[FAQ]

Our team is creating more video content, and we’re looking to promote it effectively through our email newsletter. Our primary goal for these emails is to maximise the click-through rate to the video itself.

What is the current best practice in 2025 for presenting a video within an email to get the highest number of clicks? I’m wondering if a static image with a play button, an animated GIF, or another method works best.

[Jeff Bullas]

The most effective way to feature a video in an email to maximise clicks involves using a visually engaging and clickable image, because direct video embedding is not a reliable option across all email clients.

First, the most successful and standard professional practice is to use an animated GIF with a ‘play’ button icon overlaid on top. A short, looping GIF created from an exciting or intriguing part of your video creates a sense of motion that is highly effective at capturing a reader’s attention in a crowded inbox. The play button signals that the content is a video and that the element is clickable.

Second, if an animated GIF is not feasible, the next best option is a high-quality static image thumbnail, also with a clear play button icon overlaid. The thumbnail you choose should be visually compelling and representative of the video’s content.

The reason this image-based approach is used instead of directly embedding a playable video is due to the lack of consistent support for that feature across major email clients, particularly versions of Outlook and Gmail. Attempting to embed a video directly will lead to a broken or non-functional experience for a large portion of your subscribers, which will suppress clicks.

Regardless of whether you use a static image or a GIF, the entire image area should be linked directly to the video on its hosting platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo. This creates a large, easy-to-tap target for your users, which is especially important for those on mobile devices.

This visual element should be supported by concise, curiosity-driven copy and a clear call-to-action button with text like “Watch the Full Video Now.”

In summary, for the most clicks, the proven best practice is to use an optimised animated GIF of an exciting part of your video, place a play button icon on it, and link that entire image to where the video is hosted. This method is reliable, visually engaging, and highly effective at encouraging subscribers to click through to watch.

[Author]

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