Seems GIFs aren’t only for reacting to tweets — they’re additionally a incredible method to drive engagement in your e-mail advertising.
There are many manufacturers driving eye-catching outcomes through the use of GIFs in emails. For example, tech large Dell ran a GIF-centered e-mail marketing campaign that, when in comparison with quarterly benchmarks, delivered a:
- 42 p.c enhance in click on fee
- 103 p.c enhance in conversion fee
- 109 p.c enhance in income
So it’s no shock that over half of entrepreneurs use animated GIFs in emails no less than a number of the time.
All for becoming a member of them? You’re in the correct place. On this article, I’ll clarify how you can put GIFs in emails, speak by means of the advantages of doing so, and share a few of my favourite real-world examples.
4 Causes You Ought to Use GIFs in Emails
Earlier than we get into the practicalities of how you can add GIFs in emails, you is likely to be questioning: “Do GIFs work in emails?”
That’s an excellent query. In spite of everything, the very last thing you need is to embed a bunch of non-functioning GIFs in your emails, or make investments a ton of effort and time with out producing any outcomes.
Whereas I can’t assure that together with a pair GIFs in your subsequent marketing campaign will double your click-through fee or ship income by means of the roof, there are some fairly compelling advantages to doing so:
1. GIFs Add Visible Curiosity to Emails
The obvious profit to utilizing GIFs in emails is that they make your emails look extra attention-grabbing by including a component of movement to in any other case static content material.
2. Motion is Eye-Catching
Until you’re including dozens of animated GIFs to a single e-mail, your GIF will probably stand out in opposition to the remainder of the (non-animated) content material. This helps GIFs to attract the attention. Use this method to information readers towards an important stuff in your e-mail — like a name to motion or promotion.
3. GIFs Work When Movies Don’t
Typically talking, if an e-mail consumer helps embedded picture information (JPGs and PNGs), it’ll additionally help GIFs. Nonetheless, numerous purchasers — together with Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook — don’t help embedded video information. So if you’d like a dynamic format with widespread help, GIFs are a protected guess.
4. Showcase A number of Merchandise in a Small House
GIFs are like a flipbook, as a result of they’re made up of plenty of particular person photos spliced collectively. Which means you should utilize them to show a number of merchandise inside a single “factor”, with out taking over a ton of house in your e-mail.
Tips on how to Insert a GIF Into an E mail
The method of inserting GIFs into emails is fairly easy, however varies relying in your e-mail service supplier. Right here’s how you can do it with Drip:
- Click on Picture inside our e-mail builder.
- Click on Select picture to insert an animated GIF out of your native drive, or enter a URL to embed a web-based GIF utilizing the Enter a URL bar.
- Select your GIF file.
- Use the Place picture software to maneuver your GIF to the specified place.
- See the way it all seems.
Should you’re proud of the outcomes, that’s all there’s to it. If not, return and mess around with the GIF location, vertical spacing, alignment, and dimension.
Tips on how to Create Your Personal GIFs (6 GIF Creation Instruments)
Creating your personal GIFs is straightforward, with loads of instruments to do all of the exhausting give you the results you want. Listed here are a few of our favorites…
1. PixTeller
Worth: From free; paid plans begin at $7 per 30 days
PixTeller is a straightforward on-line picture and animation-maker that permits customers to create GIFs, logos, video thumbnails, and extra. All of it works straight out of your browser, without having to obtain any extra animation software program.
The animation editor makes it straightforward to tinker with particular person components of your animation, comparable to altering the dimensions and place or including completely different filters.
When you’ve completed modifying, you possibly can obtain your work as a GIF or MP4 video.
2. GIPHY Create
Worth: Free
GIPHY Create is GIPHY’s built-in GIF-maker. Customers can import media from varied websites, together with Vimeo, YouTube, and—in fact—GIPHY itself. The software means that you can create GIFs and backdrops, then elevate them by including filters, stickers, and captions. It really works with varied file codecs, together with GIFs, JPGs, PNGs, and MP4s.
3. Gifs.com
Worth: From free; paid plans begin at $1.99 per 30 days
Huge manufacturers like Google and Netflix use Gifs.com to create animated GIFs from video information. Simply copy-paste any video URL and the software will rework it into an animated GIF, WebM, or MP4 file. Uploads may be as much as 150 MB, whereas GIFs created by means of the platform may be as much as 15 seconds lengthy.
Whereas Gifs.com is a wonderful software, bear in mind that the free product tier provides watermarks to any GIFs you create and doesn’t assist you to embody premium results.
4. Ezgif
Worth: Free
A easy on-line GIF-maker and primary animated GIF editor, Ezgif helps you create, edit, and convert GIF, APNG, WebP, and AVIF animations. The platform additionally incorporates a video-to-GIF converter.
5. Make A GIF
Worth: Free
Use Make A GIF to create GIFs from a number of static photos, YouTube or Fb URLs, uploaded video information, and even from footage captured in your webcam. Join a (free) premium account to entry high-definition GIFs, add customized watermarks, add social hyperlinks, and extra.
6. Superior Screenshot
Worth: From free; paid plans begin at $5 per 30 days
Superior Screenshot isn’t truly a GIF-maker, however you should utilize its screen-recording performance to seize video footage and convert it into GIF format utilizing a number of the different instruments on this checklist.
The free plan means that you can report as much as 20 movies a month at 720p decision, with limitless recording size. Improve to a paid plan to unlock extra annotation instruments and enhance the decision to 4k.
Tips on how to Use GIFs in Emails Successfully (with Examples)
1. Promote Your Merchandise
Your market dictates the way you market your merchandise within the e-mail. Should you’re in a distinct segment like cruelty-free make-up, values will take priority over, say, product advertising.
However when you’re in ecommerce — an business that maybe is greatest recognized for its use of GIFs in its emails — then you’ll probably focus extra on character and why the client wants to purchase you from over a competitor.
One of the frequent methods to make use of GIFs in advertising emails, primarily based on my analysis, is selling a number of merchandise directly. Listed here are 3 ways to try this utilizing actual manufacturers as examples.
a. Promote New Arrivals
When asking for a customer’s e-mail tackle, it’s frequent for a lot of ecommerce web sites to section new guests by gender, such because the beneath instance from Calvin Klein.
Nonetheless, manufacturers that don’t leverage e-mail popups, comparable to Ralph Lauren, use an opt-in kind to gather emails, leading to emails to attraction to each women and men.
To avoid wasting on its emails restricted actual property, Ralph Lauren not too long ago leveraged a GIF to advertise its new arrivals. The GIF featured a person and a girl modeling the brand new vary.
Outdated Navy leveraged a GIF in a latest e-mail of its personal, going one step additional than Ralph Lauren and including the merchandise’s worth to advertise its newly discounted gadgets.
b. Promote a Bundle
Most of the GIFs I discovered whereas researching this submit deal with the product in query. However others, as with the instance beneath from Flat Tummy Co., deal with a promotion’s specificity.
Not solely that, however the model additionally included a countdown timer beneath the above GIF to drive urgency for the promotion, counting down from the ultimate hour.
c. Promote a Coloration Vary
Somewhat than promote a spread of merchandise, it’s frequent to generally wish to promote one product, however showcase its vary in colour. That’s precisely what Violet Gray did in a latest e-mail.
Whereas the opposite merchandise featured within the e-mail have been promoted with photos, Violet Gray’s selection of highlighting one in every of its gadgets with a GIF was sufficient to rivet my consideration and browse extra.
2. Present Merchandise in Motion
A standard greatest observe when photographing merchandise is to {photograph} them in context. In spite of everything, it’s simpler to check proudly owning a product after seeing it in its supposed setting.
One model that goes past that greatest observe is Sweaty Betty. In a latest e-mail selling its new fitness center gear, the model used a GIF to showcase its fitness center ball.
My favourite instance, although, belongs to one in every of our favourite manufacturers, Barkbox. From its copywriting to its unmistakable humor, the model at all times goes the additional mile, and its e-mail advertising isn’t any exception.
In a latest e-mail selling a limited-time deal to say a free splash pad, the model used a GIF to indicate the mat in motion, full with a cheerful canine.
Utilizing a GIF is an efficient method of selling the freebie. Plus, including a greenback quantity to spice up the merchandise’s perceived worth was a very good contact.
3. Showcase Buyer Evaluations
Thus far, we’ve seen manufacturers leveraging GIFs to advertise new arrivals or discounted merchandise, which is the frequent method to utilizing GIFs in emails.
One other method, which Hollister expertly leverages, is utilizing a GIF to focus on buyer critiques. In a latest e-mail, the model featured a jigsaw-like GIF, selling its bestsellers, full with testimonials.
The testimonials, largely praising the supplies the model makes use of, vary from informative and useful (“Ridiculously snug”) to memorable and humorous, “The fabric is so tender I simply wish to rub my face on it.”
Including the client’s location, in addition to 5 stars (maybe to exhibit social proof), provides to conveying the model is favored, recognized, and trusted by a far-reaching fanbase.
4. Create Urgency
It’s no secret that urgency drives individuals to behave. If there’s restricted availability or a finite window to snag a discount, we will’t assist however take motion.
In our analysis from 1+ billion popup periods, we discovered that popups with a countdown timer (8.07 p.c) convert higher than campaigns with out a countdown timer (3.79 p.c) by 112.93 p.c.
It’s no shock, then, that emails that talk urgency — by means of copy and even higher, a countdown timer — are inclined to carry out effectively at driving patrons to take motion.
In a latest e-mail from Brooklinen, the model leveraged a GIF of a clock counting down to suggest the top of a promotion to get a free candle with orders over $150+.
Mattress Tub & Past, in contrast, leverages a GIF of half a clock — maybe to emphasise how restricted the time actually is — to drive additional urgency for its each day deal.
Though each of the above examples aren’t counting all the way down to a deadline, the GIF mixed with compelling copy is a intelligent method to drive potential clients to take motion.
5. Enhance E mail Engagement
Many manufacturers leverage GIFs as an afterthought, a way of possibly getting amusing or two. One of the best manufacturers, although, leverage GIFs as a way of driving engagement.
Listed here are 3 ways to try this.
a. Pull the Reader Down the E mail
Copywriter Joseph Sugarman as soon as wrote, “Your readers ought to be so compelled to learn your copy that they can’t cease studying till they learn all of it as if sliding down a slippery slide.”
Whereas Sugarman’s axiom was written with advertisements in thoughts, inviting the reader to maintain studying is particularly related to e-mail advertising campaigns.
Gone are the times of getting one name to motion (CTA) on the backside of an e-mail. As we speak, e-commerce emails, particularly, have a number of CTAs, every pertaining to completely different affords at completely different worth factors.
Writing magnetic copy is one method to pull the reader down an e-mail. One other, as Sweet Membership has found, is utilizing a GIF to direct the reader down the e-mail.
The e-mail, selling free transport and 50 p.c off all purchases, leverages a GIF of Swedish fish “swimming” all the way down to a name to motion to “Store.”
The accompanying pun-based copy (“This method to the candy life”) cleverly spaced out helps to additional information the reader down the e-mail and hopefully, make a purchase order.
b. Make Your Emails Interactive
One method to interact the reader, as we noticed within the above instance from Sweet Membership, is utilizing GIFs to tug the reader down an e-mail. One other ingenious method is to make the GIF interactive.
In a latest e-mail Seray discovered throughout her analysis into humorous e-mail examples, Shinesty invited its readers to reply questions within the model of Who Desires to Be a Millionaire?
After clicking a solution, no matter whether or not it was right, the model redirected you to a product web page selling its face masks assortment, together with these featured within the e-mail.
One other method Shinesty makes use of GIFs to drive engagement is by opening an data hole on the backside of every of its emails. Oftentimes, the model will shut its emails with a cryptic headline and GIF as with the instance beneath.
When clicked, the model redirected you to the product web page for the product talked about above within the e-mail, serving as a last reminder to take a look at its merchandise.
c. Create Highly effective CTAs
If you consider a name to motion, you have a tendency to consider both an anchor, that’s, a hyperlinked phrase, or a button (as is usually the case with e-commerce emails).
One model that goes past that’s Tarte, who, in a latest cart restoration e-mail for contour concealer, used a GIF name to motion, flashing the phrase, “Okay. I Need It.”
Writing a compelling name to motion is highly effective. However whenever you add a button, and make that button a GIF, it’s exhausting to not ignore, and extra importantly, click on.
Conclusion
GIFs are one in every of many instruments and media sorts you should utilize to jazz up your emails, promote your merchandise, and compel readers to take motion.
With Drip’s highly effective advertising automation platform, you possibly can unlock a wealth of options that can assist you design stunning, high-converting emails time after time.
Select from 50+ professionally designed, ecommerce-friendly templates—then customise to your coronary heart’s content material by syncing your model emblem, colours, fonts, and extra. And perceive what resonates greatest together with your viewers by testing as much as 4 content material variations at a time.
See what Drip can do on your e-mail advertising campaigns by signing up on your 14-day free trial right now.
