The Secret to Sending Video Email Messages for Maximum Impact

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August 2009

If you're interested in sending video email using a hosting service that has provided you with some HTML to embed, you can certainly include that in your HTML messages.

However, note that video technologies are generally blocked by most ISPs and email clients, so your video may not be playable within an email message.

As a result, it is not advisable to embed a video directly within an email message.

Fortunately, there are two alternatives to consider, and either would provide better results:

Sending Video Email Using
a Text Link

You can place a text link into your email messages, linking to a page containing the actual video.

The link would be added just like any other text link, with hyperlinked keywords for HTML messages, and a full URL address for Plain-Text.

For example, you might describe the video in text, and then include a link using text like "Click to Play the Video".

Sending Video Email Using an Image Linking to a Page

Another alternative allows you to include something in your email that looks like a playable video, but what leads the subscriber to a page containing the actual playable video.

It will require a few more steps than including a text link but should not be difficult:

1. Load the Video Page and Take a Screenshot

In your web browser, open the page containing the video you'd like to include in your email.

Scroll to a point on the page where you can clearly see your video. Then, take a screenshot of the page.

How to Take a Screenshot ?

A screenshot is just a freeze-frame of whatever is on your screen at the point where you hit specified keys on your keyboard.

Using Windows? Hit the "Print Screen" button.

Using a Mac? Hold the "Command" and "Shift" buttons and hit "3"

2. Crop the Screenshot in an Image Editing Program

After taking your screenshot, open a new file in your preferred image editing program.

We use GIMP (GNU Images Manipulation Program), a free program. You may have your own preferred application, like Photoshop or iPhoto on a Mac system.

Paste in the screenshot, and using the using the marquee (select) tool, place a box around the video portion of the screenshot:

Hit the "Crop" button or use the crop feature where it is found in your image editor.

You image should now consist of just a capture of the video itself:

Save the file somewhere on your hard drive you'll be able to find easily in just a few minutes.

3. Ad the Image to Your to your Email

As you would any image you'd like to include in your email messages, add the image file somewhere in your email.4

4. Turn the Image into a Link

The last thing you need to do is transform the image so that when it is clicked on, subscribers are sent to the page containing the video.

Use the link tool to accomplish this.

Videos are a great marketing tool - they get your prospects’ attention, they let you show (not just tell) about your products, and they get passed around (helping you to get more subscribers virally).

However, as many people have found out, creating “video emails” by embedding the video directly in an HTML email (like you would on a web page) doesn’t fly.

It’s simply not reliable because most email programs disable or strip out the video.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of video’s appeal in your emails!

You just have to get a bit creative…
Easily Send “Video Emails” Using Image Links

A Couple Pointers

I recommend using an image to link to your video - you can use text, too, but the image will naturally draw the eye and increase your response.

That said, not all of your subscribers will have images enabled in their email programs.

So, remember to put appropriate ALT text for your image, so that if they have images turned off, they know there’s a video to click to.

David Caruso 1800 853 390