Unlocking the Power of Video in Email Marketing

With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shrinking, standing out in email marketing has never been tougher. But there’s a tool that’s consistently proven to boost engagement and increase open rates: video.

From creating eye-catching thumbnails to leveraging video SEO, this guide shows you exactly how to use video strategically in your email campaigns — without overwhelming your audience or falling foul of technical pitfalls.

Understanding Open Rates — and Their Limitations

The open rate of an email is typically calculated like this:

Open Rate = (Emails Opened ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100

It’s an important metric — but it’s far from perfect.

Why Open Rates Aren’t Always Accurate

Email platforms track opens using a tiny, invisible image pixel. When this image is loaded, the system records an “open.” However, several issues can skew the results:

• Image Blocking: Many email clients block images by default, which prevents the pixel from loading.
• Preview Panes: Some software counts a message as opened just because it appears in a preview.
• Privacy Features: Tools like Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection mask open data completely.

Because of these limitations, it’s essential to also track click-through rates, video engagement, and other actions for a fuller picture.

How to Add Video to Emails (The Right Way)

Most email clients don’t support embedded video playback. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use video effectively.

Option 1: Clickable Thumbnail with Play Button

The most reliable method is a static image with a play icon that links to a landing page where the video is hosted.

• Recommended Size: 600px wide
• Formats: JPG or PNG (avoid WebP)
• File Size: Keep it under 200KB for fast loading
• Design Tip: Add a semi-transparent play button over the center to mimic the appearance of a playable video

Option 2: Use an Animated GIF

Animated GIFs can simulate short video loops.

• Length: 3–10 seconds
• Size: Ideally under 500KB (max 1MB)
• Frame Rate: 10–15fps
• Palette: Use 128–256 colors to reduce file size

These are useful for previewing a product feature or teasing longer content.

Option 3: Embed HTML5 Video (Where Supported)

Some clients like Apple Mail allow embedded video. If you want to take advantage:

<video width="600" controls poster="thumbnail.jpg">
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  Your client does not support video playback.
</video>

Make sure you include fallback content for platforms that can’t play it.

Boosting Open Rates with Smart Subject Lines

Simply mentioning “video” in your subject line can significantly lift open rates. But phrasing matters.

Run A/B Tests to Optimise

• Segment your list into equal test groups
• Test different subject lines
• Measure open and click performance
• Use results to guide future campaigns

SEO Benefits: Let Your Video Work Twice as Hard

When your video is hosted on a landing page, it can boost your website’s visibility — but only if search engines can understand it.

Step 1: Use Video Schema Markup

Add structured data to help search engines index your video properly:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "VideoObject",
  "name": "Your Video Title",
  "description": "Short summary of your video",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://yourdomain.com/images/thumbnail.jpg",
  "uploadDate": "2025-05-15",
  "duration": "PT2M30S",
  "contentUrl": "https://yourdomain.com/videos/video.mp4"
}

Step 2: Add a Full Transcript

Include the transcript directly on your page using clean HTML markup. This makes your content more accessible, keyword-rich, and crawlable.

Track the Right Video Metrics

Relying on open rates alone? Time to level up.

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Tracks how many recipients clicked the video thumbnail.

CTR = (Video Clicks ÷ Emails Delivered) × 100

2. Completion Rate

Shows how many people watched the entire video.

Completion Rate = (Full Views ÷ Video Starts) × 100

3. Engagement Score

Gives a more holistic picture of interaction.

Engagement Score = (0.3 × Open Rate) + (0.4 × CTR) + (0.3 × Completion Rate)

Use tracking links (with UTM parameters) and tools like Google Tag Manager to monitor interactions from email to video play.

Make Your Video Work in Email-Friendly Formats

Recommended Video Specs:

• Length: 30–90 seconds
• Format: MP4 (H.264)
• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (or 9:16 for mobile)
• Audio: AAC, 128kbps
• Hosting: Use a fast CDN for quick loads

Optimize the First Frame

The first frame of your video is often used as its thumbnail. Make it count:

• High contrast for readability
• Use the rule of thirds to position subjects
• Place the key visual hook on the left (people scan left-to-right)

Email Client Compatibility (and Workarounds)

Not all email clients treat video the same. Here’s what works where:

Fallback Example for Outlook

<!--[if mso]>
  <img src="fallback.jpg" alt="Watch the video" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if !mso]><!-->
  <img src="animated.gif" alt="Video preview" />
<!--<![endif]-->

Results You Can Expect

Done well, video email marketing delivers measurable results:

• 41% increase in click-through rates
• More memorable and emotionally resonant content
• 37% reduction in unsubscribes for email series that include video
• Up to 280% return compared to static-email-only campaigns

Need Help Bringing This to Life?

Mooviemakers can help you integrate high-impact video into your email campaigns — from scripting and animation to hosting and tracking. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, we’ll make sure your videos don’t just look great, but also deliver results.

Get in touch with us to start making your emails work harder.