Why Animated Gifs are a Powerful Marketing Tool

I wrote another blog post similar to this one about the value of motion graphics as a whole. Click here to read it.

It’s no question that visual storytelling is the golden ticket to an authentic connection with your audience. The real question arises when it’s time for you to think of a unique and creative way to tell YOUR story.

You as a business owner can no longer afford to be a faceless entity in a sea of competition. In order to survive, you need to take your storytelling game to the next level.

The solution to this problem might come as a surprise. Dell, the popular computer company, implemented this strategy into their email marketing campaign, and, as a result, saw a 42 percent jump in its click rate, a 103 percent increase in its conversion rate, and a 109 percent increase in revenue. So what’s this powerful solution?

Animated Gifs.

Gif of woman saying "Really?"
Source: GIPHY

I know most people associate gifs with popular internet jokes, but the truth is they’re no joke when it comes to engaging with your audience. But why? What makes them so effective? And how can you use them to your advantage?

What is a GiF?

A Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF, is basically a “moving image.” It’s a jpeg or png sequence that plays with no audio. One key feature of gifs are their small file size, which make them easy to share with your friends or on the internet. In fact, people shared gifs more than 150 million times in 2015. In other words, gifs are very popular.

But why should you care about gifs as a business owner? What good can these gifs do for you? Well as I mentioned earlier, gifs helped Dell increase their revenue and click rate quite substantially. Let’s look a little deeper as to what makes them a powerful marketing tool.

Gifs have Emotional Impact on People

The ability for an animated gif to connect with people emotionally is marketing gold. A good emotional message can bring people inspiration, laughter and harmony. If you can get that effect out of your viewer through gifs, you’ll see a dramatic increase in authentic relationships.

Gifs can Add Personality to Other Projects

You can use gifs in a wide variety of ways in projects that your business may be working on. Whether it’s showing off a new product, or generating content for your audience to share with their friends, implementing gifs into your other projects can

Gifs are Easy to Consume

What’s ironic about animation is that even though it’s proven to generate more engagement than still images, It can be tough to capture someone’s attention for more than a minute. Animated gifs provide the perfect middle ground for this problem. As mentioned earlier, gifs are basically moving images. People can digest the content of a gif quickly while still getting the most value.

Conclusion

In closing, there’s more value to animated gifs than people may think. They’re not just used for silly internet humor. They’re also a fantastic method of communicating information. As long as you don’t overuse them and know how you can use them effectively, you’ll have a new tool at your disposal for revitalizing your brand and destroying the competition. 

If you see the value in animated gifs, feel free to contact me here by clicking the button below. I’d like to get in touch with you to see how I can enhance your brand with simple motion graphics. Also, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin for updates on any new projects. You can also subscribe to me on YouTube.