The Ultimate Guide: How to Embed Videos in Your Emails

You want to know how to embed a video in an email–you’re in the right place. As you probably discovered by now, it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Email platforms like Gmail, Outlook, and others handle videos differently, each with its quirks and limitations. To successfully integrate videos, you’ll need to get clever and tailor your approach based on the platform you’re using. But don’t worry, we know all the tips and tricks so you can bring the power of video to your email marketing campaign.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about embedding videos in emails. Whether you’re sending a quick how-to video to Gmail users, showcasing a product demo in Outlook, or embedding a YouTube link for a broad audience, we’ve got you covered.

TLDR: you can embed videos but only with certain email platforms. The safest bet is to add a video thumbnail or GIF and link to the video on YouTube.

Why use videos in emails

It’s no secret that videos are proven to drastically boost results. Including a video in an email can increase click-through rates by a whopping 200-300% increase. When it comes to the bottom line, embedded videos have been shown to increase conversions by up to 80%! For marketers looking to stand out in a crowded inbox, this makes video an absolute must-have.

Video is compelling for a lot of reasons, but at the heart, it’s about storytelling. Unlike written words alone, video can capture attention quickly and effectively, before viewers mark the email as read. Video helps you make your story more impactful and memorable through a dynamic mix of visuals that viewers love.

But you already know that! You’re here to learn how to embed videos in emails, and we’ve got the cheat codes.

How to embed videos, and how to “embed” videos

Embedding a video means inserting the video directly into the email so that it plays within the email itself. While this approach provides a seamless user experience, it has several limitations:

• Autoplay limitations: Only a few email clients, such as Apple Mail and Samsung Mail, support autoplaying embedded videos. In short, you cannot have your video automatically play in an email upon opening. However, you can still reap all the benefits of email videos with video thumbnails and GIFs.
• Filesize: Embedded videos can significantly increase the size of your email. Large video files can take longer to load, leading to a frustrating user experience that might prompt recipients to abandon the email altogether. Additionally, hefty file sizes can cause emails to exceed file size limits imposed by email clients which can cause delivery issues.
• Mobile optimizations: Videos that aren’t mobile-friendly can appear distorted, fail to load, or require excessive bandwidth, frustrating users and diminishing the effectiveness of your emails.

The solution: link to a video

Linking involves inserting a thumbnail image, a clickable GIF, or a "play" button in your email that redirects recipients to a hosted video on YouTube, Vimeo, or your website. This method is widely preferred because they load faster, are easier to measure, and are compatible across all email platforms.

The choice between embedded vs linked videos depends on your audience and goals. If most of your recipients use email clients that support embedded videos, embedding can deliver a premium experience. However, linking is the more practical and versatile option for most campaigns.

How to embed your email per your platform:

• Embedding in with HTML5 (all platforms)

How to hyperlink your video: Recommended method

• Hyperlinking your video (all platforms)
• Add a gif (all platforms)

How to embed your video with HTML5

This method only works for Apple Mail, Outlook for Mac, iOS Mail, Samsung Email, and Thunderbird. For all other email platforms, you’ll need to upload a default image in case the video doesn’t appear. But if you want to communicate specifically on these platforms, here’s everything you need.

Copy and paste this example code for HTML5.

<video poster="path of the poster image" width="480" height="270" controls="controls">
  <source src="path of the video" type="video/mp4" />
</video>

Then,

• Replace the “path of the poster image” with the link to where your video is located.
• Replace “path of the video”

Wary of coding your own email? Use a tool like Webcode or Animoto to generate the code for you.

Embed your video with Animoto

To embed your video in Animoto, just sign up for a free account and upload or create your project. Then, click on the export button in the top right corner. From here, just click on the “Embed” option, adjust your size and resolution as needed, copy, and paste. It’s that easy!

Hyperlinking your video (all platforms)

Now for the recommended method that works for every email platform–thumbnails and hyperlinks. It’s really pretty simple! Instead of leaving it up to fate as to whether your embedded video renders, you can use a thumbnail image that hyperlinks your audience right to your video.

Here’s how it’s done.

1. Upload your video to a hosting website

First, give your video a place to live, like YouTube or Vimeo. Don’t want your video to be searchable online? No problem.

When you upload your video to YouTube, at the final step with your Visibility settings, choose “Unlisted.” This ensures that only people with the link can watch your video.

2. Optimize your thumbnail image

Now for the fun part. In this day and age, we know what a video thumbnail looks like and we’re primed to click on it. If you already have an enticing thumbnail, perfect! You can add that image directly to your email and hyperlink it to your video.

If you want to create an optimized video thumbnail like the one below, here’s what we recommend:

• Use a simple image editor, like Canva, and create an account.
• Start a project in “Presentation” mode so it fits the dimensions of your thumbnail.
• Upload your thumbnail and drop it into your canvas so it takes up the entire frame
• Search for “YouTube” or “Play button” in the graphic elements.
• Drag and drop one of the icons to the center of your design. This way, it looks like a video preview and entices viewers to press play.

And that’s it! Just add it to the body of your email and hyperlink it to your video to create an interactive thumbnail that takes them directly to your video.

Add a gif (all platforms)

Last but not least, you can use GIFs to emulate an autoplay video. This is a great option for short videos like in the example below, but here are some things to keep in mind.

• GIFs are limited to 30 seconds long
• GIFs can significantly increase the size of your email, especially if the animation is lengthy or high-resolution.

So, if this is the route you want to go, here are the steps you’ll need to take:

1. Sign up or create your free Giphy account. Click on Create.
2. Upload or link your video.
3. Trim your video to 30 seconds or less, ideally around 5 seconds
4. Click on Stickers and search for “YouTube” or “play button” and add the sticker to the center of your GIF.
5. Save to your device
6. Upload to the body of your email and hyperlink like in the step above.

What kinds of videos work well in emails?

Now that you know how to add videos to your emails, you’ll want to make it a best practice! The videos below are great fits for emails. They can add additional value by sharing step-by-step instructions and telling the story of your business or nonprofit.

product demos

Show, don’t just tell your viewers how to use your product. Create a step-by-step demo video to highlight key features and ensure user success.

Testimonials

Let your raving fans do the marketing for you! Just copy and paste online reviews and testimonials into a video to make them come alive.

donation story

Show your audience exactly where their donations are going and the impact they truly have with a video.

Tutorials and how-tos

Help your users overcome common mistakes or get a running start with your product with a helpful how-to video.

Create videos for email with Animoto

Video email marketing is a powerful tool for capturing attention, driving engagement, and boosting conversions. With Animoto and these clever tips and tricks, you can create high-powered email videos that don’t compromise on quality or email compliance!

Animoto is a cloud-based video creation platform that helps businesses create and share professional, polished video content. We specialize in creating beautiful templates and easy-to-use tools so you can hit the ground running and create customized videos in minutes. From event invitations and birthday e-cards to professional annual recaps and email marketing we have a template for that.

Start experimenting with video in your email marketing strategy today, and see the difference it can make in connecting with your audience and achieving your goals. Ready to get started? Create your next video with Animoto and unlock the full potential of video email marketing!