Sometimes a single image is enough to translate many words. Animated GIFs are part of our everyday lives and are now finding their place in the professional environment as well. Incorporating these image formats into email marketing campaigns is becoming more and more common as they allow brands to stand out and grab the attention of their subscribers. But is using animated GIFs in emails always a good idea?
What exactly is a GIF?
The GIFshort for “Graphics Interchange Format“, is a digital image format that allows you to create an animated and silent image. It can be taken from a video, a movie, a TV show, etc. The goal of the GIF is to capture a reaction, an emotion or a specific expression that is then used to convey an idea.
Using animated GIFs in an email campaign: yes or no?
The GIF has become particularly popular and has become a language in its own right on the Internet, with some people able to carry on entire conversations using carefully selected GIFs. In the area of email marketing, using this format has both advantages and disadvantages.
The positive aspects of animated GIFs
- It’s entertaining and cool.
- It is more visually interesting and attracts more attention than a classic message due to the movement in the image.
- It allows you to stand out from your competitors’ news.
- It allows you to convey a message, share content or introduce a product/service quickly, easily and extremely succinctly.
- It gives the brand a more human and accessible image, thereby strengthening closeness to subscribers and thus their loyalty.
- It is great for creating a teaser for an upcoming new product/service.
The negative aspects of animated GIFs
- The GIF may cause problems opening the email if it is poorly integrated or if the recipient’s email provider does not support this format.
- For some people, the GIF conveys an image of the brand that is too familiar and therefore unprofessional, which is why it is important to know your audience well in order to adapt broadcasts accordingly.
- This format can sometimes take up a lot of space in a mailbox and therefore take a long time to load, a point that will quickly discourage your recipients from reading the message.
- A GIF that doesn’t really fit the topic of the email can be more annoying than anything else.
The importance of using animated GIFs correctly in your email campaign
To reap all the benefits of using animated GIFs in your email campaign, the first point is to know your audience inside out. This means knowing who your audience is in order to target them in the right way.
The second step is to determine the image you want to convey of your brand and the message you want to convey. For example, if you generally have a more informal and friendly tone with your audience, the animated GIF will be perfectly appropriate. In fact, your audience will be used to your “voice” and will therefore be receptive to this format.
Finally, proceed step by step. Insert some GIFs here and there and analyze the audience reaction. Don’t forget to test several formulas to see which one resonates most with your audience. Once you do, you can develop a more precise and effective strategy.
Funny, quirky, surprising, sometimes even captivating, GIFs definitely have that certain something that can delight your subscribers, make them want to read your emails and even interact. However, their positive or negative impact depends as much on the audience as on the way they are used, and they can be excellent marketing tools for brands that know how to use them.
