Ah, gifs. They’re trending at the moment and now’s the time to capitalize on their success.
Gifs help draw attention to your content while providing a quirky spin on the usual imagery that people are used to seeing. They’re incredibly popular and have dramatically taken over the internet. You’ve seen them, right?
Step 3: Open Your HTML Editor
Step 4: Paste Your Code
Et voila.
Step 3: Paste into Website
It’s that easy!
There’s this one that you might have seen floating around Facebook:
And then there’s my personal favorite: Gifs add a little spark to your brand’s personality and voice. They provide a way to interact with your audience and to communicate thoughts and feelings in a creative way. GIfs capture feelings and communicate feelings in a way that words simply cannot do. They’re basically an animated meme, and who doesn’t love a good meme? Not convinced? Trust me, by the end of this article, you will be gif-savvy and itching to implement them in your marketing strategy.Why You Need to Use Gifs
It’s undeniable, gifs are popular and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. According to Medium, there are over 7 billion gifs being sent every day. Gifs have evolved to be a form of communication. With social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, iMessage, WhatsApp, Tinder, Slack, and more adapting their messaging applications to cater for gifs, it’s time to get on board. Labeled as “marketing’s newest shiny toy”, brands are now collaborating with gif creators like Giphy to produce their own, personalized material. Why? Well, 69% of Americans have reported that they’d rather send a gif because they’re more effective in capturing emotions. People are actively choosing gifs to be their preferred material of communication. Furthermore, the brain is able to process images 60,000 times faster than text. By just having an image that’s animated, your brand is already 60,000 times more recognizable than any flat promotional content you have out there. Statistics aside, gifs are a great way to let your brand’s personality shine. They add a whole new dimension to your brand and truly show that you’re “GIF-ted”.How to Use Gifs in Marketing
One of the easiest ways to use gifs in marketing is to look at your content platforms. Do you have a blog? Do you have active social media platforms? That’s all you need to start! Instead of putting in the hours trying to come up with the quirky copy or a few sentences that will get your audience engaged, try using a gif. Here’s the trick: just think to yourself, “when in doubt, there’s definitely a Bachelor gif out there” “is this sentence going to have my audience engaged or is there a relatable gif to what I’m writing that will excite my audience?” Didn’t you prefer seeing Bibiana clap instead of reading another sentence? It’s that simple! You just have to find the right one to suit what you’re trying to emote.How to Pick the Right Gif
You might be thinking to yourself, “Courtney, we don’t spend hours a day watching mind-numbing reality TV, where do I even find the right gif?” Gifs are all about reactions and finding the right one for the situation. You have to find the right one that suits your brand and what you’re trying to say. Thankfully, the internet is a big, wonderfully weird place where your options are endless. In most instances, you just have to type in a keyword or phrase to get the right gif. First, you’ll need to know where to find them. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp have gifs built into their interface but if you’re wanting to use gifs on your website or blog, it can take a little bit of research. Our go-to sites are Giphy and Tenor. There are billions of gifs available on these sites and you are bound to find a relatable option. Here are some key points that we look out for in a good gif:- Is it recognizable?
- Is it relatable?
- Is it appropriate to my content?
- Is it going to cause a reaction in my audience?
How to Embed Your Gif
Once you’ve got your GIF-ted pick, all you have to do is embed it into your content. Don’t be afraid, this is SUPER simple to do and only takes a few clicks.- WordPress Coding
- Copy and Paste