Embedding videos in your email campaigns is a great way to boost your messaging. Brief tutorials, exciting sizzle reels, and even compilations of static images all contribute to keeping readers engaged.
With Vimeo, you have many options for embedding a video in an email, each suited to different content types and objectives. Read on to find the best method for your needs.
Why you should embed videos into your emails: Key benefits
Email inboxes are notoriously cluttered, and embedding videos in email campaigns is a great way to draw your audience’s attention to your message rather than others. Here are a few more benefits of adding videos to your emails.
Clarify your message
Videos are the classic “show, don’t tell” medium — you can be extra direct when expressing your message. Readers may skim text-only emails, which could lead to misinterpretations. But a well-composed email with an embedded video immediately conveys your message in an engaging way.
Serve different purposes
Videos are multi-purpose assets. If you save videos to your Vimeo Library, you can copy their simple embed codes and email them wherever they belong. You can also change the compression and resolution options to best fit the style and format of each email.
Humanize your brand
When embedded videos include the voices or faces of your team, recipients get to know the people behind the brand. Tying a human element to your product can make it easier to relate to, generating more clicks and engagement (and brand love).
Provide data
If you use Vimeo to host videos, you get metrics regarding video performance. This data lets you experiment with different messaging or video thumbnails to determine which is most effective for your marketing campaigns.
Here are a few valuable metrics Vimeo gathers:
- Views: The number of times a user plays a video in full.
- Impressions: The number of times a user loads a video.
- View rate: The percentage of times an impression led to a view.
- Average time watched: The total time watched divided by views.
Upload a video to embed →
How to send a video through email in 4 simple ways
Emailing embedded videos is a reliable method for spicing up email marketing. Use this tactic straightaway with one of these four methods to add a video to an email.
1. Use email embed code
Grab the video’s embed code from your video hosting service and drop it directly into your email. Some email providers, like Apple Mail, support embedding HTML5 videos directly within an embed tab. Others, like Gmail, show the thumbnail image and offer a link to the video URL.
You can find the embed code on Vimeo in the “Share” options, where you can also customize the video’s appearance.
2. Use a link to the video
Linking to video content won’t give your email the same impressive visual effect as embedding it, but it does provide an engaging landing spot that could lead to more conversions. Just copy and paste a link to a video using some relevant text, a call to action (CTA) button, or a static image. When recipients click, they’ll land on a video that guides them further into your conversion funnel.
3. Use a GIF
If your video is short enough, you can convert it with the Vimeo GIF maker tool and paste the GIF directly into your email. The resolution won’t be as crisp as what you’d get from an embedded video, but it could work for short visuals like teasers and logo reveals.
To convert a video to an animated GIF in Vimeo, navigate to Editing > GIF maker.
4. Use an email platform
Most email marketing platforms, like SendGrid or Mailchimp, allow you to include videos in email marketing campaigns. Just insert a video block and give it the video URL. In Vimeo, this operation is stored under File actions > Video file links. It’ll only play in the email if the provider supports HTML5 videos. Otherwise, it’ll embed a static image with a play button.
Upload your videos to embed →
More tips to boost engagement and conversions with video emails
Now that you know how to embed videos in Gmail or other email services, consider the following tips for embedded video optimization.
Show the video length
Letting readers see how long the video is before they click the play button helps them decide if they have time to watch. The Vimeo player shows the video length in the bottom-left corner, but you could also mention it in the email body text, title, or thumbnail.
Make an inviting video thumbnail
Consider your audience when selecting your thumbnail image, and choose one that includes text or images that compel the viewer. For example, a screenshot of a new or revamped feature might engage existing users, while a flashy headline like “Get started in less than 30 seconds” might interest new ones.
Use consistent messaging
Ensure your embedded video delivers a message consistent with your email marketing. If you’re teasing a new product, let a video show your readers its specifications. And if you’re asking subscribers to upgrade their subscription, embed a video showing them how. This message consistency helps the viewer quickly understand what the email is about.
Use a secure video hosting service
When you embed a YouTube or Vimeo link (we recommend hosting your video on the latter, since you can avoid ads and distracting content suggestions), you get several advantages over just attaching a large video file. For one, you won’t have to worry about file size limits since the player only plays the video from a URL, which means it’ll load faster. And you’ll also get analytics about how viewers interacted with the video once it’s been embedded. Plus, you can always take down the video or make it private if you need to limit access later.
FAQ
Can you embed a video in Outlook email?
Yes, Vimeo Enterprise subscribers can embed videos in emails. First, upload the video to your Microsoft Stream. Then, drop it into your email from the composer. Alternatively, upload it to your OneDrive and share a link.
Is embedding videos in emails a good strategy?
Absolutely! A video adds eye-catching motion, creative flair, and engaging visuals that direct recipients’ attention to your CTA. A well-placed video sets your email marketing apart from competitors, especially when your talented marketing team creates attention-grabbing thumbnail images (so the viewer feels enticed to watch).
Can a video play inside an email?
Some email service providers, like Apple Mail and Outlook, support embedded video players within emails. Others, like Gmail, only support embedding YouTube videos, and only as attachments.
Enhance your email campaigns with Vimeo
Embedding a video in email communications can significantly increase your engagement metrics. With Vimeo’s ad-free HTML5 video player, users get fast, reliable video playback — with no ads, ever — as soon as they press “Play.”
Try Vimeo free to test video email embedding yourself, or watch a demo to see our platform in action.
