Along with the rapid evolution of technological trends, the different ways we communicate have also changed. An example of this is the famous GIFs, which, along with memes, have become one of the most entertaining, humorous, and viral communication tools in the digital world.
But what is a GIF?
GIF is an image format that can combine multiple scenes and thus display movement. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. Using GIFs can make your emails lively, creative, and enjoyable for readers. Have you thought about including GIFs in your company’s email marketing strategy?
How did GIFs come about?
Although many people think the GIF is a novelty, it’s been around for over 30 years. But it was with the growth of social media and the use of mobile devices that it reached its peak. In 2016, more than 13 billion GIFs were published via Facebook Messenger alone. Imagine if we add to that number all the GIFs shared on all other social networks.
A universal language
GIF is a universal language, and this is one of its main differences. Furthermore, due to the lack of audio, the images end up speaking for themselves. Social media platforms already have a bank of GIFs available to help users express themselves. Twitter, for example, filters GIFs by expression, making them easier to find.
The impact of images
You’ve probably heard the famous saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” GIFs can perfectly explain that phrase. MIT Media Lab researcher Kevin Hu claims that sending a GIF of a kitten to someone who’s feeling down has a special database better outcome than a long motivational message. Is he exaggerating? David Rosenberg, director of the startup Giphy, agrees with this statement and says that GIFs help people express their feelings.
Where to find GIFs?
Two billion GIFs are shared daily on the website Giphy.com and on the platforms that use its database. Giphy’s website could even be considered the “Google of GIFs.” Now you know where to look for GIFs to use in your marketing strategy.
Giphy’s outlook is promising. The company’s CEO, Alex Chung, claims the company can grow three times its current size. This vision is largely driven by the fact that GIFs have multiple functions, including communicating, informing, and making people laugh.
What does the law say about the use of GIFs?
The vast majority of GIFs are created from television programs, series, movies, and sporting events. In other words, they are images protected by copyright. However, creating a GIF from these contents does not violate copyright laws.
The perception is that a GIF promotes something positive or original. The logic is that when you see many GIFs on a certain topic, it sparks how to find influencers suitable for your brand curiosity to follow the original content. However, there are various legal aspects that must be observed to avoid violating the rights of third parties. This also applies to memes; you can learn more about it in this article.
How to use GIFs in your company’s communications?
Now that you know all about this lively tool, it’s time to start using it in your company’s communication strategy.
Think about all the boring emails you’ve received; they’d probably have a much different impact if they had GIFs. After all, these can be:
- animated – and therefore attract more attention from people;
- fast – they have a maximum of 10 seconds;
- universal – the message can be understood regardless of the language;
- funny – generally used to make people laugh;
- efficient – they manage to convey a message;
GIFs can be used to improve internal communication, convey company culture, and present organizational rules and egypt data regulations. However, they can also be used to foster rapport with external audiences. In this case, GIFs can serve the following purposes:
- attract attention;
- tell stories;
- publicize promotions;
- keep emails lighter and more interesting;
- present new products or services;
- indicate a step by step to follow;
To evaluate the performance of GIFs in your company’s emails, one tip is to analyze the email open rate before and after using them. With GIFs, people tend to become more interested in your emails, especially when GIFs become a trademark of your business. Why not try this strategy?