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Incorporating Video in HTML Email

by michaelnash2
10 replies
Think I posted (as a newbie) this question in the wrong Forum BUT Is it possible to embed a video in a HTML email without doing a link to a web page? If so some details would be appreciated.
Thanks for this great resource.
PS What does it mean when it says "You may add 5 tag(s) to this thread"?
Appologies for the ignorance.
Michael
#email #html #incorporating #video
  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    I don't think embedding a video (which, usually, is a huge file!) in an email would be an idea that the recipients would thank you for. If I was on the receiving end... I'd would look for my (non-existent) shotgun

    The proper way to do it: host the video somewhere and put a link (ULR) to it in the email. Simple, painless, effective.

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    • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
      It is only semi-possible to put a video into an HTML email.

      While technically you can do it, most recipients will be using
      email filters that screen out the huge files a video bigger
      than a postage stamp and more than a few seconds long
      requires.

      You CAN embed a GIF in an HTML email. I've done it often
      enough. The GIF is actually not hosted in the email as the
      video would need to be - it's hosted on my server and the
      email just calls it up. Looks cool, but no sound.

      There was some stuff about a year ago about Google making
      it possible to put YouTube videos in gmail emails, but I
      haven't read anything about that lately.

      The day may come when real video emails are common,
      but not yet.

      You can put a picture of a video with a play button on
      it in an email - and when the reader clicks it just opens
      up the page where the video is. This is not a video in
      the email itself, just a hosted picture. Cool thing to do
      though.
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      • Profile picture of the author michaelnash2
        Originally Posted by David Hamer View Post

        I use this method myself and it works really well. Basically when someone opens their email it looks like there's a video in the email - so the reader clicks it to watch which takes them straight to my video page. This only works if they have their images switched on - if they don't then they have a normal text link to click.

        I totally agree with Istvan - don't even go down the road of trying to put video in your emails - the technology just isn't good enough yet - though no doubt it will happen fairly soon.

        Dave
        Thanks so much, was pretty dumb to suggest sending large video files in an email but the clickable play picture seems a good idea. How do I generate this though? Do I create it in a graphics package and import it - or do better ways exist?
        Some time ago I had a bit of software that put a flashing icon on a email and when there was a "mouse-over" it automatically linked to the web page. Never used this because it seemed too much like a spohisticated from of SPAM.
        Thanks for all the help
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  • Profile picture of the author Quentin
    Your question is can you embed video in html emails and the answer is yes.

    The problem these days is that 99% of email clients and ISP's will strip that code out so no one will ever see it.

    The graphic suggestion is the closest I have seen to the solution and one which I use. Make sure you also have the text and graphic link though.

    Quentin
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  • Profile picture of the author RefundHost
    I can just see all the calls to tech support to remove the email
    with the 100MB attachment that is preventing them from getting
    their mail. lol

    That wold be the result of sending an video file through email.
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  • Profile picture of the author ppbiz
    There is an email marketing service that you can sign up for which allows you to send emails with video embedded in them. It is called Attain Response. I haven't used them but I did see a demonstration and it looked pretty cool.

    It costs about $100 pm though. I didn't really see the need for it just yet- but may consider it down the track.

    Rhiannon
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  • Profile picture of the author Anna Johnson
    I suggest following Loren's and David's advice: just use a gif image of the video and make it clickable to your video. You'll avoid the risk of your emails not being delivered and all the technical hassles of trying to make videos-in-email work. Most email marketers - including those who used to promote video-in-email - are shifting away from trying to embed video in emails for these very reasons. See: Email Marketers Abandon Embedded Videos | Kikabink News - Internet Marketing News
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  • Profile picture of the author michaelnash2
    What a fabulous amount of help you have all been. Thank you so much.
    I landed up going with a little piece of freeware software called MWSnap which enables me to do a sreeen shot of any image and save it as a GIF. I am placing this in a html email and just put a hyperlink to the video I would like them to view.
    I haven't figured out how to put the little triangular Play button on the GIf and have to put a message under the GIF saying "please click on immage .....".
    Thank you all again
    Sincerely
    Michael Nash
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