go With The Gif

Gifs are a popular, current, intelligent solution to the issue of video in emails. Gifts are half images, half videos, just image-like enough to convince email clients to let them stay in the body of an email and play seamlessly. If you have a video you particularly want in an email, you can turn it into a Gif using a program like ‘Giphy.’

Benefits And Negatives

What works about gifts is that it feels natural and it’s trendy. Pseudo or fake video options, like Faux Video, touch current and up to date. The downside is it isn’t video, and it will loop endlessly.

So, now that you know the three methods of embedding videos in emails, it’s now time to talk about the steps needed to make any of these methods work for you:

Also Read: 5 Misconceptions About Video Makers – Your Boss Could Have

Top 3 Steps When Embedding Videos In Emails

Create And Upload Video

First, create a video. Then, optimize the file size to be under 1 MB. Then, upload the video and grab its URL for the HTML video tag’s src attribute.

Create And Upload Poster Image

A poster image is what people will see as your video downloads. A still image from your video will suffice.

Set Up HTML Video Tag

The HTML video tag should have the following attributes:

  • The src attribute goes in the video file’s URL.
  • The poster attribute shows the video that’s downloading.
  • The width and height attributes display how tall and wide your video is.
  • The controls attributes tell the email client to show the video controls.

Conclusion

As you can hopefully see, when there’s a will, there’s away. It might take some thinking outside of the box but embedding videos in emails is possible through the methods above. Try it out for your next emailing challenge and see what the results are.

Must Read: HOW TO REACH AUDIENCES WITH ANIMATED VIDEO STORYTELLING IN 2021?


Emily Henry is a professional tech writer, working at Essay Writing Services and Assignment writing services reviews, writing on all sorts of topics relating to digital marketing strategy and technology for business. She spends the greatest of her free time traveling with her family. This way, she also gathers information for her latest piece of writing for Via Writing.

Images by Mudassar Iqbal, Kate Stejskal and Tumisu from Pixabay

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