You probably use GIFs most often when you’re texting friends, family or on social media platforms. It works well in those instances, right? Incorporating marketing GIFs into your strategy such as on your social media platforms, website or email campaigns, can help increase your engagement.
What are GIFs?
If you aren’t familiar, GIFs are short for Graphics Interchange Format. They were first developed in 1987 and are a file type that supports static images and animation. You can make your own and they can be used to animate a still object, preview a short movie or television clip.
Why Use GIFs?
GIFs might seem like a new thing for the younger generation, but they’ve been around for almost 30 years. You should consider incorporating GIFs into your marketing strategy because they are easy to understand for readers, tell a story, provide an emotional aspect, and they’re more fun to look at which will keep your audience engaged for longer.
Using GIFs in Your Marketing
There are many different ways you can use GIFs in your marketing strategy, here are a few that have shown to be most effective:
1. Add To Your Website
GIFs make it easier for readers to consume your content and they’re visually appealing. You can add a couple of GIFs where you currently have icons on your site. An animated social media button, or contact icon that moves when clicked, or when it loads on the page. There are several different places you can put GIFs on your website to make it more eye-catching to visitors.
2. Email Marketing
If you are sending a frequent newsletter to email subscribers, GIFs are a great way to capture reader’s attention. They can provide a comedic feel, or other emotional aspects. For an alternative to adding videos into your email newsletters, GIFs are great! In 2012 the technology company, Dell, sent out their first email newsletter with an animated GIF and ad conversions rose by 103%. We aren’t saying your numbers will automatically increase by this much, but it shows the difference GIFs can make in your marketing.
Most commonly, GIFs are used on social media platforms for brands and influencers. They help your followers engage with your content, grab their attention and are perfect for sprucing up still images. Use GIFs that complement your brand and social media presence, not just random GIFs and think that you’ll get better results. Use GIFs to tell a story, complement your image, engage your audience, or create an emotional response. You need to have a reason for posting a GIF, just like for anything else you intend to post.
4. Explain How A Process Works
Before you create a two-three minute video explaining how a product works, or how to do something, consider using GIFs. People probably aren’t watching those videos, or are just skimming through until they get to the part they need. Using short GIF clips can decrease the amount of time users spend searching for the answer. GIFs also pair well with text, so you can explain the process and provide visual instructions all at the same time. Using only text can get lengthy and most users won’t spend the time to read all of the information. The same thing goes for long videos, users more than likely won’t spend their time watching. So, GIFs combine the best of both worlds!