THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: All ListKit customers
Stage: Live
Owner: CS
Last updated: Aug 2026
TL;DR
If you send Loom videos in your outreach, embedding the video thumbnail in your reply gets significantly better engagement than sending a plain link
The thumbnail shows your face and the screen behind you, making it far more likely the prospect actually clicks and watches
Copy the embed thumbnail from Loom and paste it into your reply, then hyperlink it with your video's share link so clicking the thumbnail takes the prospect straight to the video
Why this matters / When you'd use this
If you are recording Loom videos as part of your outreach, for example, a personalized walkthrough after a lead replies with interest, how you deliver that video matters just as much as the video itself.
Sending a plain text link is easy to overlook and easy to ignore. Embedding the actual video thumbnail makes your reply visually stand out in the prospect's inbox. They can see your face and the screen behind you before they even click, which makes them far more likely to actually watch it and respond.
This is a small technique that a lot of people skip simply because sending a link feels easier. It is worth the extra step.
Step-by-step
Step 1: Record and finish your Loom video
Once you have replied to a lead and recorded your personalized video, go to your Loom dashboard where the video is saved.
Step 2: Get the embed thumbnail from Loom
Click Share on your video, then select Embed. From there, click Copy GIF Thumbnail.
This copies an image thumbnail of your video, not just a text link, to your clipboard.
Step 3: Paste the thumbnail into your reply in Master Inbox
Go to Email Engine and open Master Inbox. Open the conversation with your lead and click Reply.
Paste the copied thumbnail directly into the body of your reply. The full video thumbnail will populate in the email, showing your face and the screen behind you, which should be the prospect's own website or something specific to them.
Step 4: Copy the video link from Loom
Head back to Loom and click the Copy Link icon next to Share.
Step 5: Hyperlink the thumbnail in your reply
Go back to your reply in Master Inbox. Select the pasted thumbnail, click the Add Hyperlink option, and paste the video link you just copied.
This makes the thumbnail itself clickable, when the prospect clicks the image, it takes them directly to your Loom video.
Step 6: Send your reply
Once the thumbnail is linked, finish your message and send as normal.
Why this works
A plain hyperlink gives the prospect no reason to click before they decide whether it is worth their time. A visible thumbnail does the opposite, it shows them exactly what they are about to watch. Seeing a real person on camera, next to their own website or something clearly relevant to them, is a strong visual cue that this is worth a few seconds of their attention.
Hyperlinking the thumbnail is what makes it functional, without this step, the thumbnail is just a static image and clicking it does nothing.
The result is significantly better click-through and response rates compared to sending the same video as a plain link.
Expected outcome
Your reply displays a full video thumbnail instead of a plain text link, and clicking that thumbnail takes the prospect straight to your Loom video. This small change consistently improves engagement on any video sent as part of a reply.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for any video, or only Loom?
This specific method uses Loom's built-in Copy GIF Thumbnail and Copy Link features. Other video tools may have a similar embed option, but the exact steps will differ.
What happens if I forget to hyperlink the thumbnail?
The thumbnail will still display in the email, but it will not be clickable. The prospect will see the image but have no way to actually open the video from it, always complete the hyperlink step.
Can I use this for cold outreach, not just replies?
This technique works anywhere you are pasting content into an email, but sending unsolicited video links in a cold email is generally not recommended. It works best once a prospect has already replied and is expecting a response from you.
What should be in the background of my video?
Ideally your own face, with the prospect's website or something specific to their business visible on screen behind you. This makes the thumbnail feel personalized before they even press play.
Why not just send the plain Loom link?
A plain link has no visual context, the prospect has to decide whether to click based on text alone. A thumbnail shows them exactly what they are about to see, which significantly increases the chance they actually watch it.