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Embedding video in emails -AVV

BillH

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Dec 17, 2009
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Bill
Hi Refreshers,

I am frustrated by being informed that video links cannot be embedded in email templates on AVV. Even if you create the template in HTML, it won't work.

Any ideas on this? Of course, our OEM is now adding points for video in contacts, and it makes sense to add to the engagement vs. the boring stuff.

Thanks!
Bill
 
Hi Bill unfortunately this is not currently possible because to my knowledge the only email client that currently supports video is Apple mail. So for now your only option is to have an enticing screenshot of the video with a big red play button that when clicked links to a landing page on your site and auto-plays the video. Although this may not be as seamless as embedding a video directly in an email it does provide the added benefit of having the customer on your website where they may decide to start looking around at cars. The ability to incorporate calls to action, buttons, lead forms, etc is another additional benefit of using a landing page for videos.

In addition to the screenshot of the video make sure to include an enticing text hyperlink below the image because as Neil mentioned, many email clients don't automatically download images, so the text link is a good backup. The one thing you have to be a little cautious about is hyperlinks and images in an email can cause your emails to get caught by users' spam filter more often than a plain text email would. Sometimes a simple conversational email is the best way to go, all depends on who you're sending it to and what you're looking to accomplish.

Update: Researched it real quick and it looks like the Outlook.com web client also supports HTML 5 embedded videos. You can use a fallback image / screenshot that MOST other email clients will use instead if they don't support videos. Another creative option would be to create a short animated gif version of the video and link it to the full version.
 
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Sometimes a simple conversational email is the best way to go, all depends on who you're sending it to and what you're looking to accomplish.

Update: Researched it real quick and it looks like the Outlook.com web client also supports HTML 5 embedded videos. You can use a fallback image / screenshot that MOST other email clients will use instead if they don't support videos. Another creative option would be to create a short animated gif version of the video and link it to the full version.

Thanks for the replies. Part of my frustration appears to be the lack of ability of the AVV product to accommodate changing trends. I need to separate our communications from the boilerplate stuff the OEM wants us to use. We end up with 5 dealers sending the same old template with info that shoppers find irrelevant and they either never get opened or we get an "unsubscribe". It's a waste of time for both parties.

I am working on relevant education based emails to help them make an intelligent decision. Our brand is heavy on research, why now give them info that they will find relevant?

Likewise, I want to include video as we know it is a good tool to keep engagement. I'm also working on a way to embed my Walkaround videos as well. I'm looking for any ideas to do this better and different

Bill
 
reverson covered it very well above. Currently, almost no support for embedded video in email clients except Apple Mail. Campaign Monitor, a very well respected company, covered this in detail after testing the most popular email systems.

https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/will-it-work/video/

Wistia, a video specific service, also covers this and suggests even if the email client supports video embed, it's still a bad idea.

Should You Embed Video in Email? | Wistia at Work


That's probably why I'm in the dark, I'm using a Mac daily. I'm going to check out the links. Thanks for the input.

Bill :)
 
There are a few programs that I know of that do this. Have you considered the Authntk Video WalkAround app? It is great for shooting emails of vehicles to customers embedded in a custom dealership branded template that they create for you. Walkaround Videos :: Personalize car-buying with video emails

CoVideo does similar work but is a lot more expensive. I have also played around with Eyejot Eyejot - Video Mail In A Blink which is a desktop video email solution. The one issue with all of them, and not really a big one, is the email does not become a part of the customer record in the CRM since they are sent from an outside client. Hope this helps.