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.
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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.
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This is a small technique that a lot of people skip simply because sending a link feels easier. It is worth the extra step.
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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.
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Step 2: Get the embed thumbnail from Loom

Click Share on your video, then select Embed. From there, click Copy GIF Thumbnail.

Loom renames its menus often. If you can't find this option, look for the email embed or GIF thumbnail option under Share.

This copies an image thumbnail of your video, not just a text link, to your clipboard.
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Step 3: Paste the thumbnail into your reply in Master Inbox

Open Master Inbox from the left sidebar. Open the conversation with your lead and click Reply.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Hyperlinking the thumbnail is what makes it functional, without this step, the thumbnail is just a static image and clicking it does nothing.
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In our experience, prospects are more likely to watch it and reply than with a plain link.
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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 makes any video you send in a reply more likely to be watched.
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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.
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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.
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Can I use this for cold outreach, not just replies?
This technique works anywhere you are pasting content into an email. Use it in replies only. Keep cold sequence emails plain text with no links or images (see Why is my bounce rate high and how do I fix it?). It works best once a prospect has already replied and is expecting a response from you.
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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.

Related: How do I turn a positive reply into a booked meeting?