How To Embed A YouTube Video In Email – A Step-By-Step Guide

How To Embed A YouTube Video In Email – A Step-By-Step Guide

Do you want to enhance the appeal of your email marketing? The accurate method to do it is to include videos. In reality, video is now a well-known marketing tool; currently, more than 86% of companies use this technique to promote their products or services.

Learning how to embed YouTube videos in email could be a game changer. If you want to embed a video within an email, you can use a thumbnail link, then directly connect the video to Gmail (for files less than 25 MB) or Google Drive for larger videos. In Outlook, add an image of a thumbnail to the video.

There are other options available for embedding the video, including using HTML5 or making it GIF. It’s just an outline of the process.

In the next sections, we’ll take a more detailed study of each method for embedding videos into emails. We’ll also guide you through the perfect ways to add videos to an email. So, keep reading.

Key Takeaways

  • Use clickable thumbnails for YouTube videos in emails for better engagement.
  • Test across email clients for compatibility.
  • Ensure thumbnails clearly indicate video content.
  • Comply with YouTube's terms of service for video usage.
  • Monitor analytics to measure viewer engagement and campaign effectiveness.

Why Embed YouTube Videos in Emails?

Incorporating videos into emails is a good method to improve your communication with your customers and bring off different goals like:

Increased Engagement and Click-Through Rates

Videos can attract people’s attention more than text, making them a powerful tool for sharing information. In fact, adding videos inside emails can increase the number of people who view them.

Improved Comprehension and Retention

Adding YouTube videos to emails can help people understand and remember information better. Videos show things visually and explain them with sound, which can make complex ideas clearer.

They also keep people engaged and reinforce what you want them to remember. Just make sure the videos are short and to the point.

Improved Personalization

If you include videos in your emails, it makes the recipients feel more intimate. It’s like giving them the human element that makes your emails friendlier and more accessible. It could benefit building stronger relationships and trust with people you’re speaking to.

Effective Product Demonstrations and Explanations

If you’re trying to promote your product, videos are the ideal way to show it off to your audience. You can showcase your product’s benefits, and features, and use them appealingly and convincingly.

Captivating Storytelling

Videos are a great way to tell stories, communicate experiences, and express emotions in a way that text alone cannot. This will make your emails more memorable and enticing.

Accessibility for All Audiences

Videos are appropriate for anyone, which is why they’re a great way to make connections. They benefit those who learn through watching videos. This means that the largest audience will see your message.

Mobile-Friendly Communication

Videos are ideal for mobile devices since they can be easily watched and enjoyed. The most expensive devices usually have screen sizes below 1150 pixels. The screen sizes for the majority of standard mobile email readers are about 320 pixels.

So, if you keep the right size of your video, mobile users will enjoy an improved experience.

Effective Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

You can easily add a CTA section to your videos that encourages users to take action, such as visiting websites, making a purchase, or signing up for a subscription.

What Videos Should You Include In Your Emails?

There are a variety of options to choose from. For instance, you could add:

  1. A video tutorial
  2. A webinar replay
  3. A video of the product tour
  4. Even a brand’s video

Whatever you decide, be aware that including videos in your emails for fun won’t do much good. You should ensure that your video provides value for your email and addresses the recipients’ requirements.

Tips To Make The Most Out Of Adding Youtube Video To Email

Integrating a YouTube video into your email can be a great way of interacting with your intended viewers, but it could be difficult due to its limitations for email programs. Here are some tips to raise the effectiveness of incorporating a YouTube video in your email

Use the Thumbnail Image with the Play Button Overlay. Instead of embedding the video directly in your email, you can utilize a quality thumbnail of the video overlayed on top over the player button. This method is well-known within email software and allows users to click the play button to watch the video.

  • Make attractive thumbnails: Select one thumbnail that accurately represents what’s in the video and appears visually appealing. Videos with faces are sure to attract attention.
  • Link directly to YouTube: Link your thumbnail directly to YouTube and provide the URL for the YouTube video. This will ensure that the user can access the video with one click.
  • Optimize your Mobile Experience: Many people check their email using mobile devices. Make sure that the thumbnail and its clickable buttons are easy to click even on small screens.
  • Include an introduction: Briefly explain the video within the text of the email to help recipients understand the context and provide reasons to view the video. This can boost their interest.
  • Test Across Email Clients: Test your email across different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.) along with gadgets (desktop and smartphones) to warrant that the thumbnail and link work correctly.
  • Consider the length of the video: Be aware of the length of the video in your mind. Videos with shorter durations (under two minutes) tend to do better in email campaigns since they have higher completion rates.

A Step-By-Step Guide To How Can You Embed A Video In Email

If you’re looking to share actual videos with your list of email addresses, you must meet two conditions:

  1. Your email service must include support for embedding videos within emails.
  2. Your email service needs to support embedding videos so recipients using platforms like Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and others can play and view the videos without issues.

Email Platforms That Allow Video In Emails

To send a video, you’ll need to include HTML code in the email and a platform that allows you to edit the HTML code.

The majority of email services like Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail – cannot do this. However, certain marketing platforms can.

If you’re part of an established company, then it is likely that you’re already with one of them. If not, begin by creating an account with one of them. A lot of them offer free plans.

Create A Video And Optimize The File Size

The size and location of the video’s host play significant roles in determining whether it will be displayed within your email messages. The file size should be kept to less than 1 MB. Larger sizes could be slower to load, which could impact your users’ experience.

Also, hosting your video on YouTube or Vimeo won’t work; you’ll have to host it on servers you control. After the hosting has been cleared, then comes three steps:

  • Create your own video
  • Maximize its size
  • Upload it to the host

To create videos, use “After Effects templates from Videvo.” They offer an array of premium and free templates for creating dynamic videos.

The templates are customizable with text and graphics and can produce professional outcomes in minutes. They also come with specific instructions on how to modify the templates and maximize the file size.

Make And Upload The Thumbnail Of The Video

A thumbnail is a single image that is displayed before the video begins to play. A great thumbnail does two things:

  • Helps viewers to understand what the video is all about.
  • It captivates viewers and gets people to click it.

You can create thumbnails by selecting photos from photo stock sites like Pexels. You can also create your own using Canva, Paint 3D (on Windows), or the Photos application (on Mac).

Use a video editor, such as Veed (it operates online and does not require installing the program), to add thumbnails to your video.

Create Your HTML Video Tag

You can use the <video> tag of HTML5 to send your video in an email. You must also set up a fallback image for Gmail and other email clients that don’t support the tag.

Utilize the following HTML5 code structure to embed your YouTube video:

  • ‘YOUR_VIDEO_ID’: Replace with the actual YouTube video ID.
  • ‘THUMBNAIL_IMAGE_URL’: Replace with the URL of the YouTube video thumbnail.
  • ‘YOUR_WIDTH and YOUR_HEIGHT’: Set the dimensions of the thumbnail image.
  • ‘PLAY_BUTTON_IMAGE_URL’: You can use an image of a play button or create one using HTML/CSS.
  • ‘PLAY_BUTTON_WIDTH and PLAY_BUTTON_HEIGHT’: Set the dimensions of the play button image.

Testing and Optimization

Test your email across different email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.) and devices (desktop, mobile) to ensure the thumbnail image and link work correctly. Also, make sure the thumbnail image is compelling and clearly indicates it’s a video to encourage clicks.

FAQs

Yes, you can. Embedding a YouTube video directly into an email is a great idea to attract more customers toward your brand's services or products.

Clickable thumbnails are more widely supported and ensure better compatibility across email clients.

Choose clear and visually appealing dimensions, typically around 200-300 pixels wide.

Conclusion

By leveraging these methods, businesses can effectively integrate compelling video content into their email campaigns, driving higher click-through rates and fostering meaningful viewer interaction.

So, why wait? Embed a YouTube video to your email today with these simple tips and tricks.

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