Gmail is Google’s email service for individuals, businesses, and organizations. With hundreds of millions of active users, it’s the largest email service in the world. Signing up for a Gmail account is free, while businesses that upgrade to Google Workspace gain access to features including custom email domains and increased storage.
Although some email service providers like Gmail don’t support a universal video embedding feature, you can get around that by “embedding” videos in your Gmail emails with Vimeo in a few clever ways. Vimeo’s tool for embedding video in emails lets you generate GIFs and insert them into your Gmail messages. It’s time to stand out from the crowd and make more impact in your email marketing with Vimeo for Gmail.
In this article, we’ll explain how to use Vimeo’s email integration to:
- Add clickable video links to your Gmail messages
- Embed GIFs and thumbnails that link to your Vimeo videos
- Track video views, even when shared through Gmail
- Share large video files with Vimeo and Gmail
Connect Vimeo and Gmail →
- How inserting a video in Gmail could help boost email engagement
- How to embed your video directly into a Gmail message
- How to embed a GIF in your Gmail to capture readers’ attention
- How Vimeo and Gmail can amplify your campaigns and communication
- Vimeo for Gmail: Frequently asked questions
- Supercharge your Gmail messages with Vimeo
How inserting a video in Gmail could help boost email engagement
Millions of emails are sent and received every day — that’s a lot of competition! Inserting videos in your emails is one way to win your readers’ attention and get your message across.
Make product launch emails and other announcements stand out
When you have a new product to launch or an announcement to make, you want people to know about it. Email is a great way to deliver important information directly to your audience at scale. However, with inboxes flooded with promotions, there’s a risk that people will skim your email and miss the key details.
GIFs and thumbnails can make your marketing emails more visually appealing. A well-placed GIF or video thumbnail may grab the attention of your reader and even encourage them to scroll further or click. With short animations, you can create excitement in seconds by highlighting product features in a way that’s memorable and easy to digest.
Upload a video to embed →
How to embed your video directly into a Gmail message
While it may not be possible to embed a full-length video in Gmail, you can embed an image as a clickable video link. You can even make your image look like a video thumbnail, complete with a play button!
Here’s how to use Vimeo and Gmail together to add a clickable video link to your emails:
1. Upload your video to Vimeo or locate it in your Vimeo Library.
2. Click Share and then Copy link to capture the video URL.
3. Play your video, pause at a good frame, and take a screenshot. Crop the image if needed.
Pro tip: Use your favorite editing tool to add a play button to the center of your image — it’ll encourage people to click!
4. Open Gmail and start composing a new email. Click the Insert Photo icon in the toolbar to upload your image.
5. Click on your image, select Insert Link, and paste your Vimeo video URL.
Now, all that’s left is to write your email, add the recipients, and hit send. When the reader clicks on the embedded image, they’ll be taken straight to the Vimeo video player.
This is a simple method for sharing videos with your contacts or enhancing your video marketing emails.
Embed videos with Vimeo →
How to embed a GIF in your Gmail to capture readers’ attention
With Vimeo’s tool for embedding video in emails, you can make an animated GIF of part of your video and embed it in your email. You can also add a link to take viewers to the full video. Business, Premium, Advanced, and Enterprise have access to all of Vimeo’s supported email marketing tools.
Let’s show you how to create and embed GIFs in Gmail:
1. Choose a video from your Vimeo Library and select the Edit button to the left of the player.
2. Choose Make a GIF. A window will appear allowing you to select the start and end points of your animation. When you’re done, select Create GIF. Your new GIF will appear in the panel.
3. To embed your GIF in an email, click Share and choose Embed in email.
4. Choose to embed either a thumbnail or a GIF and select whether you want the play button overlaid. You can also include a link to your video on Vimeo or a custom URL.
5. Click the blue Copy embed code button to add it to your email.
Pro tip: Before sending the email, make sure your video’s privacy settings allow anyone to watch it.
Upgrade your Vimeo account to embed GIFs →
Break up boring, text-heavy emails with a video
We’ve all been there — you need to share an important update with your colleagues but end up writing a long email no one will read. Stop wasting time on internal communications emails that go ignored and start getting your message across by breaking up text-heavy emails with a GIF or thumbnail to keep employees engaged. You can even add a link to a quick video explaining what you want to communicate.
Track email video views and engagement
Vimeo’s video analytics let you track video views even when shared through Gmail. Know how many people clicked through to watch your video and use this information to improve future email campaigns.
You can also see at which moment in the video viewers drop off. Vimeo provides viewer retention stats that show the percentage of viewers still watching at different points in the video. If people abandon the content right near the start, it’s unlikely that your message got through. Try embedding a different video link to your emails and see how it compares, and you’ll soon have a solid understanding of the types of videos that work best among your audience.
Email large video files using Gmail
If you simply want to send a video over Gmail, Vimeo’s got you covered, too. Compressing large video files with Vimeo helps meet attachment size limits without compromising on quality.
Vimeo automatically compresses your videos into multiple sizes. Follow these steps to share a large video file using Vimeo and Gmail.
- Upload your video to Vimeo
- Open the video in your Vimeo Library
- Click the three dots in the upper right corner and select Download
- Choose the size you need and click the arrow to start the download
- Add the video in Gmail as an attachment
Note that you can send up to 25 MB in attachments with Gmail. For larger files, Gmail automatically adds a Google Drive link in the email instead of an attachment.
Compress your videos with Vimeo →
How Vimeo and Gmail can amplify your campaigns and communication
The Vimeo and Gmail integration is for anyone who wants to elevate their emails with video. From e-commerce brands presenting new products to company executives communicating with employees, video can help deliver your message.
Let’s take a look at a few use cases:
- E-commerce brands can show off their new products or services with Vimeo and Gmail. It’s quick and easy to create and embed a GIF showing key product features, or a thumbnail linking to the full-length presentation. By using product videos in their emails, retail and ecommerce brands can get customers interested in upcoming releases and ready to convert.
- Marketing teams who send testimonial videos, demonstrations, or campaign announcements by email can increase their impact with Vimeo and Gmail. Marketers could add animated GIFs or thumbnails of their videos in outreach emails to get noticed and encourage clicks.
- CEOs and HR leaders can insert videos in Gmail to improve their internal communications. With employees potentially receiving hundreds of emails every day, making sure important updates are received and understood can be a challenge. Embedding video in internal emails is a fun and effective way for leaders to communicate with their workforce.
- Creators can help potential clients and collaborators understand the value of their work using video. By adding GIFs to emails, creative professionals can offer a snapshot of their work and invite clients to explore more of what they have to offer. To send large videos by email, creative professionals can compress files with Vimeo and attach them to their Gmail messages.
- Educators and e-learning providers may benefit from linking to tutorials or online course videos. Coaches, teachers, and experts can enhance their emails with images linking directly to the online video player. It helps students find the educational videos they need and could even increase sign-ups to conferences or courses.
Find the Vimeo plan for you →
Vimeo for Gmail: Frequently asked questions
Can you embed a video in Gmail?
If you’re tech-savvy and familiar with HTML5, you may be able to use an HTML5 video tag to embed a video in Gmail. Unfortunately, some email clients are unable to display embedded video content and may strip the code from your email. To make sure as many people as possible can access your video, add a GIF or thumbnail with a Vimeo link. Learn more about how to embed videos in your emails here, not only in Gmail.
Is there a limit to the size of videos I can embed?
Keep in mind that you cannot embed full videos directly into your Gmail messages, but you can add an image or GIF that links to your video. To send large videos by email, upload them to Vimeo to automatically compress the file and download the size you need. You’ll then be able to add your videos in Gmail as an attachment.
Gmail lets you send up to 25 MB in attachments. If you’re attaching files, they cannot add up to more than 25 MB. For videos exceeding this limit, Gmail automatically inserts a Google Drive link instead of including the video as an attachment.
What Vimeo plans allow me to make and embed a GIF in Gmail?
All Vimeo users can create GIFs from their videos and embed them in Gmail. Choose which part of your video you want to loop, generate the GIF, and embed it in the body of your email.
For more information on creating and sharing embeddable GIFs, visit the Help Center.
Can I track who watches my videos sent via Gmail?
Yes! You can track views for videos sent via email. Free Vimeo users have access to basic viewer analytics, while Starter plans and above offer more robust engagement analytics.
Video analytics can help you understand viewer behavior and refine your email marketing for future campaigns.
Can anyone watch Vimeo videos I share via Gmail?
Who can watch your videos depends on the privacy settings selected in Vimeo. To share videos with a wide audience by email, set your video to Public.
In addition, if your Vimeo account is in Private Mode, visitors to your page will not be able to view any of your videos. Remember to turn off private mode if you plan to use Vimeo’s tool for embedding video in emails.
Supercharge your Gmail messages with Vimeo
If your emails aren’t getting the attention they deserve, Vimeo’s Gmail integration is for you. Link directly to your Vimeo videos from an image, GIF, or thumbnail and stand out in a busy inbox.
No more boring, text-heavy communications. Use Vimeo to insert videos into your emails, improve readability, and encourage readers to scroll or click.
It’s time to get your message across with Vimeo and Gmail. Try the integration today!
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