GIF or graphics interchange format is nothing new. In fact, GIFS have been around for more than 30 years already. GIF integration to social media and messaging platforms, like Facebook messenger has made this image format more popular than ever.
Why use GIFS?
It’s no secret that movement is a great way to grab attention. Animation on an otherwise expected static page immediately draws the eye to that location. Using GIFs is also a fun way to communicate with your audience and they are quite easy to make. You can find free tools that are available online. GIPHY is one of the more popular web tools out there, allowing easy creation of GIFS without the need for paid tools like Photoshop.
Here are some ideas on how to integrate your own custom GIFs into your marketing campaigns:
Explain a product or a process
What GIFs do best is to loop an animation. This works effectively for explaining a product or process. The animation draws the eye and keeps the user fixated on the animation on the image. The repetition helps the viewer in further understanding the product or process. This works best as a supplement to a text explanation, allowing users to visualize the subject matter.
Add variety to a marketing email
People’s expectation of email is blocks of text with, sometimes, a few pictures here and there. Surprise and delight your target audience by adding some animation in your marketing email. Let them focus on a key aspect of the marketing email or just add some variation to keep things interesting.
Highlight a Call to action
The most important part of any marketing material is the call to action. Using GIFs make it hard to miss that call to action. Put emphasis on your CTA by highlighting that area with a flashing button or a moving image.
Sources:
Rampton, J. (2016, July 13). 5 Ways to use GIFs in your digital marketing strategy. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnrampton/2016/07/13/5-ways-to-use-gifs-in-your-digital-marketing-strategy/#561546986120
Read, A. (2016, June 15). The Ultimate Guide to GIFs: How to Create Them, When to Use Them and Why They’re Essential for Every Marketer. Buffer.
https://blog.bufferapp.com/animated-gifs
McDaniel, K. (2016, July 25) How to use GIFs in your digital marketing strategy. Wasp mobile.
https://waspmobile.com/2016/07/how-to-use-gifs-in-your-digital-marketing-strategy/
