More effective than pictures and cheaper than videos: Animated GIFs are one of the most popular media on the Internet. Not only does the digital flipbook provide the perfect platform for funny memes, it can also fit into your marketing business plan or marketing strategy – provided you follow some basic tips.
GIFs – Why they can be effective for your marketing
They are everywhere to find where it goes on the Internet is particularly funny: Animated GIF images (short for “Graphics Interchange Format”) populate mainly entertainment sites – and now for over 30 years. However, as per marketing trends 2018 there is something interesting for marketers: GIFs are increasingly being integrated into social media and e-mail marketing.
The appeal lies in the popularity of visual communication. According to Reuters 2018, this will account for the majority of the content transmitted on the Internet . GIFs are represented on 33.7 percent of all websites and are distributed more frequently than JPGs and PNGs .
In addition, there are countless sources of new, innovative GIFs. Some of the most prominent ways to create your own GIFs or find existing ones include:
- Giphy: Alone this platform has 100 million active users who send one trillion GIFs daily.
- Reddit: The site is now so socially significant that even Barack Obama has come here in the election campaign for his second term. Reddit users were able to ask him questions of their own choice for half an hour.
- Gifbin: Similar to Giphy it’s easy to search for GIFs for specific keywords. In addition, various options are offered to download or integrate the GIFs.
- Boomerang: Strictly speaking, these are not GIFs, but the content created with the smartphone app follows the same principle. Again, small film sequences are created from several single images, which can be integrated above all with Instagram.
These advantages are offered by GIFs for modern marketing: Marrying gif with the business Content strategy
If it’s all a question of visual communication, why not just do pictures or short videos? Because GIFs combine the advantages of both formats:
1. GIFs are flat . This might seem like a downside to video at first, but it’s helpful in terms of widespread online use of websites. Users are not in danger of being unexpectedly surprised by a sudden lolloping video thanks to Autoplay .
2. They perfectly serve the short attention span that most people surf the net with. With an average length of a few seconds, a GIF can usually be detected by the way while scrolling.
3. The production cost is significantly lower compared to a video. Neither special software is needed nor special craftsmanship as in the DV editing.
4. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp – they all support the GIF format. On Facebook even ads can be shown in this form.
5. At the same time, the possible uses are not limited to social media:
: Blogs are predestined for the use of GIFs. This is proven for example by Disney and Coca- Cola, who often work with short GIFs on their Tumblr blogs.
: A prime example of how well GIFs work in e-mail marketing comes from Dell. Thanks to a GIF-based campaign, the tech company was able to increase its click-through rates by 42 percent, conversions by 103 percent, and revenue by as much as 109 percent.
GIFs in Content Marketing – the possible applications at a glance
ENTERTAINMENT
Of course, companies can focus on the roots of GIFs and use it for pure entertainment, especially pop culture allusions. In this way, brands not only become more accessible and likable, but companies also show that they are up to date. Even a classic blog article can be completed humorously with a charming GIF.
INFORMATION
Facts can often be explained more clearly by graphics. However, information is presented even more palatable through mobile infographics – so-called “gifographies”.
PRODUCT PRESENTATION
If a company wants to introduce a new product, it goes without saying that this is a classic product photo. However, customers will get a much bigger impression if they have a GIF at their disposal. The French fashion magazine Marie Claire takes advantage of this by announcing new trend objects in this form:
GIFs in Marketing: Dos & Don’ts
Finally, a few basic tips that you should consider when using GIFs in marketing:
- Do not exaggerate! GIFs work well, especially if they only occasionally supplement the content offer. Over-spreading, on the other hand, can annoy followers quickly.
- Note the context! Just funny GIFs should only be accommodated in a suitable context. In combination with overly serious topics, on the other hand, you quickly undermine your respectability.
- If possible, specify a source! If a GIF is not from your own forge, you should supply the source for completeness – if available. Since, strictly speaking, you are distributing the intellectual property of others, this is a good thing and in exceptional cases may also be copyright relevant.
- Pay attention to the appropriate file size! Unlike videos, GIFs are not played until fully loaded. Since GIFs are designed to be fast-paced, it’s unlikely that a user will invest more than a few seconds to wait for the load. In order to avoid such problems, e-mails, for example, should not exceed a file size of 125 kilobytes.
- The first impression counts! For GIFs that do not start automatically, users have to decide for themselves if they want to see them. For this decision, the starting picture is decisive, the interest must arouse and should be chosen carefully.
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