Everyone loves a GIF which is why they are useful marketing tools.
Have you ever found yourself chuckling at an animated GIF on social media? Chances are that you have and so have many other people around you too.
GIFs, also known as Graphics Interchange Format (which is not quite as catchy) may seem like they are a relatively new creation, however, they have actually been around since 1987. It just seems that they have exploded somewhat of late due to social media.
GIFs are great fun, and whilst they can be fun for us all, what you may not realise is that they can also be incredibly useful for marketing your business too. With this in mind, we have put together our guide to why businesses should be using GIFs more.
They are easy. Think about just how easy it is to watch a GIF, it doesn’t take too much thought, it doesn’t require you to do anything and it is short and sweet. This is why so many people take in GIFs compared to videos or reading through a post.
They play automatically on social media. When you scroll through your social media newsfeed, you are likely to find that GIFs are one of the types of posts that will automatically play. This means, that even those infamous scrollers will find that they still watch the GIFs.
They are silent. As we have already covered, on social media GIFs will play automatically, however, some people are going to be concerned that the sound will play, which can be embarrassing. The great thing about GIFs is that they are silent, which means that you don’t have to worry about sound blaring out whilst you are on the bus or having a sneaky peek at Facebook whilst you are work.
They work well on smaller budgets. Videos are a great addition to any marketing plan, but the thing to remember about videos is that they can be expensive. GIFs are almost like a mini video and this means that they are much more impactful than an image, but they will save you some money too.
They are right on trend. As a business it is important that your customers think that you are relevant and modern. Otherwise they may think that they are going to be getting an outdated service or product. By using a GIF as a part of your social media marketing, you are showing that you understand the modern world and that you are a modern business.
They are fun. We all love to laugh and whilst business isn’t always funny, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun. GIFs are always a good giggle, and if you can make your followers and potential customers smile, then you are a step closer to ensuring that they want to buy from you.
They work on all devices. Back in the day the internet was only available on laptops and computers, however, there are plenty of on the go devices that can access the internet whilst you are out and about. This means that any content needs to be visible on a range of devices, particularly mobile. Something that GIFs are.
They are mesmerizing! The repeating or looping nature of a well crafted GIF can be strangely hypnotic in ways that a regular linear video clip just can’t be. A subtle reaction or a small detail that could easily be missed whilst watching a video can take suddenly be fascinating when repeated over and over.
They can say a lot, very quickly. Complex feelings and emotions can be conveyed non verbally in an instant! -Which is why they are so often used in forums. Whoever said “a picture paints a thousand words” obviously hadn’t come across a GIF!
So, as you can see, it makes sense to try GIFs out for your business. Why not see if you can find some relevant animations that will work for your business and see if this can help you to connect with your target audience?
