Email is one of the most popular and widely used marketing channels. Studies show that 31% of marketers use email marketing, and most send two to three emails daily. But to stand out in an overcrowded inbox, you need to do something unique and innovative. 

Video captures people’s attention and conveys information more effectively than text and images alone. Inserting a well-crafted video into your email campaigns can help you communicate complex ideas, showcase product features, tell your brand story, and leave a positive and lasting impression more than words alone. 

Even just the term ‘video” is a powerful trigger for email subscribers—just mentioning the word in your email subject line can increase open rates by 19%. But to capitalize on those clicks, you need to follow through and deliver a video in your email marketing campaign. This guide shares how to do it. 

Benefits of video email marketing

Improve information retention 

You aren’t sending emails for the fun of it. Most often, your email campaigns have one goal in mind: to convert subscribers into paying customers. That's easier to achieve if customers know the ins and outs of your product.

High-quality videos make it easier for your audience to grasp intricate concepts while also letting you tell a story, which can make your content more memorable. Whether showcasing your brand's journey, explaining product features, or sharing client success stories, the narrative power of video leaves a lasting impression.

Increase conversions

Did you know that 81% of B2B marketers say newsletters are their most commonly used form of content marketing? With so many emails landing in your potential customer's inbox, finding a way to stand out is important. Video newsletters can do just that.

Engagement is a key metric to consider when sending video email campaigns. Videos captivate users, keeping them immersed in your content for longer. This increased engagement translates to higher click-through rates (CTR) and, ultimately, improved conversion rates. Studies show that including a video in your email can improve click rates by 65%.

Personalization and brand connection

Personalization goes beyond addressing recipients by name. You can tailor content with video based on your audience’s needs and preferences. If you’re a skincare brand using video in email marketing, for example, you could record a quick demonstration video for people who haven’t yet purchased a product but have visited a specific product page. 

Video also adds a personal touch to mass email campaigns. Subscribers can peek behind the curtain and see (and hear) the people behind the business through embedded videos—a personal touch that could be the difference between them choosing to buy from your brand or a competitor. 

📩 Make sending easy: How to compress a video for email: 4 easy ways + tips 

8 ways to use video in email marketing, with examples

1. Give subscribers an inside look at your company

Customers want to understand the brands they engage with and potentially buy from. This type of video is the ideal format for immersive storytelling that lets subscribers get to know your brand on a deeper level. It’s only then they will think about buying from you. 

Instead of describing your brand, products, or services in an email, record a video to show them in action. That could be:

• A virtual tour of your office
• An up-close look at your company culture
• An interview with one of your team members 

Take a look at this example from Athletic Brewing. The email starts with a short introduction about its YouTube video series, which acts as a teaser urging subscribers to watch it. But, instead of diverting them away to its YouTube channel, Athletic Brewing embeds a video directly in the email. Anyone who watches the video (or scrolls past it) then gets to see products related to the video content.  

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2. Share video testimonials from happy customers 

You can shout about how you’ve got the best products in the world, but it’s often best to let your customers do the talking. Incorporate video testimonials from loyal customers into your email campaigns to give an unbiased opinion on your product. It’ll make subscribers think, “If they loved the product, so will I.”

While text-based testimonials hold weight, video testimonials take authenticity to another level. Seeing and hearing from satisfied customers creates a powerful emotional connection. People can pick up on their body language and hear the positive expression in their voice—two things you miss out on in text-only emails.

📹 Share your content: How to send a video through email: Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail

3. Walk people through your product with a demo video

Text-based emails sometimes struggle to communicate the intricacies of your products. Video, on the other hand, brings your products to life in a vivid and engaging way. You can record a product demonstration video to walk people through how they can use your product, showcasing its best features, functionalities, and real-world applications—three things someone might question if they’re on the fence about buying it.  

Not only that, product demo videos cater to different tastes and preferences. Some subscribers would rather digest information through text while others might prefer an audiovisual medium, which makes video and text the ideal combination for product demos. 

Take a look at this email I got from reMarkable, for example. It was perfectly timed (just after I activated my new tablet) and contained three short videos on how to get the most out of my new device, which is much easier to follow than a list of instructions. Each one has a personalized video thumbnail, which lets me preview the video before clicking the play button.

4. Promote an upcoming event

Email is the ideal channel to promote an event. Simply segment your email list, invite the subscribers you think would most likely be interested in the event, and write a few sentences that make them want to register.

The problem with text-only emails is it’s hard to show your excitement. Granted, you can use words like “immersive” and “fun atmosphere” to tempt subscribers to register for an event. A video that shows them previous events to show that in practice? Much better. 

When producing the video for an event-based email campaign, include the following talking points in your video script:

• Venue details
• Speaker previews
• Sneak peeks of what attendees can expect
• Travel and accommodation details (if the event is in person) 
• Testimonials from previous attendees who can vouch for you 

5. Share company news and updates

Email is the perfect channel to share exciting company news. The people on your list are already familiar with your brand and what it offers. By sharing updates, your content constantly feels fresh and exciting—and could convince someone to buy, even though you’re not specifically asking for a sale. 

Take a look at this video marketing example from Bubble. The company takes the Spotify “Year in Review” approach to its email strategy by recapping key data points from the past year. 

The video message at the top of the email, however, makes the email more engaging than just a bunch of numbers. It’s a personalized message from the founders of Bubble, who recap the past year and get people excited about what they’re launching in 2024. 

6. Launch new products with video

Any product launch is exciting—not just for you, but for your email subscribers. Invite them to join the celebration with a product launch video that introduces them to your new item. 

A product launch video should showcase the product in action and highlight the features, benefits, and unique selling points. You should also include a clear call to action (CTA) in the video snippet or email that tells someone what to do next—whether that’s visiting a landing page, pre-ordering, or signing up for updates. 

The best part? If you have an upcoming product launch, you’re probably already creating videos for other channels like your website or social media. Repurpose these assets to promote your launch via email.

⚡️ PRO TIP: Use Find Good Clips to create these mini teasers for you. The AI-powered tool, which is available inside Descript, will scan your long-form video and pick out the most interesting or engaging segments. Open these clips in a new project and edit to your heart’s content.

7. Give a free piece of advice

Not all emails have to revolve around purchases. Some people respond better to educational or training videos over promotional ones created solely to get sales. 

Take this approach with your email marketing strategy by recording a training video that teaches people something. If you’re a software company that sells tools to help people be more productive at work, for example, you could create educational videos on topics like:

• How many hours of “deep work” you should aim for each day
• Tips to minimize distractions at work 
• Advice on how to communicate your work hours with colleagues  

Note that not all of these videos are product-focused. The key to educational videos is to talk about a pain point and subtly mention your product as the best solution. 

8. Turn videos into GIFs

Why send emails with boring static images? Instead, convert parts of your videos into a GIF and use that in your email content. GIFs can capture email recipients' attention and stand out because they’re on autoplay. As the recipient scrolls your email, they’ll automatically see the GIF. 

Here is an example of a GIF in an email from The Hustle, who uses the video format to capture someone’s attention and convince them to read a blog post on its website:

To make a GIF, just drag and drop your video file into a Descript project. If your file has sound, Descript will automatically transcribe it. Then, use Descript’s editing features to trim the video, add on-screen text, set your fonts, colors, and size, add keyframe animations, and layer images to make your video more interactive.

When you’re ready, open the “Publish” menu and select Export. The GIF option is right there in the file export options. Set the dimensions, choose your video quality, and export to use in your next email.  

A video editing tool tailored to marketers

There’s no doubt that video marketing and email are a match made in heaven. But to create videos that email subscribers actually want to watch and engage with, you need a toolkit that helps you do so. Enter: Descript.

Descript is a professional video editor that helps marketers create better videos. The AI-powered software comes with a bunch of tools to speed up the video editing workflow, including: 

• Script Generator to create video script with ease
• Studio Sound to remove background noise
• AI Voices to correct audio mistakes without re-recording 
• Remove Filler Words to make you appear more confident on camera
• Video templates to easily create and share video clips. 
• Screen recording capabilities to create tutorial videos, product demonstrations, or product walkthroughs

Teams at Shopify, MasterClass, and UI Path are already using Descript’s video editor to create world-class content. Join them by signing up for your free plan today. 

‎Video in email marketing FAQs

Can you use video in email marketing?

Videos make otherwise plain emails more interesting and engaging. You can use them to showcase product tutorials, take subscribers behind the scenes of your company, and educate email subscribers before they buy. 

How do I embed a video in an email?

The easiest way to embed a video in an email is to upload your video to a platform like Wistia or Vimeo and generate a shareable link. Then, insert a thumbnail image next to the full video URL in your email. 

How do I promote a video in an email?

1. Share video testimonials
2. Record a product demo video 
3. Announce company news 
4. Send product demo videos
5. Record educational videos 
6. Turn videos into GIFs