By Sean Tinney Might 28, 2024
We’re big followers of utilizing interactive content in email. Whether or not you’re attempting to enhance your marketing campaign, inform a narrative, or just add a little bit of aptitude to the inbox, interactive content material is the best way to go.
And one of many best methods to take action is by including animated GIFs to your emails.
On this article we’re going that can assist you create some extra pleasure in your emails by serving to you be taught:
What is an email GIF?
Ways to use GIFs in your emails
Best practices for using GIFs in emails
How to put a GIF in your email
How to add a GIF to an email using AWeber
How to make GIFs for your emails
Where to find GIFs for emails
What’s an electronic mail GIF?
GIF is brief for Graphics Interchange Format. It’s a well-liked picture format that’s been round for the reason that 80’s. An electronic mail GIF makes use of a sequence of photos to create the phantasm of movement (form of like a flipbook) throughout the physique of an electronic mail.
Instance of an electronic mail GIF
Methods to make use of GIFs in your electronic mail
GIFs add character to your emails. You may spotlight a product in movement, present a demo, and even add a relatable response. There are lots of participating and sensible functions for a GIF.
Let’s check out some ways in which manufacturers are utilizing GIFs of their advertising and marketing emails (and how one can steal these concepts on your subsequent marketing campaign):
1 – Illustrate a product
GIFs don’t must be all for present. They’re really an effective way to inform a narrative in a easy, impactful manner.
This Canva electronic mail reveals how simple it’s to create a design utilizing their platform.
Professional Tip: GIFs are nice for illustrating advanced concepts in a easy manner. Give subscribers a sneak peek of your newest product launch or to share a novel use case.
2 – Tutorial on methods to use a product
Try how we used a GIF to spotlight how simple it’s so as to add a video to your touchdown web page:
Moderately than counting on heavy copy, this animated GIF reveals the method in simply seconds.
3 – Create intrigue
Need an effective way to entice your readers? Take a cue from this Kate Spade marketing campaign:
The animation provides one other stage of intrigue to the e-mail, prompting subscribers to click on by to see what’s inside.
Professional Tip: Generally the best little bit of animation can have a big effect. The subsequent time you’re wanting so as to add some oomph to your emails, strive including a GIF to the combination.
4 – Add a way of urgency
GIFs generally is a nice different for conventional countdown clocks to emphasise urgency in your messaging:
This instance from LOFT reveals how slightly animation could make a daring assertion.
Professional Tip: Your electronic mail doesn’t must imitate the Vegas strip at 2am. Including slightly little bit of motion is typically all you want.
5 – Merely delight
GIFs will be added so as to add enjoyable and pleasure on your emails, like this one from charity: water:
Their good use of a GIF showcases the character and folks behind the model.
However be aware of context when utilizing GIFs in your emails. Does it really feel acceptable and strengthen the message you’re attempting to ship? Or does it take away from it? These are good inquiries to ask your self earlier than you hit ‘ship’.
Professional Tip: Use GIFs sparingly. If you happen to’re utilizing them simply because, it may get previous.
6 – Spotlight a name to motion
Try how we use a GIF to spotlight the Be taught How name to motion.
The important thing to utilizing GIF for the CTA is to not get carried away. If the GIF takes away from the principle message, it received’t matter how a lot consideration you placed on the CTA, your subscribers received’t learn it.
7 – Inform a narrative
Peacock used a GIF to inform their subscribers a narrative of all the brand new reveals their streaming service has to supply in October.
Finest practices for utilizing GIFs in emails
Whereas GIFs are nice for grabbing your viewers’s consideration you don’t need to overdo it. To assist, we’ve put collectively an inventory of greatest practices you need to be following when placing GIFs in emails.
1 – One GIF per electronic mail
One GIF is ideal for including an thrilling, attention-grabbing factor to your electronic mail. A couple of and your electronic mail is getting too distracting.
2 – Improve the principle message
Your GIF ought to serve a goal. Don’t embody a one which doesn’t relate to your content material and the motion you need your viewers to take.
3 – Add a hyperlink to your GIF
Folks might strive clicking on the GIF itself, so benefit from this and direct them to a related touchdown web page.
4 – Maintain the GIF file measurement small
Intention to maintain your GIF file measurement beneath 40KB. You don’t need your electronic mail to be so giant that your viewers received’t even obtain it.
5 – Check your electronic mail
At all times check your emails. Most electronic mail purchasers will show GIFs, however there are some exceptions. In these conditions, the GIFs will show as static photos.
6 – Add alt picture textual content
In these conditions the place a GIF might not render ensure you add alt picture textual content so folks perceive what the GIF was about. Be as descriptive as doable.
Methods to put a GIF in your electronic mail
To insert a GIF in your electronic mail:
Step 1: Compose your electronic mail
Step 2: Click on on the insert picture button (that is generally represented as a paperclip)
Step 3: Find your GIF in your folder and click on insert so as to add to your electronic mail
Methods to add a GIF to an electronic mail utilizing AWeber
Step 1: Obtain your GIF and reserve it to your laptop. If you happen to discover a GIF on-line, you possibly can merely proper click on the picture and choose “Save Picture”.
Step 2: In your AWeber account, drag the picture block into your electronic mail builder.
Step 3: Choose the Add Picture button so as to add your GIF to your electronic mail. That’s it!
Methods to make GIFs on your emails
GIFs are simpler to create than a video, particularly should you’re attempting for instance one thing brief and to the purpose. The talent stage bar is lots shorter with a GIF.
You may create GIFs in Photoshop, or you possibly can create them out of video footage you have already got utilizing a instrument like GIF Brewery, GIFMaker.me, or Instagiffer.
Some of these instruments make creating GIFs simple, even with little to no technical data.
And don’t assume that you must be a designer or know methods to code to make use of GIFs in your emails. We love websites like Giphy or r/gif for his or her giant number of ready-to-use GIFs.
The place to search out GIFs for emails
You too can create a GIF on your electronic mail your self, or discover a premade GIF from quite a lot of totally different on-line sources. Listed below are two of my prime choices:
GIPHY
The title says all of it. I really like GIPHY as a result of they’ve an enormous library of GIF to select from. Plus they help you create or add your on GIF.
AWeber
Our wonderful crew of designers create some unbelievable GIFs geared in the direction of grabbing an electronic mail viewers’s consideration. Listed below are the hyperlinks to our seasonal electronic mail advertising and marketing GIFs.
Get began…
Now that you know the way to make use of them successfully, GIFs will be an effective way to raise your electronic mail content material. If you happen to’re selling a services or products, they will actually emphasize a use case and function an academic instrument. (Or just delight your subscribers.)