How To Boost Engagement With Video Email Marketing

Video Email Marketing

Video email marketing: the practice of embedding or linking video content within email campaigns to engage recipients, convey messages more effectively, increase click-through and conversion rates, and drive actions (e.g., website visits, purchases, signups) by combining visual storytelling with targeted email segmentation and performance tracking.

Why is Video Email Marketing Effective?

Video email marketing is the practice of embedding or linking video content within email campaigns to engage recipients, convey messages more effectively, increase click-through and conversion rates, and drive actions (e.g., website visits, purchases, signups) by combining visual storytelling with targeted email segmentation and performance tracking.

Why It’s Effective

• Grabs attention quickly: Motion and sound cut through inbox clutter, increasing the chance recipients notice and open your message.


• Boosts engagement metrics: Videos drive higher click-through rates and time-on-email by offering interactive, easy-to-digest content.


• Simplifies complex ideas: Demonstrations, walkthroughs, and product showcases communicate value faster and more clearly than text alone.


• Enhances emotional connection: Visual storytelling and authentic customer testimonials build trust and make your brand more relatable.


• Personalizes at scale: Dynamic thumbnails, personalized intros, and segmented video content create relevant experiences that resonate with individual subscribers.


• Improves conversion rates: Clear calls to action within or alongside video content encourage quicker decisions and higher conversions.


• Strengthens retention and recall: Visual and auditory cues make messages more memorable, increasing repeat engagement and long-term brand recall.


• Supports measurable optimization: Trackable metrics (views, watch time, click behavior) enable data-driven refinement of messaging, timing, and targeting.


• Mobile-first friendly: Short, optimized videos align with on-the-go consumption habits, boosting engagement among mobile-heavy audiences.


• Versatile across the funnel: Effective at every stage—from awareness and nurturing to re-engagement and post-purchase education—helping move prospects toward action.

Measuring the Success of Video Email Marketing Campaigns

1. 
   

   Key metrics to track

   
   
   
   
   1. Open rate: effectiveness of subject line and preheader.
   
   
   2. Click-through rate (CTR): clicks on any link or button.
   
   
   3. Video play rate: percentage of recipients who start the video.
   
   
   4. View-through rate (VTR): percentage who watch to key milestones (25/50/75/100%).
   
   
   5. Average watch time: engagement depth per viewer.
   
   
   6. Conversion rate: desired action after watching (purchase, signup, demo).
   
   
   7. Play-to-convert rate: conversions among viewers (helps isolate view-driven lifts).
   
   
   8. Bounce and unsubscribe rate: list health and relevance.
   
   
   9. Revenue per email and revenue per viewer: direct ROI measures.
   
   
   10. Assisted metrics: assisted conversions and multi-touch attribution.
   
   
   
   


2. 
   

   Tracking setup

   
   
   
   
   1. Host video on a platform that provides play metrics (e.g., Wistia, Vidyard, Brightcove, Vimeo Enterprise).
   
   
   2. Use video thumbnails with a play button that link to tracked video landing pages or embed with analytics-enabled players.
   
   
   3. Add UTM parameters to links for campaign source, medium, and content.
   
   
   4. Implement event tracking in analytics (e.g., GA4 events, Segment, or your CDP) for play starts, percent-watched events, clicks, and conversions.
   
   
   5. Use SMTP or platform tracking for opens and clicks (ESPs such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, HubSpot).
   
   
   6. Configure e-commerce or CRM tracking to capture post-click conversions and revenue.
   
   
   
   


3. 
   

   Benchmarks and targets (use as starting points; adjust by industry)

   
   
   
   
   1. Open rate: 15–25% (higher with strong list hygiene).
   
   
   2. Play rate: 20–40% (good thumbnail and positioning).
   
   
   3. VTR (50%+): aim for 25–40% of starters.
   
   
   4. CTR: 2–8% (depends on the CTA).
   
   
   5. Conversion rate: 1–5% (varies widely).
   
   
   6. Set targets relative to past email performance (e.g., 10–30% lifts from video).
   
   
   
   


4. 
   

   Experimentation and validation

   
   
   
   
   1. A/B test: video thumbnail vs. static image; embedded autoplay vs. click-to-play; different CTAs and video lengths.
   
   
   2. Test placement: top of email vs. lower content blocks.
   
   
   3. Segment tests by audience (new vs. existing customers) to measure differential impact.
   
   
   4. Run holdout or control groups to isolate incremental lift (send the same email with and without video to comparable samples).
   
   
   
   


5. 
   

   Analysis and reporting cadence

   
   
   
   
   1. Daily: deliverability, opens, and clicks for early issue detection.
   
   
   2. Weekly: play rate, average watch time, and CTRs by segment.
   
   
   3. Monthly or quarterly: conversion rate, revenue per campaign, assisted conversions, and lift vs. control groups.
   
   
   4. Include cohort analysis (by send date, audience segment, and funnel stage).
   
   
   
   


6. 
   

   Attribution and ROI

   
   
   
   
   1. Use multi-touch models or incrementality tests to attribute the value of video views vs. other touchpoints.
   
   
   2. Calculate ROI = (Revenue attributed to the campaign − Cost of production and distribution) / Cost.
   
   
   3. Use revenue per viewer and play-to-convert rate to justify video investment.
   
   
   
   


7. 
   

   Dashboard suggestions (must-haves)

   
   
   
   
   1. Total sends, opens, and open rate.
   
   
   2. CTR and CTR by CTA.
   
   
   3. Video plays and play rate.
   
   
   4. Average view time and VTR at 25/50/75/100%.
   
   
   5. Conversions, conversion rate, and revenue.
   
   
   6. Play-to-convert rate and revenue per viewer.
   
   
   7. Unsubscribes and spam complaints.
   
   
   
   


8. 
   

   Optimization tips

   
   
   
   
   1. Prioritize short, front-loaded videos for higher completion.
   
   
   2. Use personalized thumbnails and CTAs for better play rates.
   
   
   3. Reuse high-performing video content across flows and remarketing.
   
   
   4. Remove friction with mobile-optimized players and fast-loading landing pages.
   
   
   
   


9. 
   

   Quick checklist before launch

   
   
   
   
   1. UTM tags set, analytics events in place, and player tracking enabled.
   
   
   2. Control group defined for lift measurement.
   
   
   3. Dashboard widgets created for key KPIs and stakeholders.