5 Most effective ways to use video in email (with examples)

So, you’ve put together some solid email campaigns, but you want to see if you can boost your performance metrics. 

You know videos are a critical marketing tool that can improve your open rates, but you aren’t sure where to start. 

With a few video in email examples, and a list of email marketing best practices, you can create a campaign that gives your viewers value and prompts them to engage with your business.

We’ve compiled all those handy tools for you, but we need to cover a couple of other topics first – so keep reading.

What are the benefits of using video in email? 

Email marketing is still one of the most proliferate and effective tools for nearly every business. They can be even more productive when you use videos to connect with your subscribers. 

There are a few key benefits to using video marketing in your email campaigns:

  • Social media engagement: Videos encourage your customers to engage with your company. Videos on social media inspire 53% of your customers to interact with your business. You can use email marketing tools to share your email campaigns directly to social media to take advantage of this.

  • Customer experience: Your customers are always looking for more efficient ways to consume content. 72% of them would rather learn about a new product or service through video as opposed to text. Pack relevant content into your videos to see the biggest return on investment (ROI) boost. 

  • Global reach: Videos are one of the most prevalent ways of communicating with people. As of 2019, video accounts for nearly 80% of the entire world’s mobile data traffic. Emails are often read more frequently on mobile as well, meaning you can further capitalize on using video in email.  

When you’re writing effective email campaigns, shorter emails tend to do better. The highest response rates happen with emails between 50 and 125 words long. While certain instances warrant longer copy, emails aren’t the best place for a lot of information.

Videos, on the other hand, are an efficient way to cram a lot of information in a short space. You can make your email subject lines and copy as punchy as possible while using the video to dive into specific details. 

What are the best ways to incorporate video in your emails? 

Using video in email effectively means you need to have a plan. There are different types of videos you can create depending on the goal of your campaign. The most common types of videos that email marketers use are those that:

  • Promote your brand

  • Invite subscribers to your event

  • Feature case studies or testimonials

  • Offer tutorials or learning experiences

  • Demo a product or service

There are a few approaches you can take to creating videos. You can hire a professional or freelancer to put together videos that suit your marketing goals, or you can record them on your own if you have some basic video editing experience. There are also online tools that make it easy to create videos that don’t feature people, like slideshow videos. 

Once you’ve settled on the type you want to create, you need to know how you’re going to promote it. You have three options for using video in email:

  • Embed in the email: This is an option if your subscribers use certain email clients, but it’s not the best method if you want the most views. 

  • Host on a landing page: If you want to drive traffic to your website, host the video on a landing page and direct your subscribers to that link.

  • Upload to a digital platform: For businesses that just want to share information or don’t need a landing page, popular video platforms like YouTube are a practical solution.

When you know where you want to upload the video, you’ll be ready to start creating the content. It’s a good idea to decide this first so you know how long your video should be.

The 5 most effective video in email examples

Deciding what type of video to create and where to host it is just one part. If you need inspiration for your next campaign, use the following video in email examples as a guide.

1. Use your email subject line to highlight the video

The most important part of your email campaign is your subject line. A compelling subject line increases the number of open rates you receive, which may lead to more conversions.

In this example, Spotify highlights video as the core attribute of this particular campaign: “Video story: Why Spotify uses Framer X.” 

spotify campaign example

Source: Really Good Emails

They include both a thumbnail of the video as well as a call-to-action (CTA) button to drive people to the video. Notice that the CTA is a bright blue button against a relatively simple email design – this helps catch the reader’s eye. 

2. Recount popular moments from your recent event

Event planners – physical or digital – have a unique opportunity to capitalize on using video in email. It’s a great way to capture key moments from your event, which can encourage people to get on a mailing list for next year’s event. 

This example from the planners of Ghostfest, a gaming event, uses video to highlight how streamers interact with their video game.

Ghostfest campaign email

Source: Really Good Emails

This email uses a snippet to engage the reader, then follows up with a CTA button that links to the video. They also include links to other popular videos the viewer may enjoy.

3. Do an annual review of something unique to your brand

Some companies send out weekly or monthly newsletters that contain a wealth of information about their brand. Reviewing your branded annual conference is another way to update your subscribers about what’s going on in your business. 

In this video in email example, OnBrand provides their customers with commentary from key employees in the company.

Onbrand email campaign

Source: Really Good Emails

As with the other email examples, OnBrand uses a clean and simple email design. They include both a thumbnail of their video and links to the recap on their website. 

4. Send a personalized holiday greeting

You don’t have to use video exclusively to convey information – emails are a great way to let your customers know you appreciate them. Email personalization can make this a great technique for driving traffic to your site. 

In this video in email example, Rentalcars.com uses personalization to send a holiday greeting to their subscribers.

rentalcars.com campaign example

Source: Really Good Emails

The video is the same for all of their subscribers, but they include suggestions for popular destinations the reader may appreciate in a festive design that captures the viewer’s eye. 

5. Include a tutorial to your service for new subscribers

If you have a particularly unique product or service that your viewers are interested in, a video is a perfect way to show them how to use it. Informational videos offer value to your subscribers and can encourage them to reach out with other questions. 

Shopify sends a tutorial video to their new subscribers in this example.

Shopify campaign example

Source: Really Good Emails

To highlight the value of their video, Shopify includes an excerpt about the video as well as a table of contents to give the viewer an idea of what the tutorial covers.

Best practices for using video in your email campaigns

You’ve got your approach down and you feel like you have a solid script (because you used the video in email examples to guide your efforts). Now you want to know how to get the most views – and the most conversions – with your video marketing campaign. 

These video in email marketing best practices can make your next campaign a success: 

  • Craft a solid plan: You don’t want to throw your video together on a whim. You need to know who you’re targeting, what you want your viewers to do, and what kind of help you’ll need to achieve this. You also need to put together a timeline and budget for the project.

  • Create the right CTA: Part of your plan is deciding what action you want people to take when they watch your video. Like your email subject line, you should spend extra time on your CTA. The right CTA will drive home the point of the video. 

  • Consider your audience: You need to think about how and when your viewers check their emails, then think about other demographics that may influence your video style and delivery platform. If you have a particularly extensive list, you may not create a video for your entire audience. 

Using video in email is a solid choice for conveying a lot of information in what’s supposed to be a “quick read.” You just need to use it wisely to get the most views.

Wrap up

Video in email is a great way to both interact with your customers and encourage them to click through your email campaigns. You can make videos as simple or as comprehensive as you want, and you can try several approaches before you decide on a final draft.

Before you design your next video in email campaign, remember these three critical takeaways: 

  • The right type of video is crucial to your campaign’s success.

  • You need a compelling subject line and CTA to see solid results. 

  • Videos should provide value to your subscribers. 

With an effective marketing plan, and a few video in email examples to inspire you, you can put together an email campaign that drives traffic and converts new customers. 

Want to know how to incorporate best practices in your next video campaign? Emma offers the tools you need to send the most effective emails – contact Emma for a demo today.

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