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1. General Questions
- 1.1 Is it a good idea to include video in email?
- 1.2 What is Video Email Express?
- 1.3 Can I just embed an animated .GIF without using Video Email Express?
- 1.4 Can I just embed an HTML5 video without using Video Email Express?
- 1.5 Can I use both an HTML5 video and an animated .GIF video in the same email?
- 1.6 Does the system support animated .PNG videos?
- 1.7 How do I include a YouTube video in Gmail?
- 1.8 Is Liveclicker supported by Return Path’s Certified Premium Services program?
- 1.9 Do you have plans to support sound in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010?
- 1.10 Does the system support audio?
- 1.11 Can you please advise on the video email reporting Liveclicker offers?
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2. Using Video Email Express
- 2.1 What limitations are there on video uploads?
- 2.2 My video isn’t uploading! Help!
- 2.3 Liveclicker is telling me “Advanced Encoding has Begun.” What is this?
- 2.4 I need to take a video email down. Where can I do this?
- 2.5 Why can’t I create a video email clip taller than 300px?
- 2.6 I understand that animated GIFs will not perform well if their height exceeds 300px. However, I want to run a campaign that is HTML5 only (and a static image). Can I resize the code that’s provided to fit say 500×400 pixels?
- 2.7 Can I hack the code provided to stretch the animated GIF beyond the 400×300 pixel limitation?
- 2.8 My videos are “letterboxed”. What can I do?
- 2.9 Can I add a style in the <img> source tag to remove the borders?
- 2.10 I am previewing an email in my web browser and am not seeing what I’m expecting.
- 2.11 I am trying to embed the code in Gmail but it doesn’t work. What can I do?
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3. Deliverability / Rendering
- 3.1 Does Liveclicker cause deliverability problems?
- 3.2 Does Liveclicker slow down the delivery of my email?
- 3.3 What email clients are supported?
- 3.4 Which mail clients display video?
- 3.5 How much of my list will be able to see video in the email?
- 3.6 Where do you recommend serving static images in place of video?
- 3.7 I am using a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Why does the HTML5 video not play in my webmail client?
- 3.8 I heard that animated .GIFs aren’t visible in Outlook 2003 when using IE7. Do you know if this is true?
- 3.9 Is video supported in Outlook 2007?
- 3.10 Do I have control over the static image that’s served for Outlook 2007?
- 3.11 Do animated .GIF or animated .PNG videos begin playing immediately?
- 3.12 How large are the files?
- 3.13 How does the size of the video impact playback performance?
- 3.14 How can I increase the quality of video playback?
- 3.15 I would prefer not to use animated GIFs. Is that possible?
- 3.16 What is served if I have animated GIFs off?
- 3.17 What do I still need to create a video email clip if I don’t want animated GIFs?
- 3.18 I would prefer to only use animated GIFs and not HTML5. Can I do this?
- 3.19 I’ve created a video email clip and I see a few “Loading” frames preceding the animation. Can these be removed?
- 3.20 On the iPad the HTML5 player just displays as a black box with a play button. Why isn’t a thumbnail displayed?
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4. Best Practices
- 4.1 What length would you recommend making the videos?
- 4.2 Should we use a callout in the video?
- 4.3 Should we loop the video?
- 4.4 How large should my uploaded videos be?
- 4.5 How large should my emailed videos be?
- 4.6 We would like to begin incorporating video as our main hero shot which is much larger in size. Are there any best practices or special instructions you can share?
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5. Cost and Pricing
- 5.1 What is the difference between “Pay-As-You-Go” pricing and “Subscription” pricing?
- 5.2 Should we choose Pay-As-You-Go or Subscription?
- 5.3 What is a video view?
- 5.4 How many video views will we need?
- 5.5 Can I stop Liveclicker from serving videos?
- 5.6 How will I be invoiced?
- 5.7 We need to purchase more than 2MM video views for a campaign.
- 5.8 Can we get a discount?
- 5.10 We work with one of your ESP partners. Do we get a discount?
- 5.11 If a video loops, does it count as a view each time it loops?
- 5.12 If someone receives a video email and forwards it along to someone else who also views the video, are 1 or 2 views counted?
- 5.13 If someone receives a video email and views it more than once, is each view counted separately?
- 5.14 What payment methods are available?
General Questions
Is it a good idea to include video in email?
Using video in email is compelling for many senders. Differentiating one’s messaging from the ever-growing tide of emails that recipients deal with is an oft-cited reason for using this method of video inclusion. Other senders report that video in email is easier to consume for mobile audiences, particularly those using iPhones and iPads (since the number of taps to view a view is reduced when video is included in email). In the end, video in email is a technology. Sometimes it will make sense to use; other times not.
What is Video Email Express?
Video Email Express is a video email automation platform. The system relies on several formats of video, including animated .GIF video, HTML5 video, and animated .PNG video. After a source video file is uploaded to Video Email Express, the system generates multiple animated .GIF video files, multiple HTML5 video files, and multiple animated .PNG video files. A simple piece of HTML code is provided to the user for copying and pasting into an email prior to deployment. When the mail recipient opens a Video Email Express-enabled email, the system determines which video file to render “on the fly” based on the capabilities of the mail client or web browser. Video Email Express generates 15 separate video files/content assets from each source video.
To enable video in email, can I just use an animated .GIF without using Video Email Express?
Not all mail clients support animated .GIFs. Of the ones that do, support for this file type is not uniform. Video Email Express detects the mail client being used by the recipient in real-time, as the email is opened, to determine whether an animated .GIF, animated .PNG, HTML5 video, or static image should display. Within each of these filetypes, Video Email Express creates variants specific to certain mail clients, mobile devices, and web browsers, ensuring recipients will see an experience compatible with the mail client in use.
Can I just embed my own HTML5 video without using Video Email Express?
Not all mail clients support HTML5 video. Of the ones that do, support for this file type is not uniform. Video Email Express detects the mail client being used by the recipient in real-time, as the email is opened, to determine whether an animated .GIF, animated .PNG, HTML5 video, or static image should display. Within each of these filetypes, Video Email Express creates variants specific to certain mail clients, mobile devices, and web browsers, ensuring recipients will see an experience compatible with the mail client in use.
Can I use both an HTML5 video and an animated .GIF video in the same email?
Yes, but without custom programming your email design will be ruined. Liveclicker’s patent-pending embed code includes both the HTML5 <video> tag and a standard <img> tag for rendering the animated .GIF, animated .PNG, or static image. However, if both the HTML5 video and the animated .GIF video displayed in the email, design would be compromised. This is why Liveclicker automatically transforms the animated .GIF video into a 1×1 non-animated pixel that displays within the HTML5 video player when the HTML5 video renders in the email.
Does the system support animated .PNG videos?
These special files provide a better quality video experience than animated .GIF videos and are supported by Firefox. Therefore they will display in webmail clients (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo Mail) when viewed in Firefox.
How do I include a YouTube video in Gmail?
To include a YouTube video in Gmail, you will need to include a link to the YouTube video in your email. The video will display at the bottom of the email message and can be played on the same page without clicking through to YouTube.
Is Liveclicker supported by Return Path’s Certified Premium Services program?
Yes. Liveclicker animated .GIF videos delivered under this program will render and playback automatically in the inbox or preview pane at participating ISPs, even for those recipients who have not explicitly enabled images from the sender by default. For more information, refer to Return Path’s web site at [1].
Do you have plans to support sound in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010?
No. The lack of sound support in these mail clients is an inherent limitation of the mail clients that can not be solved by Liveclicker.
Does the system support audio?
Audio is supported with HTML5 video only. It is not supported with animated .GIF or animated .PNG video. Liveclicker has no plans to ever support with animated .GIF or animated .PNG. As of mid-2010, roughly 85% of email recipients that are capable of seeing video in email will see an animated .GIF video or animated .PNG video and therefore will not be able to hear audio.
Can you please advise on the video email reporting Liveclicker offers?
Inside our Email Express platform, we provide you with an engagement report on video performance, including how much of the video was actually watched by email subscribers.
All you need to do is click on the “Analyze” tab at the top of the page. We provide you with a “video email impressions” graph that allows you to see how many times your video was viewed in email over time, as well as the number of plays you got per day in email.
The engagement report allows you to calibrate how much of the animation has been viewed by what percent of users. For performance reasons, this information is collected on a small sample of users and therefore, it is only available if your video clips have received more than a few hundred views.
The report is accessible from the email clips view. The data analysis comes in two parts: at the top of the page, the clip simulator will allow you to visualize the engagement report, and the bottom of the page features a table with the detailed data. This also allows you to see for second by second, the fraction of users who are still watching the video versus the ones who are no longer watching.
Using Video Email Express
What limitations are there on video uploads?
Size: 500MB or less
In general, videos uploaded to Liveclicker are no more than 100MB. If your video is much larger, you may experience long delays while your video uploads and encodes. To shorten the amount of time required to upload your video, compress it beforehand using a high quality video codec such as H.264.
Aspect Ratio: 16×9 (HD) or 4×3 (SD)
If you see an option to select an aspect ratio for your video, choose 16×9 or 4×3 even if your video is not produced using one of these aspect ratios. Liveclicker includes a built-in cropping tool to allow you to edit the video dimensions (for the animated .GIF and animated .PNG videos)once the upload is complete.
Preferred Codec: H.264/AAC
A codec is the format in which your video will be encoded. Different codecs have different features and varying quality. For best results, we recommend using H.264 (sometimes referred to as MP4) for the video codec and AAC (short for Advanced Audio Codec) for the audio codec. If you’re on a Windows machine, WMV3 is a good choice for video codec.
Preferred Framerate: 30 FPS Framerate
If there is an option that says “current,” it is best to just go with that. Otherwise, this is usually 30 fps (frames per second) for USA, Canada, and Japan, while in Europe and rest of the world it’s usually 25 fps. If there is an option for keyframes, use the same value you used for framerate.
Preferred Data Rate: 2000 kbits/sec (SD) / 5000 kbits/sec (HD)
This setting controls both the visual quality of the video and how big the file will be. In most video editors, this is done in terms of kilobits per second (kbits/sec or kbps). Use 2000 kbits/sec for standard definition 4:3 video, 3000 kbits/sec for widescreen DV, or 5000 kbits/sec for high definition footage.
Preferred Resolution: 640×480 (SD) / 1280×720 (HD)
640×480 for standard definition 4:3 video, 853×480 for widescreen DV, and 1280×720 or 1920×1080 for high definition. If you have the option to control the pixel aspect ratio (not display aspect ratio) make sure it’s set to “1:1″ or “1.00″, also sometimes called “square pixels.”
Deinterlacing on: YES
If you have this option, enable it. If you shoot in DV format, this is an especially important. If you do not deinterlace, you will often get weird-looking horizontal lines in your video.
Audio: 320 kbps / 44.100 kHz
Choose AAC for the audio codec. You’ll want to set the bit rate to 320 kbps and the sample rate to 44.100 kHz.
Format:MP4
While we like MP4 the best, we will generally accept any of the following formats: 3g2, 3gp, 3gp2, 3gpp, asf, asx, avi, divx, mts, m2t, m2ts, m2v, m4v, mkv, mov, mp4, mpe, mpeg, mpg, ogg, wmv.
My video isn’t uploading! Help!
First, check that your video conforms to the guidelines listed above. If it does not, you may need to ask the person that created the video output file to recreate the video output file for you using the guidelines above. If this is not possible, Liveclicker can manually re-encode your video file for an additional fee.
Liveclicker is telling me “Advanced Encoding has Begun.” What is this?
This is a signal that your video could not be read by Liveclicker’s automated system and needs to be encoded manually. If your video conforms to the guidelines provided, Liveclicker will attempt to manually encode your video at no cost. If the video does not conform to the guidelines, it is up to you to re-encode the video or hire Liveclicker to re-encode your video for an additional fee.
I need to take a video email down. Where can I do this?
You can enable/disable email clips through the Liveclicker Email Express interface. When you log in, under the ACTION column for your email clips you will notice a link for each video email: “LIVE – Click to pause” or “PAUSED – Click to resume”. Simply click on the link to toggle the campaign.
Why can’t I create a video email clip taller than 300px?
The reason we recommend constraining the physical dimensions of the video is because uncompressed animated .GIF videos will generally not play back smoothly in email at larger dimensions. Liveclicker applies compression to several of the .GIF videos, enabling smoother, more video-like experiences in fast web browsers, but some of the audience is unable to view compressed videos. For these viewers, the uncompressed animated .GIF is delivered.
I understand that animated GIFs will not perform well if their height exceeds 300px. However, I want to run a campaign that is HTML5 only (and a static image). Can I resize the code that’s provided to fit say 500×400 pixels?
It is possible, yes. What you can do is manually replace the height and width parameters in the embed code to fit your dimensions. Please make sure you maintain the proper video aspect ratio however, or you will have undesirable “black bars” appear on your HTML5 video version.
For example, if your original video is a 16:9 video, and if you want to create a spot in your email that’s 600 pixels wide, the proper height needs to be 337 pixels.
600 * 9 / 16 = 337
Can I hack the code provided to stretch the animated GIF beyond the 400×300 pixel limitation?
Yes this is possible too, but not recommended. If your animation is say 400×300 and you want to stretch it to 800×600 (by manually modifying the height and width values in the Embed code), the client that will render the animated GIF will severely blurry your animation. In addition, the animation will play more slowly. In general Liveclicker has determined that stretching animated GIFs by more than 10% results in a dramatic degradation of the animated GIF experience.
My videos are “letterboxed”. What can I do?
Did you know Liveclicker offers a built-in cropper? You can remove the letterboxing at the top and bottom of the video using this tool. Cropping will also save bandwidth and allow you to use a bigger video. To crop the video, it first must be generated using the Liveclicker clip builder. After the clip is generated, click and drag your mouse over the completed clip to select the area you’d like to include in the cropped version. Click “Save to Liveclicker Content Delivery Network.” Be aware it may take several minutes – possibly up to 10 minutes – for the video to be saved to the CDNs because cropping the video asset requires a regeneration of the clip.
Can I add a style in the <img> source tag to remove the borders?
Yes, as long are you are careful not to change the image source URL.
I am previewing an email in my web browser and am not seeing what I’m expecting.
Emails previewed in the web browser may not render as they do in email. The reason for this is that HTML5 compliant web browsers, which include Firefox 3.5+, Chrome 3+, Safari 3+, IE9 will display the HTML5 version of the video, even though the major webmail clients (Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc) strip the HTML5 <video> tag. To determine what the email will look like in a specific mail client/browser combination, open the email directly within the mail client.
I am trying to embed the code in Gmail but it doesn’t work. What can I do?
You should never try to embed code in individual emails, as most web clients (such as Gmail) will strip out the code. In general, Email Express is not designed for personal use.
Deliverability / Rendering
Does Video Email Express cause deliverability problems?
No. Video Email Express enabled emails are able to bypass spam filters because they do not cause security issues with Internet Service Providers (ISPs). In the early 2000′s, ISPs began blocking the use of Flash and Javascript in email because some unscrupulous senders used these video delivery methods to deliver viruses or trojan horses to mail subscribers. In contrast, support for the video formats used by Video Email Express is already built into mail clients and web browsers. Since no plug-ins are required, security issues are bypassed and video can play directly in the email.
Does Video Email Express slow down the delivery of my email?
No. Files are stored on Video Email Express Content Delivery Networks and only render in the email once the email is opened.
What email clients are supported?
All mail clients will work with Video Email Express’ embed code, but this does not mean that all mail clients will render a video. When the mail recipient opens a message with a Video Email Express embed code, the system detects what web browser and/or mail client is being used by the recipient. Based on this information, the system determines whether the mail client is capable of displaying video, and if so, which format should be rendered to achieve compatibility. If the mail client does not support video, then Video Email Express will serve a static image or animated .GIF/.PNG silent video, based on the capabilities of the mail client. All in real-time. No deliverability headaches. No rendering problems.
Which mail clients display video?
Mail clients supporting full video w/audio in email (45% – 70% of a list for B2C senders, 30% – 50% for B2B senders):
- All iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), when the email is opened in the native mail client
- Android tablets running Honeycomb (3.x.x) when the email is opened in the native mail client
- Certain Android phones (not all Android phones support embedded video)
- Hotmail, when viewed in an HTML5 compliant web browser (IE9+, Firefox 3.5+, Chrome, Safari 3.1+, Safari 3+ on iOS, and all Android releases)
- Outlook.com
- Apple Mail 4
- Outlook for Mac 2011
- Thunderbird
Mail clients that display a silent animated .GIF or animated .PNG in place of video (20% – 30% of a list for B2C senders, 10% – 20% for B2B senders):
- All webmail clients except Hotmail, when viewed in a desktop browser, including Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL
- Hotmail, when viewed in Internet Explorer 8 or earlier
- Outlook 2003, 2000, and Outlook Express
- Lotus Notes (all versions)
Mail clients that will display a static image in place of video (10% – 15% of a list for B2C senders, 25% – 45% for B2B senders):
- Outlook 2007 and 2010
- Some Android phones running Gingerbread or earlier (2.3.6 or earlier) or Ice Cream Sandwich (4.x.x)
Because many senders are looking to maximize the size of the audience receiving full video in the email, we provide these tips:
- Send before or after business hours, when people are more likely to be reading email on their smartphones, since the iOS and Android ecosystem represent such a large share currently of the devices supporting embedded video in email
- Send on the weekend, for the same reason as above
How much of my list will be able to see video in the email?
It depends entirely on your list and what mail clients are used by your recipients when they open an email containing the Video Email Express embed code.
- Most B2C senders will deliver the full version of the video (with audio) to between 45% and 70% of the list. Use of best practices will increase the number of recipients able to see the full video in the inbox.
- Most B2C senders will deliver the full version of the video (with audio) OR the silent animated .GIF/animated .PNG version of the video to between 85% and 90% of the list, right in the inbox.
- The remainder of the list that is unable to see either the full video or the animated .GIF/.PNG version of the video will see a static image (generally this is 10% – 15% of the list for B2C senders.
- Most B2B senders will deliver the full version of the video (with audio) to between 30% and 50% of the list. Use of best practices will increase the number of recipients able to see the full video in the inbox.
- Most B2B senders will deliver the full version of the video (with audio) OR the silent animated .GIF/animated .PNG version of the video to between 40% and 70% of the list, right in the inbox.
- The remainder of the list that is unable to see either the full video or the animated .GIF/.PNG version of the video will see a static image (generally this is 20% – 40% of the list for B2B senders.
How to maximize the number of recipients able to receive the full version of the video
- Send to the list before or after business hours, when people are more likely to be reading email on their smartphones, since the iOS/mobile ecosystem represents such a large share currently of the devices supporting embedded video in email
- Send on the weekend, for the same reason as above
Where do you recommend serving static images in place of video?
Liveclicker recommends serving static images or reduced framerate animated .GIF or animated .PNG files when the bandwidth available to the mail recipient is too low to playback video smoothly.
I am using a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Why does the HTML5 video not play in my webmail client?
As of September 2011 all major webmail browsers except Hotmail strip the HTML5 video tag. The animated .GIF video or animated .PNG video will still play.
I heard that animated .GIFs aren’t visible in Outlook 2003 when using IE7. Do you know if this is true?
There should not be any display issues with Outlook 2003, even when using IE7 or 8. Outlook 2003 will normally render the full animation (unlike Outlook 2007 which only displays a single frame).
Is video supported in Outlook 2007?
No. Video is not supported in any form in Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, and Apple Mail 3.0. For these mail clients, Liveclicker will fall back to a static image.
Do I have control over the static image that’s served for Outlook 2007?
Yes, you can upload your own image in Liveclicker. You need to make sure the image you use is the final width and height of the email clip as Liveclicker does not convert your static image to a different size.
Do animated .GIF or animated .PNG videos begin playing immediately?
Yes. The animated .GIF or animated .PNG videos will begin playing back immediately in the subscriber’s email client. As the video is playing, it will download in the background.
How large are the files?
The average animated .GIF or animated .PNG video is 3 megabytes to 5 megabytes. HTML5 videos can be much larger, sometimes dozens to even hundreds of megabytes.
How does the size of the video impact playback performance?
Size doesn’t impact performance because the videos are stored on Liveclicker’s Content Delivery Networks and are only delivered when the mail recipient opens the email message. Subscribers do not have to wait for the videos to download; they begin playing immediately. Email marketers do not have to worry about slow campaign delivery speeds because the videos are referenced through an <img> tag within the email.
How can I increase the quality of video playback?
There are three main levers you can adjust to improve the performance of the video playback: size, frame rate, and colors.
SIZE: Decreasing the size of your video (constraining the pixel dimensions) will generally enable smoother playback for the same video across more of your email audience.
FRAME RATE: Increasing the frame rate of the video will generally produce a smoother playback experience.
COLORS: Reducing the number of colors in the video may enable smoother playback at the same video dimensions when compared to the same video featuring more colors.
I would prefer not to use animated GIFs. Is that possible?
Yes. To do so, click on the “Animation” link to either enable or disable animated GIFs from the Email Express home.
What is served if I have animated GIFs off?
HTML5 video whenever available, and a static thumbnail elsewhere.
What do I still need to create a video email clip if I don’t want animated GIFs?
Because you still need to select a size, and a static thumbnail. Also, you can toggle animated GIFs on and off at any point in time during your campaign.
I would prefer to only use animated GIFs and not HTML5. Can I do this?
Yes. Notify Liveclicker Support for information on how to get a tag that will only deliver the animated GIF. This also requires configuration by Liveclicker to make sure the animation is delivered correctly to all clients.
I’ve created a video email clip and I see a few “Loading” frames preceding the animation. Can these be removed?
These additional frames are added automatically for large email clips, in order to buffer the animation and have a smooth playback. These only are added for the animated GIFs, and they cannot be removed.
There is a bug in the iPad’s implementation of the HTML5 video tag: if a thumbnail (or “poster” in HTML5 terms) is included, the video is not playable.
Best Practices
What length would you recommend making the video?
It truly does depend on your use case. In Q4 2011, Video Email Express conducted research indicating that when video is used as a promotional device, longer videos tended to not “convert” as well as shorter videos. In the research study, 1,500 videos implemented on online retail websites were examined to determine how length of video impacted conversion (defined as making a purchase the same day the video was watched). In this study, the median length of a top converting video was 23 seconds long. However, some longer videos (1.5 – 2 minutes) also converted well. Conversion dropped off distinctly after 3 minutes. So, in general, if you are trying to drive an action, this study could be cited as one indicating that shorter is usually better for video. For the animated .GIF version of your video, which will display in some mail clients that are unable to render the full video with audio, we recommend keeping the clips to 30 or 45 seconds. Our research indicates most viewers do not watch longer than 20 to 30 seconds of animated .GIF clips in almost all cases, regardless of the use case.
Should we auto-play the video?
In general, auto-playing a video with sound on is not considered a best practice. Our clients that have tried have – almost universally – experienced higher unsubscribes and complaints when using this method. Additionally, even if a mail client supports embedded video with audio, not all mail clients support auto-play. As of Q3 2012, the only major mail clients that support auto-play of the full video with audio are Outlook.com, Hotmail, and Outlook for Mac. All other mail clients that support embedded video with audio will refuse to auto-play the video.
For the animated .GIF version of your video, it is a different story. Animated .GIFs will always auto-play, with sound off. There is no capability in Video Email Express or any other software that changes this behavior; it’s just the way animated .GIFs work. If you don’t want an animated .GIF to auto-play in those mail clients that are capable of supporting animated .GIFs but are incapable of supporting embedded video with audio, you can disable animated .GIFs from ever displaying via the Video Email Express console.
Should we use a callout in the video?
For your full video with audio, a callout isn’t needed in the video, though you may want to consider adding one as the final frame. For the animated .GIF version of your video, we recommend displaying some kind of call to action that displays throughout the clip’s play duration. Video Email Express includes several built in “buttons” in the clip builder for default callouts, but you may want to use your own as well. One that we have found to be particularly effective is “click for audio.” To add your own custom callout, click the small green “upload” link next to the “buttons” section in the clip builder. Your team needs to create any custom graphics for the callout.
Should we loop the video?
Consider looping the animated .GIF version of video or adding a post-roll callout if the video does not loop. Post-roll callouts display as the last frame of the video. For example, you may wish to have the last frame that displays after the video plays to show the time the show airs. To add a post-roll callout, click the small green “upload” link to the right of the Postroll area in the Clip Builder.
How large should my uploaded videos be?
They should be 500MB or less; otherwise Video Email Express will not be able to accept the file. We prefer to ingest videos in full HD (1920×1080) or 720p HD (1280×720). Video Email Express will compress your videos and they can be resized using the Video Email Express tool. All uploaded videos should be encoded with a standard codec such as H.264. Uploading raw video is discouraged.
How large should my emailed videos be?
The size (in megabytes) is inconsequential. Large videos will not slow down your email delivery. They will not cause deliverability blocks, either. That is because Video Email Express does not serve a video until the email is opened. Once the email is opened, the video automatically begins downloading in the background on the recipient’s computer or mobile device.
The size (in pixel dimensions) matters. If you are sending a campaign that includes both embedded video with audio and an animated .GIF video fallback (generally this is the method recommended by Video Email Express) then video clips can be no larger than 400×224 (widescreen) or 400×300 (standard). Increasing the size further can cause stability issues with certain web browsers. Additionally, performance can degrade to an unacceptable level of quality for animated .GIFs beyond these dimensions if the recipient is not using a very fast computer with a high bandwidth Internet connection.
If you are only sending a campaign with full embedded video and audio, and you are not using an animated .GIF fallback, then your embedded video can be as large as you like; there is no recommended best practice other than to not make the video wider than the dimensions of your email (generally between 600 and 650 pixels).
Cost and Pricing
What is the difference between “Pay-As-You-Go” pricing and “Subscription” pricing?
With Pay-As-You-Go pricing, you pay for video views now and can use them for up to a year from the date of purchase. Purchased views are added to your Video Email Express account via credit card or they can be added by a Video Email Express account specialist. Once your views are used up, Video Email Express will begin displaying a static image of your choice in place of the video. There is no charge to serve static images.
With Subscription pricing, you pay each month to recharge your account with video views. Unused views automatically “roll over” to the next month, adding to the available total. Views expire a year from the date the subscription begins. A 6-month commitment is required.
Should we choose Pay-As-You-Go or Subscription?
It depends on how heavily you plan to use Video Email Express. If you believe you will only send video email occasionally, or you want to dip your toe in the water without making a longer-term commitment, the Pay-As-You-Go plan probably represents the best choice. If you believe you will regularly send video email, then the Subscription pricing offers discounted rates and the convenience of Rollover views and would generally be the better deal.
What is a video view?
Video Email Express charges a video view whenever the system serves an embedded video with audio or an animated .GIF video to a recipient that opens his email. A view is charged even if the opener does not click/tap the play button on the embedded video because mail clients begin downloading the video files immediately on open, even if they are not played.
How many video views will we need?
In general, the number of video views required for a campaign is 75% – 90% the number of opens for the same campaign. For example, an email campaign sent to 100,000 list members with a 25% open rate would generate 25,000 opens. 75% of 25,000 is 18,750. 90% of 25,000 is 22,500. The number of video views required would be 18,750 – 22,500. This is a general estimate and the number of views your campaigns will generate will vary based on a variety of factors.
Can I stop Video Email Express from serving videos?
Yes. A video can be ‘paused’ at any time from within the Video Email Express user interface. A static image of the user’s choice will be displayed in place of the video.
How will I be invoiced?
If paying by credit card, a purchase confirmation will be immediately emailed to the address used to create the account. If you have a corporate account, you will be invoiced electronically between the 1st and 3rd of the month.
We need to purchase more than 2MM video views for a campaign.
You will need to contact sales [at] liveclicker [dot] com. One of our friendly account specialists will put together a custom proposal based on your usage and volume requirements.
Can we get a discount?
Why, thanks for asking! But unfortunately, no.
We work with one of your ESP partners. Do we get a discount?
We’re delighted you work with one of our ESP partners. Some partners may offer special programs or bundles. To find out if your ESP is offering special Liveclicker video email packages, you will need to contact your ESP.
If a video loops, does it count as a view each time it loops?
No.
If someone receives a video email and forwards it along to someone else who also views the video, are 1 or 2 views counted?
Two views are counted.
If someone receives a video email and views it more than once, is each view counted separately?
It depends. If the recipient is using the same computer and same mail client, the video is probably already cached locally. Locally cached videos do not count as extra views. If the email is opened in a different mail client, web browser, or computer, then the video must again be served by Liveclicker. These video views would be counted incrementally.
What payment methods are available?
Payment is accepted through credit card (standard accounts) and through check or wire transfer (corporate accounts). For more information on payment options, email sales [at] liveclicker [dot] com.
