Over the past few years, the presence of animated GIFs on Social Networks has increased dramatically. According to a study by the New York Times, more than 20 million GIFs are shared on Tumblr every day. Whoa! And of course, there’s rhyme to this reason: the great ability to communicate effeicently and attract users at the same time is what characterizes these fun little moving images. That’s why, in today’s blog post I’m going to show you exactly why you should be incorporating GIFs in your Social Media Campaigns and just how you can start using them to reach your audience more effectively.
Why should I use GIFs in my communication campaigns on Social Networks?
We can answer this question by outlining three qualities that make GIFs the perfect type of visuals on Social Networks:
1- They are attractive and entertain your users
Considering the fact that most people spend their leisure time on social networks, we can see how important it is to share attractive and fun material to catch the eye of your audience. That’s exactly what GIFs accomplish! Their perpetual movement and charm are very effective when provoking ever-so-desired “Stopping Power”, that is, getting people to stop and look at your content as they scroll through their timelines.
2- GIFs are extremely communicative
There is a wide variety of types and purposes of GIFs. You can do anything from teaching your audience how to do something to making them laugh by showing the funniest 5 seconds of a funny movie. That’s why, you’ll find them enormously useful when trying to communicate an idea or a mood to your followers.
3- They help you build your own style and brand identity
GIFs are much more than informational pieces: not only do they show a sequence in motion, they convey ideas, attitudes, forms of humor, and ways of seeing the world. That makes them very useful when expressing the spirit of your brand and showing users a more authentic, human image.
How can I use GIFs to help me on my Social Networks?
Now that you know the main reasons why you should start using GIFs in your communication strategies, I will show you the 5 ways these animated images can be of great help.
1- They are ideal for displaying products
For example, GIFs allow you to show your audience (in a matter of seconds) new models available for your product. They also help you showcase your sale items, new collections, special promotions and different products or services your business offers the public.
2- They let you tell stories
Animated GIFs have the ability to tell stories dynamically and concisely. Thus, in less than a minute you can tell your followers what your proposal is, why they should choose your brand or how the corporate image of your company has changed throughout the years. In other words, you can tell them whatever you want!
3- They help you represent complex ideas
Just like infographics, GIFs are ideal for summarizing information and expressing them in a didactic way. A good example of this are maps, dynamic graphics, animated diagrams and other pieces created to display data in an accessible, easy-to-understand way. In the example below, you can see how a GIF effectively shows how a solar eclipse works.
4- They are great for explaining processes
In addition to the above, animated GIFs can be your best allies when teaching your audience how to use a product. A few second long GIF can save you hours and hours of long service inquiries.
5- They are perfect for making your audience laugh
And of course, recalling that Social Networks are the preferred place to spend leisure time between work hours, there’s nothing better than a good laugh! So don’t forget to include funny GIFs in your posts to help your audience relax and have some fun online. Remember that sharing entertaining content with a little added value is just as important as promoting your products when publishing on Social Networks.
Create your own GIFs!
Based on everything we’ve said in this post, you’re probably already started thinking about incorporating GIFs into your Social Media content. Good, so now, how do you get them? The best way to answer this question is, create them yourself! To do so, you can use ScreenToGIF, a very handy tool that lets you record what is displayed on your screen and save it directly as GIF. ¿Awesome, right?
Now that you know all about GIFs you’re ready to get awesome results from your Social Network Campaigns. The secret is in knowing how to use their communicative power to convey your message to your audience.
Did you like this article? Do you already use GIFS on your social networks? Tell us your opinion! And please remember to share this blog post with your contacts. Until next time! ?