General Questions
Is it a good idea to include video in email?
Video in email is a technology, not a strategy. Marketers and creative teams need to decide when showing video in email adds to the viewing experience for the mail recipient and when it is best to leave video in email out.
Is Liveclicker an animated .GIF?
No. Liveclicker 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 Liveclicker by the customer, 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 for copying and pasting into the email. When the mail recipient opens a Liveclicker email, the system determines which video file to render "on the fly" based on the capabilities of the mail client or web browser. As of mid 2010 Liveclicker generates 15 separate video files/content assets from each source video.
To enable video in email, can I just use an animated .GIF?
If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, there are scores of email clients, a handful of web browsers, and an ever expanding array of mobile devices to contend with. Your mail recipients are also connecting to the Internet using both slow and fast connections. Liveclicker is necessary to support video across the broadest spectrum of devices, clients, and browsers, optimize performance, and safely fall back where the industry is still advancing. For example:
- Animated .GIF videos do not include playback controls, audio, or full motion video in HTML5 compliant email clients - Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, and Apple Mail 3 force the use of the first frame of the animated .GIF video to display as a static image unless optimized through a video email automation platform - No reporting on in-email video engagement - Lotus Notes will fail to load the video properly - Older versions of Internet Explorer will not play back the video properly with certain video compression settings - Safari delivers degraded performance - Firefox delivers degraded performance - Mobile device users are unable to buffer video, resulting in degraded performance
Can I just use HTML5 video? I don't want to use an animated .GIF video.
It is possible to use only an HTML5 video tag in email, but something must render in place of the HTML5 video for those mail clients that do not yet support HTML5. Mail clients that strip the HTML5 video tag will show a blank space in the email. Liveclicker solves this problem by delivering both a <video> tag and an <img> tag in the email. If HTML5 video renders, Liveclicker will convert either an animated .GIF video, animated .PNG video, or full size static image into a single 1x1 non-animated .GIF that renders in the HTML5 video player, thus preserving the integrity of the email design. If HTML5 video does not render, Liveclicker serves up the animated .GIF, animated .PNG, or static image that is most suitable for the mail client.
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 1x1 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: 16x9 (HD) or 4x3 (SD)
If you see an option to select an aspect ratio for your video, choose 16x9 or 4x3 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: 640x480 (SD) / 1280x720 (HD)
640x480 for standard definition 4:3 video, 853x480 for widescreen DV, and 1280x720 or 1920x1080 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.
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 Liveclicker cause deliverability problems?
No. Liveclicker videos 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 Liveclicker-delivered videos is already built into mail clients and web browsers using industry standard formats. Since no plug-ins are required, security issues are bypassed and video plays directly in the email.
Does Liveclicker slow down the delivery of my email?
No. Files are stored on Liveclicker's Content Delivery Networks and only render in the email once the email is opened.
What email clients are supported?
All major webmail and desktop clients are supported by Liveclicker. Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 will not display video, only a static image. All other mail clients will show video.
Which mail clients/web browsers support animated .GIF video?
- All major webmail clients:
- AOL - Bell - AT&T - Comcast - Gmail - Road Runner - Rogers - Verizon - Yahoo Mail
- When run in one of the below listed browsers:
- All versions of Internet Explorer. - Internet Explorer 6 requires non-compressed animated .GIF - All versions of Firefox - All versions of Safari - Safari renders animated .GIFs more slowly. Fallback to static image or reduced framerate video .GIF is recommended. - Opera
- And these desktop clients (among others):
- Outlook Express - Outlook 2000 - Outlook 2003 - Windows Mail - Lotus Notes 6.5 - 8.0 - Entourage - Eudora
Which mail clients/web browsers support HTML5 video?
- Windows Live Mail (Hotmail) (H.264) - Apple iPad mail client (H.264) - Blackberry (BOLT 2.1) (OGG Theora) - Apple iPhone mail client (H.264) - Apple Mail 4 (H.264) - Thunderbird (OGG Theora)
Which mail clients/web browsers support animated .PNG video?
- Firefox (all versions)
Which mail clients/web browsers support static image only?
- Outlook 2007 - Outlook 2010 - Apple Mail 3
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.
On the iPad the HTML5 player just displays as a black box with a play button. Why isn't a thumbnail displayed?
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.
What is an estimated breakdown of video in email experiences based on email client?
Download this short datasheet to view the percentage of email users from different clients broken down by whether their experience is HTML5 video, animated GIF video, or a static image with play button: http://www.liveclickerdocs.com/resources/VideoEmailExperienceByEmailClient.pdf
Best Practices
What length would you recommend making the videos?
Because animated .GIFs do not support sound, we find many clients use the clips as "teasers" to drive clickthrough. Usually the clips are 15 - 45 seconds in length, with most clips closer to 15 seconds in length. Some animated .GIF videos are longer; generally longer clips make use of interstitial text or other callouts as the video plays back to connect with the audience.
Should we use a callout in the video?
While every video is different, many clips tend to perform best when there is a call to action displayed throughout the video. Liveclicker 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." Since the in-email video is generally going to be an animated .GIF or animated .PNG, sound will not be supported in the email. To add your own custom callout, click the small green "upload" link next to the "buttons" section in the clip builder. You would need to create the graphic for the callout.
Should we loop the video?
Consider looping the 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?
When uploading videos to Liveclicker, generally your videos should be 100MB or less. If they are larger, it may be a signal you are not compressing the video prior to upload. While there can be some degradation of video quality during compression, several high quality video codecs such as H.264 enable substantial compression that is hard to detect.
How large should my emailed videos be?
It's generally a non-issue. Large videos will not slow down your email delivery. They will not cause deliverability blocks, either. It's more important to ensure the bandwidth required to playback your video smoothly not exceed 250KB/sec (Liveclicker includes built-in reporting tools) and that the video is able to maintain the attention of the subscriber (shorter clips, especially for animated .GIF videos), tend to work well.
If you will use animated .GIF video, then we would not recommend any larger than 300px in width. Keep in mind the vast majority of email clients can only show video through an animated .GIF. HTML5 videos can be larger relative to animated .GIF video.
If you want to disable animated .GIF video, and only show HTML5 video (which includes full motion video with audio, built in player controls, with the video playing right within the email), you could easily include video in larger dimensions of both the email examples you sent. We would not have a recommended max width other than "smaller than 1024px across" which would be much larger than any email width anyway. Keep in mind that HTML5 video is ONLY supported on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Mail 4, and Thunderbird. All other mail clients will only show animated .GIF video or a static image.
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 Liveclicker account. When you have only 25% of your views remaining, Liveclicker will send an account alert. Once your views are used up, Liveclicker will begin displaying a static image of your choice in place of the video.
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 must be used by the time the subscription renews. 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?
Liveclicker considers a video to be viewed if it is played beyond the first frame. Static images displayed for Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 are not considered video views.
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 Liveclicker from serving videos?
Yes. A video can be 'paused' at any time from within the Liveclicker 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 are an agency. Do you have special agency pricing?
Agencies pay standard rates, but can spread video views across multiple clients at no additional charge. As always, it is up to you to determine what should ultimately be charged to your clients.
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.