Most email clients do not support video playback within emails. However, you can strategically embed videos in your email campaigns by sharing a thumbnail with link to your video landing page.
Even without video, email marketing earns an average of $36 per $1 spent across industries. But add video? Click-through engagement triples. To leverage the power of both, we asked marketing experts and business owners to share their tips.
Use this short guide to fuse the power of video and email for seamless delivery, higher click-throughs, and results you can scale.
The Do’s & Don’ts Of Embedding Video In Email
What Not To Do
Do not directly share a video file in an email. Most email clients do not support video playback within emails because of potential security risks (such as phishing scams) and slow email loading times due to large video files.
“Many email clients don’t fully support embedded videos, which can lead to deliverability issues, slow load times, or playback failures. A well-designed thumbnail grabs attention and encourages recipients to click without risking technical hiccups.”
Linn Atiyeh, CEO, Bemana
What To Do Instead
Share a thumbnail preview (whether static or animated) that links to your landing page or website. This approach allows you to insert a video into your email campaign while providing a superior user experience.
“Instead of embedding the video directly, we used a thumbnail with a play button that linked to the video on our website. This not only preserved the design of the email but also funneled traffic to a landing page where users could take immediate action.”
Alexsandr Borkin, Co-Founder, Coastline Gutter Pro
You can also create a branded experience, share videos securely, and track engagement insights by integrating a video host with your email marketing platform.
3 Ways To Embed Video In Email Marketing Campaigns
Regardless of the method you use, the video thumbnail in your email will direct traffic to the landing page where your video resides.
1. Animated GIF Preview As Video Teaser
Brands that use animated GIFs in email often see a higher return on investment, jumping from $18 to $37 for every dollar spent. Furthermore, GIFs are supported across email clients (except for Outlook 2007-2019), making them a highly engaging way to catch viewer attention and entice click-through engagement. To use a GIF in your video email marketing:
- Upload the GIF to your email marketing platform and insert it into the email.
- Hyperlink the animated poster frame to your video’s landing page.
- Ensure the video and landing page are ready for traffic, then schedule the email.
Keep animated poster frames under 1 MB so your email loads quickly and displays properly.
You can use SproutVideo to generate poster frames (animated and static), then download the thumbnail (JPG or GIF) alone or with a custom-colored play button overlay.
2. Static Thumbnail with Playbutton Overlay
Static images provide faster loading times and improve accessibility for some readers. Certain brands may also prefer the stark professionalism of static images. In general, it’s best practice to test and see which type of poster frame performs with your audience.
The process for using a static image is the same as uploading a GIF. You can also overlay a play button on the thumbnail to distinguish it as a clickable video thumbnail.
Learn More: How To Generate A Video Thumbnail With a Custom-Colored Play Button
3. Embed Code via Video Hosting Platform
Simplify the process with a custom email embed code. Skip creating a GIF or adding a play button overlay with external software. Instead, you can easily generate your static or animated poster frame, add a brand-colored play button (or hide it), and add your destination URL. Insert the generated embed code into the email and you’re done!
Additionally, using a custom embed code allows SproutVideo to track email contacts and display their viewing data in your engagement dashboard.
Best Practices To Embed Video In Email
Now that you know how to execute video in email with flawless deliverability, let’s cover more expert-backed best practices to help you generate repeatable results.
1. Test Animated vs Static Video Thumbnails
“I use a short looping motion graphic (2-3 seconds) as the email thumbnail, paired with a play button overlay. It tricks the brain into thinking, “This is a video,” but technically, it’s just a lightweight GIF or APNG. When clicked, it leads to a landing page where the actual video plays–no rendering issues, no lag. I tested this animated poster frame against static thumbnails and saw a 21% lift in click-through rate”
George Pettigrew, Creative Director, InboxArmy
Build curiosity and showcase the video’s value with a teaser thumbnail. “I always recommend choosing a clear, high-contrast image with a strong focal point–whether it’s a person, a product, or an eye-catching scene,” shared Yaniv Masjedi, Chief Marketing Officer for Nextiva. Choose the most engaging frames from your video for the thumbnail image, whether static or animated.
2. Optimize For Mobile
“One critical factor is to ensure that your email design and embedded video are responsive, meaning they are mobile-friendly and customized for different devices for an enhanced experience.”
Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation & Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency
Ensure your video thumbnail and email design scales across screen sizes. Known as responsive design, optimizing for mobile is crucial for replicating the same viewing experience, whether your audience views the email on a phone, tablet, or computer.
An email embed code ensures your image scales properly because the HTML is responsive. When you add a static or animated thumbnail directly to your email builder, its responsiveness depends on your email template and platform.
Note: Email embed codes generated through SproutVideo are responsive by default.
3. Use A Video Host For Smooth Playback
“Use a video hosting site such as YouTube, Vimeo, or SproutVideo—some email clients do not support embedded video files or may experience deliverability issues. These platforms track viewer behaviors, too; therefore, they provide video performance data in addition to ensuring smooth playback.”
Tristan Harris, Sr. VP of Marketing, Next Net Media
A video host allows you to provide a fast, buffer-free viewing experience, gain in-depth engagement data, and easily protect your intellectual property.
While your email marketing platform provides data on email open rates and click-through, a video hosting service can tell you the percentage of people who pressed play on the video, how much of the video they watched, and much more. It also allows you to protect the video content you share.
Learn More: 7 Reasons Businesses Use Private Video Hosting Platforms vs YouTube
4. Add Play Button Overlay To Encourage Clicks
“Adding a play button overlay to the thumbnail is a strategy that worked. With the play button overlay, the video thumbnail looked like a directly embedded video, even though it linked to our site. That small change increased video clicks by 31.2%”
Daniel Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Lava Roofing
Focus your audience’s attention on clicking through to the video with a play button overlay. The play button is an additional cue to your audience that the image is a clickable video thumbnail rather than just a static or animated image within the email.
Using the SproutVideo platform, you can easily add a play button with your custom brand color. You can download the thumbnail (JPG or GIF) with the custom play button overlay, or grab your custom email embed code to simplify the process.
5. Refine Strategy with Performance Tracking
“Track performance. Click-through rates, engagement, and conversion data will tell you if your video works. If people aren’t clicking, tweak your thumbnail, subject line, or CTA. Testing different formats can help you refine what resonates most with your audience. Video can bring your emails to life, but it has to be seamless, engaging, and actionable.”
Josh Bluman, Co-Founder, Hoppy Copy
Use the combined power of your email marketing analytics and video engagement insights to determine what’s working and where you can improve.
For example, you can integrate your email marketing platform with SproutVideo to see what email contacts watched your video and for how long. Then, you can use this data to determine the most engaging video lengths, find your warmest leads, and segment your list to personalize their experience.
6. Include “Video” In The Subject Line
“Seeing “Video” in the subject line sets an email apart and suggests a more dynamic experience, making recipients more likely to click. We tested this with one of our email campaigns. When the subject line included “Video: How to Handle Electrical Emergencies,” the open rate jumped by 22% compared to previous emails on the same topic. This increased engagement and led to a 15% rise in service inquiries that month.”
Daniel Vasilevski, Director & Owner, Bright Force Electrical
Experts across the board agree that including “video” in the subject line of emails with video helps to boost open rates. This makes sense! After all, 78% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service through short videos over ebooks, text-based articles, and sales calls.
7. Don’t Overlook Accessibility
“Add alt text to the thumbnail for screen readers and include captions or transcripts for the actual video. Test your email across multiple devices and clients to confirm the thumbnail or GIF displays properly. This approach boosts click-through rates without risking broken elements or huge load times in the inbox.”
Salman Saleem, Marketing Strategist, Rapyd Cloud
Accessibility goes hand-in-hand with frictionless deliverability and a seamless user experience. Salman Saleem, Marketing Strategist for Rapyd Cloud, provides a great checklist:
- Add image alt text: Ensure your thumbnail message is conveyed in every scenario.
- Include captions in your video: Allow viewers to watch the video without sound.
- Test email across devices and clients: Use a tool for email client testing.
It’s generally recommended that you test your email before each campaign—or, at minimum, after updating the design or making significant changes to your template.
8. Experiment With Video Placement
“When the video was placed at the top, we saw a 12% increase in click-through rates. But when we placed a short introduction first and then the video, engagement went up by 18%. That small shift gave people context before they watched, making them more likely to take action. The way people interact with content varies, so testing placement helps fine-tune the experience.”
Ann Monis, CEO & Co-Founder, Medical Anti-Aging
Video placement is important to optimizing click-through engagement. Most experts recommended placing your video at the top of your email, but every audience and business differs. Run your tests to figure out what performs best.
9. Include A Call To Action
“We ditched the generic “Watch Now” CTA; instead, we tried “See How We Dialed In This Brew” to tie it to our story—our open rates jumped 15% when we got specific.”
Wes Wakefield, Founder & CEO, Pro Coffee Gear
Don’t assume readers know the next step they should take. Choose a CTA that makes it clear why they’re clicking through to your video. Additionally, consider experimenting with plain text hyperlinks versus buttons to see what your audience gravitates toward.
Storytelling Is King In Video Email Marketing
“Email marketing is a tough game, and video makes it even trickier. The biggest mistake? Forcing a “watch now” moment. Customers rarely click just because a video is there. They click because the email makes them want to see more. The trick is writing the email as if the video doesn’t exist. If the copy can’t sell the idea on its own, the video won’t save it.”
Jay Soni, Founder and Director of Sales and Marketing, Yorkshire Fabric Shop
It may be tempting to rely solely on your video content when adding it to emails. But every element—from the subject line and video to design and copy—should work in concert toward your business goals.
Video is a highly effective tool in email marketing. However, sparking curiosity and providing actionable value are required for repeatable results. Continue learning with our other resources on video marketing:
- Video Marketing for Real Estate: Ideas from a 30-Year Industry Veteran
- 10 High-Impact Ways to Repurpose Video Content
- 7 Reasons Businesses Use Private Video Hosting Platforms vs YouTube
