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What are the Benefits of Implementing GIFs into Your Marcom Strategy?

Everyone loves a good GIF! Sometimes there’s no better way to get your message across than with a quick, visual snippet made possible by a GIF. As brands stive to authentically connect with their target audience on social media, through blogs and via email, it would make sense that incorporating this popular way to communicate would be an asset. Additionally, now that Facebook has purchased GIPHY, one of the biggest and most popular online GIF libraries, there will be more opportunities to include GIFs in marketing communication.

Here are some benefits of including GIFs in your marcom strategy:

Quickly catch the eye – Sometimes you only have a moment to capture your customers’ attention. A GIF can catch the eye more quickly than a static image might. A GIF also gets your message across quickly, and they don’t drag out like video content.

Visual – People process visual data faster than written—about 60,000 times faster! That means that your audience is more likely to retain a post that skews visually than they are if they have to read words.

Small file sizes – GIFs have such small file sizes they will load and play quickly, and are less likely to slow down any platforms or websites. This is particularly great for blogs and email communication, as you don’t want those to get bogged down trying to load content.

Tips for professionalism
You might think that using GIFs for your personal communication is fine but wonder about professionalism of a brand account. Here are some tips:

Create your own – Many GIF libraries allow brands to create accounts and then create their own GIFs. If you want to absolutely make sure your GIF is on-brand, try creating your own!

Source material – If you’re using anything that didn’t originate with your brand, make sure you know and understand the source material. The last thing you want to do is use an image or line from something that is offensive or abrasive to your target.

Stay true to branding – Your brand has established its tone and how it will communicate with its audience. Just like with any other communication, you’ll want any GIFs you create/use to stay true to your established branding.

Secure GIF-strategy adoption
While you may recognize the value of incorporating GIFs into your marcom strategy, you may have some push back from naysayers. Whether from the C-suite or within your own team, try persuading them with the facts. The fact is, GIFs can drive engagement and that is valuable as it helps your brand become seen by various algorithms, allowing the rest of your branded content to be seen, and establishing a deeper connection with your target audience.

GIF it on
GIFs are a powerful addition to your marcom strategy, providing a variety of benefits that can move you toward your communication goals. Brands can use GIFs in a professional way, and still be able to communicate their message in a quick and fun manner.

If you need help developing a marcom strategy that includes GIFs, give us a call to connect with one of our strategic marketing experts!

Connect with a Beyond Fifteen Marketing Specialist today!

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