Using video clips within your emails?

For video on your web site and your used car walk around check out www.unityworksmedia.com They have a great solution. The videos go into a library and you can attach them in e-mail responses and in e-mail campaigns. The videos are encoded and will play to 90% of the users.

Thanks to all for your input, especially to Ralph Paglia of Courtesy Chevrolet who emailed over several examples to me to look at. We are looking at a way to better personalize our emails with a short clip of our sales rep in an email response (using a link - sorry - my use of the expression "embedded videos" was not correct). As with everything we do, we always measure our emails' vulnerability to being spam filtered, which is also a big concern. Thanks for posting this Jeff! Kevin Frye/eCommerce Director/Jeff Wyler Automotive Family

Hi Kevin, we do video email campaigns for dealers here at CIMAsystems -- from filming the video itself to emailing it out to the customers in your DMS. We do not embed the video but host it on a server and link to it in the email message, for the reasons already mentioned.

As for content for the videos, ours are usually tied in to targeted email campaigns. For example, we've created parts accessories campaigns showing the various ways to accessorize your ride, that are sent to recent car buyers. Some other ideas - product demonstrations, how to's, tv commercials from the manufacturer. There was an article posted recently on the subject here (you may have to register/log in).

You can search google and youtube for terms dealer, inventory, cars... and see some samples. Like Jeff said you actually don't send the video by email... the video will never play... as it requires external programs... and most email programs by default block it... what you do have is first frame of video and the play controls... when you click play it opens a window...

Kevin, I've never voyaged over into the video emails. I think you will find that most companies host the video on a webpage then actually in the email itself. The emails then contain a small message with a link to the video. Since there is nothing more then text and sometimes a small image (like a play button), you can usually get them past the spam filters if the vendor you are using takes measures to keep their email servers off the black lists. -Jeff