If you’re sending cold emails and your open rates are decent but replies are crickets, you’re not alone. Most cold emails look the same, and pretty much everyone ignores them. But there’s a trick that actually moves the needle: personalized video thumbnails. These little images—with the prospect’s name or company on them—can double your clicks, and make you look like you actually tried.
If you want to create these without spending hours in Photoshop, tools like Hyperise do the heavy lifting. This guide walks you through how to set up personalized video thumbnails for your cold emails—without getting lost in the weeds or wasting money on stuff you don’t need.
Why personalized video thumbnails work (and the hype to ignore)
Let’s be clear: adding a video thumbnail with the recipient’s name isn’t magic. But it does make your email stand out, especially if you’re sending to prospects who get a dozen pitches a day. People are hardwired to notice their own name or company logo. If they see it on a video thumbnail, they’re far more likely to click.
But don’t believe anyone who tells you this will “10x your sales pipeline overnight.” The best you can expect is a bump in click and reply rates—usually 2-3x more clicks, sometimes more if your targeting is tight and your message doesn’t suck.
If your offer is weak or your targeting is off, no amount of personalization will save you. This is just one tool in the box—not a silver bullet.
What you’ll need
- A Hyperise account (paid, sorry)
- A video you want to use as your thumbnail (you don’t need a fancy production—your phone is fine)
- Your cold email tool (e.g., Mailshake, Lemlist, Woodpecker, or even Gmail with add-ons)
- A spreadsheet or CRM with your leads’ data (name, company, etc.)
Step 1: Prep your video
Don’t overthink this. You don’t need a 2-minute explainer. The thumbnail’s job is to get attention and clicks—not to tell your life story.
Tips: - Shoot a 10-20 second video. Smile, wave, mention their name (“Hey Sarah!”) if you want, but you don’t have to. - The thumbnail is what matters. Hyperise will overlay names/logos on the image, so leave space in the frame. - Make sure you’re facing the camera and the lighting isn’t terrible. That’s it.
Pro tip: If you’re camera-shy, you can use a screen grab of your product or website. Just make sure it isn’t generic.
Step 2: Upload your video to Hyperise
Log in to Hyperise and go to the “Images” or “Videos” section. (Their interface changes sometimes, but the basic flow is the same.)
- Click “Add New Image” or “Add New Video.”
- Upload your video file or paste a YouTube/Vimeo link.
- Hyperise will generate a static image thumbnail from your video. You’ll use this as the image in your email.
Heads up: Hyperise doesn’t host actual video playback inside the email (nobody does, really). The thumbnail image links to your video landing page. This is normal—don’t waste time trying to embed video in email. It almost never works and triggers spam filters.
Step 3: Personalize your thumbnail with Hyperise’s editor
This is where Hyperise earns its keep. You can add dynamic text (like the prospect’s first name), company logos, or even LinkedIn profile pics onto the thumbnail.
- In the editor, click to add a new text layer. Type something like “Hey {first_name}!” (the curly braces pull data from your list).
- Drag it to where it looks best—usually top or bottom third of the image, away from your face.
- If you want, add a logo layer. You can set it to show the prospect’s company logo, pulled from their domain.
- Adjust font, color, and size so it’s readable but not obnoxious.
- Save your image template and give it a name you’ll remember.
Don’t go overboard: One or two personalized elements is plenty. If your thumbnail looks like a NASCAR car, you’ve gone too far.
Step 4: Connect your email tool and map personalization fields
Hyperise works with most popular cold email tools, either via direct integration or by pasting a custom image URL.
- If your tool has a direct integration (e.g., Mailshake or Lemlist), just connect your accounts and select your Hyperise image template when setting up your campaign.
- If not, copy the image URL Hyperise gives you. It’ll look something like:
https://img.hyperise.com/.../{first_name}/.../{company_domain}
- Paste this URL as an image in your email template.
Mapping fields correctly
The placeholders (like {first_name} and {company_domain}) need to match the merge tags your email tool uses.
For example:
- Lemlist uses {{FirstName}}
- Mailshake uses *|FIRSTNAME|*
- Woodpecker uses {{FIRST_NAME}}
Check your tool’s merge tag format, and swap out the placeholders in the Hyperise image URL to match.
If you screw this up: The image will say “Hey {first_name}!” instead of “Hey Sarah!”—which, frankly, looks worse than no personalization at all.
Step 5: Test before you send
Don’t skip this. Send a test email to yourself (and maybe a friend) before blasting your list.
- Make sure the thumbnail shows the right name/logo.
- Click the image—does it go to the right landing page or video?
- Check on both desktop and mobile.
- If anything looks off, fix it now. Broken personalization is a fast track to the spam folder.
Pro tip: If your email tool supports it, preview a few personalized emails using different leads to make sure everything lines up.
Step 6: Track your results (and don’t chase vanity metrics)
Hyperise and most email tools will show you image clicks and video views. That’s nice, but don’t get distracted by big numbers. The real metric is replies or meetings booked.
- Track open rates, click rates, and reply rates.
- Compare with a plain-text version of the same email. If the personalized thumbnail isn’t moving the needle, tweak your message or targeting.
- Don’t assume every click means interest—some people just want to see what you’re up to.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over “video watch time”—most prospects will skim, and that’s fine. Your goal is to get them to reply, not binge-watch your content.
What works, what doesn’t, and common mistakes
What works: - First-name or company logo personalization. Simple, obvious, and effective. - Thumbnails that look real—not like a stock photo with a name slapped on it. - Short, honest videos. Don’t over-produce or script it to death.
What doesn’t: - Overly flashy templates. If it looks like you tried too hard, people get suspicious. - Fake urgency (“Limited time offer for you, {first_name}!”). Nobody’s buying it. - Embedding actual video in the email. Spam filters hate it, and most email clients block it anyway.
Common mistakes: - Forgetting to match merge tags—this is how you end up with “Hey {company}!” - Using a thumbnail that’s too busy or hard to read on mobile. - Personalizing the wrong data (e.g., calling someone “Jonathan” when he goes by “Jon”).
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Q: My thumbnails aren’t updating with the right names/logos. What gives? - Double-check your merge tags match your email tool’s format. - Make sure your lead data isn’t missing fields. No data = no personalization.
Q: Can I use Hyperise for free? - Not really. There’s a free trial, but to actually use it for campaigns, you’ll need a paid plan.
Q: Is this GDPR-compliant? - As long as you’re using public info (like first name and company), you’re fine. Don’t get creepy with addresses or personal data.
Q: Will this make my emails go to spam? - If you’re not embedding actual video and your list is clean, you’re usually fine. Don’t use spammy subject lines or ALL CAPS.
Keep it simple and iterate
Personalized video thumbnails get more eyes on your emails, but they’re not a magic bullet. Start simple: one thumbnail, one merge field, and a short, honest message. See what works, then tweak from there. Don’t get bogged down in fancy features or analytics dashboards.
At the end of the day, cold email is a numbers game—but a little effort goes a long way. Try it, test it, and focus on real conversations—not just clicks.