Blogs

By Kristin Hersant

At the Email Evolution Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, I attended a very interesting session about integrating video in email. Given the skyrocketing popularity of web video in recent years, this is a logical extension with phenomenal potential for driving traffic and response rates. However, video enthusiasts have been hindered by the technology in recipients’ email clients. Many of them block the images and JavaScript required to make video work, rendering it difficult to employ.

Fortunately there are several ways that you can test video in email now. Justin Foster of the Video Commerce Consortium showed us that the best (and most affordable) way to represent video in email is by using an animated GIF. Because animated GIFs are supported by virtually all email clients (MS Outlook 2007 being the notable exception), you can provide the illusion of a video playing in email without the technical challenges.

If you are interested in this approach, the general guideline is to keep the files as small as possible to help them render quickly. The resolution shouldn’t exceed 80x60, the frame rate should be kept low (4 fps), and the duration should be kept under a few seconds. Use these benchmarks as a starting point to test your own content and find a threshold that meets your comfort levels.

There are many tools available that can convert video into GIFs. For a free, web-based version , check out GifNinja.com.

The more expensive option is to try StrongMail partner Goodmail’s new CertifiedVideo service, for which they are currently accepting pilots. Goodmail is leveraging its ISP relationships in order to deliver emails with all images and JavaScript enabled, making actual video in email possible. The only downsides are that:

1) Video will only render in ISPs with which Goodmail has a relationship (AOL, BT, COX and Yahoo). AT&T, Comcast, Roadrunner and Verizon are in pending.

2) It can be pricey. Goodmail is charging $5 per thousand ($5 CPM) for its pilot program. For companies who outsource, this is in addition to whatever deployment costs you already pay your ESP.

Either way, content sites should test video in email to see how it helps their performance. With results ranging from a 5% to 300% increase in click-through rates, it’s definitely worth a closer look.