Emmie Houang
Marketing Communications and Content Specialist
Mar 3, 2026
In a recent collaborative webinar, Natalie Sloman, the Content Marketing Manager at Benchmark Email, and Rossety Feng, the Customer Success Director at Playable, sat down to break down one of the most powerful, yet often misunderstood, tools in digital marketing: video in email.
While many marketers feel overwhelmed by the technicalities of video, this summary breaks down the essential strategies, pitfalls, and best practices shared during the session to help you drive higher engagement and faster conversions.
Why Video Works In Email Today
Why Video Matters in Email
The digital landscape has shifted dramatically. In 2025, the data showed a significant trend: attention spans are shrinking. As users become accustomed to the rapid-fire consumption style of TikTok and Instagram Reels, they expect visual, straightforward communication. Email marketing must evolve to "earn the click" faster than ever before. Subscribers are no longer willing to read long walls of text; they want high-impact, visual messages that deliver value instantly.
What Video Does Well
Video serves as a powerful "shortcut" for the human brain. Video excels at:
Capturing attention faster than static images or text.
Communicating complex value in seconds (e.g., product demos).
Building curiosity and encouraging higher click-through rates.
Creating an emotional connection through motion and storytelling.
“People used to say one picture says a thousand words, and I would say one video actually says a thousand pictures.”
– Rossety Feng, Customer Success Director, Playable
When To Use Video (And When Not To)
When Video Works Best
Video should be used with intent. It is most effective when it supports a specific goal. Key moments include:
Welcome & Onboarding: Creating a warm, human introduction to your brand.
Product Demos: Showing exactly how a feature works to remove buying friction.
Announcements & Launches: Generating excitement for something new.
Event Promotions: Using "FOMO" (fear of missing out) to drive registrations.
Re-engagement: Reminding dormant subscribers why they liked your brand.
When Video Doesn’t Help
More isn't always better. Sometimes, speed beats storytelling. Avoid using video for:
Transactional Emails: Receipts and shipping updates should be instant and clear.
Urgent/Time-Sensitive Messages: If the user just needs a quick piece of data.
Simple Confirmations: Where a video might distract from the primary information.
The Decision Filter:
Before adding a video, ask: Does it add clarity? Does it add emotion? Does it add context?
If the answer to all three is no, stick to text.
Common Challenges & Pitfalls
Why Video in Email Has Been Hard
Historically, video in email was plagued by technical friction. Most email clients didn't support "autoplay," forcing users to click a link to a third-party site like YouTube. This created a "gap" where users would get distracted and never return to the email. Other challenges included:
Inconsistent support across different devices.
Slow loading times due to massive file sizes.
Technical complexity requires specialized coding knowledge.
The Real Cost of Poor Video Experiences
Reusing static content to create "pseudo-videos" or delivering broken, slow-loading experiences carries a heavy price. It leads to:
Lost Trust: If a video doesn't work, subscribers view the brand as unprofessional.
Confused Audiences: If the video dimension (portrait vs. landscape) doesn't fit the email.
Lost Leads: Every extra click required to view a video is an opportunity for a customer to drop off.
“Once you lose that trust, it’s really hard to get it back… it could lead to lost engagement, lost leads, and lost potential customers.”
– Natalie Sloman, Content Marketing Manager, Benchmark Email
How To Deliver Reliable Video Experiences
Introducing Playable’s Approach
To solve the technical "friction" of the past, Playable offers a solution that allows for instant-play video directly within the inbox.
No "Click-to-Play": The video plays the moment the email is opened.
CDN Streaming: Videos stream from a Content Delivery Network, meaning they don't bloat the email size or slow down loading.
AI Video Creation: For teams without a video department, Playable’s AI tools can turn website content into professional product videos or "how-to" guides automatically.
Frictionless Integration: By adding a simple HTML5 snippet into Benchmark Email, marketers can deploy high-quality video in seconds.
Best Practices You Can Use Right Away
Best Practices: Video Creation
Keep it Short: Aim for under 60 seconds. While some platforms allow longer, shorter videos yield higher completion rates.
Hook Them Fast: Capture interest in the first 3 seconds.
Use Captions: Many users view emails with sound off; captions ensure your message is still delivered.
Repurpose: Don't reinvent the wheel. Take your high-performing social media videos and crop/resize them for your email campaigns.
Best Practices: Email Execution
One Clear CTA: Your video should lead to a single, obvious action (e.g., "Register Now" or "Buy Now").
Design for Mobile-First: Over 50% of users read emails on mobile. If it looks great on a phone, it will look great on a desktop.
Segment Your Audience: Don't send the same video to everyone. Use Benchmark Email's segmentation to send specific product videos to the people most likely to care about them.
Measure Clicks, Not Just Opens: The real success metric is how many people interacted with your content after watching.
Key Takeaways
Use Video Intentionally: Always tie video to a clear, measurable goal.
Shorten the Journey: Use instant-play tools to let customers see the value without leaving their inbox.
Prioritize Trust: Ensure high-quality, fast-loading experiences to keep subscribers engaged.
Leverage the Right Tools: Use integrations like Benchmark Email x Playable to remove the technical complexity and focus on your strategy.
What’s Next?
Watch the full webinar session: Catch the complete deep dive by viewing the on-demand webinar recording here.
See the partnership in action: Ready to add video to your emails? Explore the Playable x Benchmark Email integration.
Find your plan: Discover how affordable video in email can be by exploring Playable’s pricing tiers.