Yes, GIFs are kind of old news. However, after they became popular again thanks to Facebook, this communication form is getting back. Right now, it is at its peak.
Let’s admit it, it is no wonder it is so popular. It grabs attention with its movement and is therefore not so easy to skip or ignore. Each one of it is also formed from popular culture references, making it relatable and understandable to everyone.
Why should I include a GIF or two in my emails?
There is a bunch of benefits of including it in your newsletter, with first being that GIFs are trendy. You don’t want to seem old-fashioned and outdated. Everyone is doing it, so why aren’t you?
There is a good reason why every marketer has used GIFs in their newsletter at least once. First, as we said, they attract attention. The readers can just ignore your email and leave it among others in their already cluttered inbox. With GIFs, there is a higher chance that your reader will read the email throughout, especially if you are powered by a tool like SendFox that drastically eases your email marketing tasks.
Speaking of your reader, what’s better than having them smile while reading your newsletter? If while showcasing your products or services you make them smile, they are more likely to spread the word. Or, they are more likely to trust you enough to get to buy what you are selling.
Another way to use GIFs is in situations when you have a bunch of data you would like to inform your readers about. Let’s admit it, you are bored with it too, and you can expect the negative reaction to that email. However, if you manage to present the data in GIF format, with infographics moving around in a way that makes sense, your readers will be accepting it with open arms.
Product Showcase
Probably the most common use of GIFs in emails revolve around product showcases. We are sure you have already seen a pair of shoes or an outfit in multiple angles in form of a GIF in one or more newsletters you have received. This helps with decluttering your newsletter by removing a number of pictures of the same thing. It still maintains the usefulness of having all those pictures in the first place, and if you need help in editing them, no better way of doing it than with Crello.
Just one more thing to consider for your marketing strategy. There is the fact that it is still impossible to add videos to your newsletter. This is particularly a pain in the neck for tech companies whose new features require a video to be explained properly. Yet, this further extends to any product that needs a demonstration regardless of the company’s field.
Instead of pulling your hair out on how to present these, use the video to create a GIF. It will not only accomplish the mission of informing the potential customer but also, if done right, can be used as a bait for a customer to watch the whole video to find out more. And voila, you get one new visitor on your website who might quickly turn into a customer!
So, you now know you need a GIF or two in your new email. You also know that your developer will probably growl at you and offer you an explanation that there is no point in doing this as GIFs are not compatible with many email services.
We have good news for you. GIFs are compatible will all email service providers, except for Outlook. The even better news is that you don’t need a developer to create a GIF-including HTML email. You can do it yourself using Postcards application from Designmodo.
How to do that?
The most important aspect of using the Postcards application to create HTML emails yourself is that you do not need any coding skills at all.
Within this app, you will find over 70 drag and drop components that you can use to create the perfect email. You do not have to build anything from scratch, but you can simply drag and drop these components to create the email that will convey your message.
These components have you covered from head to toe when it comes to your email. You can pick from several different headers, to include the logo and social media links for example. In the footer, you can add contact information, and make sure your customers will know how to find you.
The best part is that each of these components is customizable. So, you can edit colors, fonts, and pictures to include the vibe you want your readers to feel while reading your email. For all of this, you have a live preview. So, even if you are working with Postcards for the first time, you can effortlessly compose an email, as you can see results of your changes happening in front of you.
Adding GIFs
Speaking of customization, you can also add different components to the body, in the same place as where you should put your GIF. The GIF will work within content components and can be used as a call to action. If you would like to present your new product from more angles, simply add the GIF in your e-commerce component.
For tech companies, or any company that wants to do a little demonstration of new features of their product, having a GIF in features section can be a bullseye.
You can effortlessly add a GIF in any of these components in place of a picture. All you have to do is click on the pencil button you can find in the upper right corner of your chosen component. The right sidebar is what you should focus on to find the picture which is used as a placeholder, and which you would like to change into a GIF. You can use the direct URL of the GIF, and simply copy and paste the link of the GIF into its spot. Don’t forget to save the changes by clicking on Done!
You will see your new GIF preview live, and if you would like to see what your email would look like on different devices, simply click on the blue eye in the upper right corner of the Postcards app. What you can be sure of, is that this will look good on any display and that it is fully responsible while using this application.
Go ahead now, and make a couple of GIFs! Add them to your body, hit the send button, and enjoy all the new customers you are getting!
