Until recently, featuring video that plays within the email has been challenging as each of the email clients, including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and Apple mail did not support embedded videos.

The approaches to adding video to email, which are currently being used, to varying degrees include:

• Add video to your email as a GIF
• Add a still image to your email with a play button
• Add an autoplay video into the body of your email using a Video Email Platform

So let’s try each of these approaches and assess the pros and cons of each approach to adding video to email.

1. How to add video to your email as a GIF

1. Visit the URL of the video you want to include, or download and save your video to your computer.
2. Go to Imgflip.com, which is a free tool that enables you to create GIFs from video content.
3. Choose a starting point and end point for your GIF.
4. Download your GIF.
5. Drag and drop your GIF into your email, and add a video CTA linking to the full video

This approach to adding content from your video into your email successfully brings your email to life by adding movement in place of a static image.

Follow these 5 steps to add a GIF to your email

1. Visit the URL of the video you want to include, or download and save your video to your computer.

Select a video that does not rely on sound to communicate the message you are seeking to feature in your content as the GIF will not include any audio.

Having selected your video content either copy the URL of the video from the platform which it is hosted, such as YouTube, facebook or Instagram or save a video file to your computer.

Copy the URL of the YouTube video to be featured in your email

2. Create a GIF from your Video

Visit IMGflip.com (Imgflip.com) which is a free tool that enables you to create a GIF from your video content. If you want your GIF to clear of any watermarks or have a specific width, say 600PX which would be the standard width for most email templates, you’ll need to upgrade your account.

IMGflip gives you the option of uploading your video content either from a URL or a Video File saved on your computer.

Add the YouTube video URL to IMGFlip

3. Select the content to be featured in your GIF

Once your video has completed uploading to IMGflip you’ll be presented with an editing page, this is where you’ll create the GIF.

By moving the two triangles that are on a slider beneath your video you are able to select the start and end point of your GIF, the position of the green arrow determining the start of your GIF and the red arrow indicating the end of your gif.

To the right of your Video you’ll see several fields filled with data, the second field shows you the duration of the clip which you have created by using the arrows. Note the maximum duration of the GIF is 20 seconds.

Once you are happy with the GIF that you have created from your video enter a title for the GIF and then click the “Generate Gif” button.

Select the part of the video you wish to include in the GIF and add a title.

4. Download your GIF

Once your GIF has been generated, you’ll have the option to copy and paste the image link or image URL. At this point select, click “Download .gif.”

Your GIF has now been generated, click download to proceed.

5. Add your GIF to your Email template

In your email service provider’s email builder, add an image block to your template.

Upload the GIF you have created to your ESP’s image library and then simply add your GIF to the Image block within your email template by replacing any image you have in position with the GIF or adding the GIF as a new piece of content..

Once you have added the GIF to your email template and now add a link to the GIF, this link could take all click throughs to a full version of the video from which you have created the GIF.

Additionally you could add a call to action directly below the GIF encouraging viewers to “Click to View the Full Video”, adding a URL to this call to action that redirects all click throughs to a web page, YouTube or TikTok page  where the full video can be viewed.

Upload the GIF to your ESP and then add to an image block in your template.

Some ESP’s have recently incorporated a feature which allows you to upload a YouTube video to the platform which they convert into a GIF for embedding into your email, our Partner Omnisend, is one platform we know is currently offering this feature.

In Omnisend simply drag the video item into position within your template. This action then populates the right hand column with 2 fields Video Url and Image Type. We add the URL of the YouTube video to the top field and then select GIF for the image type.

Add a GIF to Omnisend emails in their email builder

Omnisend now uploads the video and then converts it into a GIF which is then embedded into the template where we positioned the video item.

Paste your YouTube video URL into the Video URL field and select GIF as your image type.

Pros and cons of adding a GIF to your Email

Pros

• It’s super easy to do
• It works across all Email Service Providers 
• The cost is close to $0

Cons

• The quality of the clip that is seen by your subscribers will be mixed, and heavily dependent on the strength of their mobile or internet connection.
• The GIF is sent as an attachment which will consume a fair chunk of the recipient’s bandwidth.
• Given the maximum frame rate is 30 frames per second the clip can sometimes be of poor quality.

2. How to add a still image of your video with a play button

All  Email Service Providers have developed a feature within their Email Builder Tools to enable users to add a still image from any video to their email templates, including a Play button and a click through to a destination where the Video featured in the still image can be watched in full, be it on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook or on a web page.

For example Mailchimp includes a Video Block within its Template builder.

Add a Mailchimp video block to your email template

To add a still from a video to your template simply drag the video block into the position where you wish the video to be featured.

Drag the video block into position in your Mailchimp email template

To add the video to the Mailchimp video block paste the URL in the field and then Mailchimp automatically creates a still image from the video along with a YouTube like Click to Play button.

Mailchimp also automatically adds a link to the YouTube video as the Click URL which is actioned when any viewer clicks on the video in the email.

Paste your YouTube video URL into the Video URL field and a still from the video is added to your Mailchimp template.

This approach of using a play button on a static image has universal support across email clients so as long as images are not blocked, all subscribers will have the same experience.

If you want your video to play as soon as your subscriber clicks on the play button, simply add a ?play to the end of the video URL. You can also make the video autoplay when someone clicks on it, eliminating the need for them to have to click again on the hosted version.

Pros and cons of adding a still image from your video to your email

Pros

• It’s super easy to do
• It works across all Email Service Providers 
• The cost is close to $0
• All the email service providers have a feature to make this super easy.

Cons

• The still image infers that video content is to be seen but it does this in a very passive manner. 

3. Add video to email using a Video Email Platform

The latest evolution in the race to transform video from merely static content to featuring full HD quality video was launched around 2015, which saw the release of products that enabled high quality videos to be played, within email, at the moment the recipient opened the email.

This technology step forward was driven by Video Email Platforms which are 100% focussed on transcoding video content into a format that is compatible with email and plays automatically the moment the email is opened.

Critically this solution works across all email clients, all devices and all network connections, so it’s a universal solution.

For email marketers the solution is simple and easy and works out of the box with all Email Service Providers.

So here’s the 5 steps to adding autoplay video to your email campaigns.

1. Select your video content

Videos of up to 60 second duration can be added to email campaigns, though it is advised that the video content should not rely on sound to communicate to successfully communicate the intended message. This advice is based on the fact that audio is not universally compatible in email across all email clients.

You’ll need a copy of your video content which you can access as the Video Email Platforms do not allow videos to be uploaded via a link.

When setting up your campaign in your ESP, add a HTML block to your template in the position where you wish the video to be featured.

2. Upload your Video Content to a Video Email Platform.

The video email platform is designed to transcode the video content into a format that is compatible with all email clients without sacrificing the quality of the video content.

3. Creating the video embed code

The video email platform creates the video embed code which is then copy and pasted into the HTML block that was added to the template in step 1.

Pros and cons of adding a HD video to your email

Pros

• It adds a new dimension to your emails, high quality video within the email.
• The video plays automatically the moment the email is opened.
• It’s super easy to do
• It works across all Email Service Providers 

Cons

• It incurs an additional cost
• You need to have video content available.
• The video quality that plays in the email can vary a little depending on the viewers connection type and email client.

Each of these three approaches to adding video to your email campaigns has their advocates, though from our 2023 State of Video Email Survey results it’s clear that the 3rd approach, of seeing video play within the email, is the one that is currently gaining significant uptake from major brands and enterprises.