It seems so beautiful, but it is not
Embedding video can help create a slightly higher experience for email marketing purposes, but the long-term business implications can be costly. The decision to embed video in an email may even reduce conversion and engagement with the content.
I like to look at things both ways, but let’s be clear: if you really want to get the most out of your video email marketing efforts, you shouldn’t embed video in an email. There are better ways to bring attention to video.
A spirited statement, right?
Don’t worry – it’s not our intention to drop snappy shots and not provide additional context to support them. Here’s what you need to know about why embedding video in your emails is not the best idea.
1. There is no opportunity for further user involvement
There is a reason why open rates and click-through rates are so important to marketers running email campaigns – “they are starting points. They are not the last step in an e-mail recipient’s journey, but the very beginning of it. And you won’t have starting points leading to your website or other business pages if you embed video directly into your emails.
Getting people to watch your videos is great, but as a business, you need more than that. You want those same viewers to actually engage and interact with your brand . What’s the point of all those hours you spent creating the perfect subject line and choosing the right product screenshots for your email if a user just watches your video and deletes the email?
When your video is on its own landing page, you have more control over the viewer’s next action. They can leave a comment, ask a question or start a discussion immediately after watching. They may explore other content on your site and consider signing up for an account. They can even share your content – and the people they share it with can begin their own brand new journey. This keeps the cycle going.
In addition, you want to give the user clear next steps. If you embed a video in your email you have met the primary need. By sending them directly to your landing page to watch the video, you engage the reader more.
2. Your video disappears into the email archive
Regardless of who your e-mail provider is (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo!, etc.), we all know the disposable nature of e-mail. As emails pour in throughout the day, the entire video you embed will probably be viewed once .
By linking the video directly to your website, it becomes a permanent resource. It can be done easily. add the video to the page for which it is most appropriate. It can be on the home page, blog or even on a help center page. Where the video is located is less important, but having it there permanently makes it easier for people to view it later.
The goal of video is to create a complete library that people can rely on as a trusted source of information. Website visitors have a reason to come back when they know new video content is constantly coming in. If they come back, they are more likely to stick around and consume more videos and other types of content.
What is also important is to realize that videos on the website are good for SEO. If someone really likes your video but can only access it through an email, how are they going to link to it on their own website or through social media channels? You might as well say to them, “Hey, so we have a great video here, but we don’t want anyone else to know about it but you!” It’s the best way not to get SEO traction with your video.
3. Video pushes away Calls to Action (CTAs)
Let’s face it: video is great. If you embed a video in your email, it’s basically like having a giant neon sign saying, “Watch me! Pay attention to me!” That sounds great. The downside is that if interacting with the video comes at the expense of the email’s primary goal (gathering clicks), it certainly isn’t.
Only include a video in an email if the sole purpose of the email is for the video to be seen. If you want to achieve more, it’s not a good idea. If you embed the full video, people may miss or ignore the CTA. An embedded video can overwhelm the other CTAs in the email, and people will just watch without taking the desired action.
Something similar can, of course, be said for a non-embedded video. The key difference is that the non-embedded video leading to your site can also serve as the perfect spot for your desired CTA.
In that case, because the email recipient has already taken the step of coming to your site to watch the video, they are more likely to actively look for the CTA button if they like what they see. Instead of passively watching the video in an email, they are already investing more by coming to your site and being an active part of your sales funnel.
3. Video pushes away Calls to Action (CTAs)
Let’s face it: video is great. If you embed a video in your email, it’s basically like having a giant neon sign saying, “Watch me! Pay attention to me!” That sounds great. The downside is that if the interaction with the video comes at the expense of the primary goal of the email (gathering clicks), it certainly isn’t.
Only include a video in an email if the sole purpose of the email is for the video to be seen. If you want to achieve more, it’s not a good idea. If you embed the full video, people may miss or ignore the CTA. An embedded video can overwhelm the other CTAs in the email, and people will just watch without taking the desired action.
Something similar can, of course, be said for a non-embedded video. The key difference is that the non-embedded video leading to your site can also serve as the perfect spot for your desired CTA.
In that case, because the email recipient has already taken the step of coming to your site to watch the video, they are more likely to actively look for the CTA button if they like what they see. Instead of passively watching the video in an email, they are already investing more by coming to your site and being an active part of your sales funnel.
4. Technology and safety
There are also some technical aspects to sending and receiving embedded video.
– Some e-mail clients or spam filters may block or restrict e-mails with embedded videos, causing your e-mail not to be delivered or marked as spam.
– Different email clients and devices can process embedded videos differently, which can lead to display problems or broken videos.
– Videos can increase email load time, which can lead to frustration for recipients with slow Internet connections.
– Embedded videos may be inaccessible to users who rely on screen readers or have visual impairments.
– Embedded videos can track recipients’ interactions (e.g., whether they played the video), which can raise privacy concerns.
You can read more about the technical pros and cons of embedded video in emails in this blog.
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