ANIMATION STATION VIA EMAIL: A GUIDE TO GIFS AND MORE
Is that visible up there? A GIF is used.
Since GIFs are so common these days, we’re sure you know what they are. They are all over social media, appearing in replies on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Instead of typing out a response, you can text them back and forth.
GIFs have also made their way into our email inboxes, but companies are frequently too timid to use them. Between emojis in subject lines and videos in emails, there’s a fine balance between the two. Too much of either might alienate readers.
We’re here to break down the regulations for using animated emails, which do have subtleties just like any other feature you might add to your communications. The advantages of email animation, how to animate emails, and—most importantly—how to use them efficiently will all be covered in this essay.
THE EMAIL ANIMATION BENEFITS
Email animation is like the GIF that never ends (get it?). Here’s how the benefits of your campaign start to accrue.
Make your emails memorable.
According to Litmus’ 2023 State of Email Design Report, just 58% of marketers employ animations and GIFs in their emails. There are at least an additional 40% that aren’t.
One guaranteed method to make your emails stand out from the hundreds of other business emails that the typical consumer receives is to include GIFs in them. Their attention will be drawn in by the animated graphics, which can encourage them to read your complete email.
Boost your brand’s reputation
Whether you’re responding to an email or posting on social media, every communication you have is an extension of your brand. Your identity is embodied in your brand, and the more robust it is, the better. GIFs, particularly personalized animations, can be a visual representation of your brand.
You could, for instance, make a number of animations using the same color palette and visual design as your website. The GIFs are essentially an extension of your website, delivering a unified brand experience that will appeal to your target market.
Their ability to recall your brand will soar, ingraining your business’s identity into their minds.
Put more personality into your emails.
We pay so much attention to email personalization that we sometimes overlook the need of adding a little personality. Nobody likes to read a dull, boring email with white background and black text that only has a few bullet points to break up the prose.
More than half of marketers started utilizing images in 2021, according to HubSpot, which can be attributed to the effectiveness of visual marketing throughout history.
Include animations in your messages to treat your audience’s senses. Clients who enjoy reading your emails are more likely to keep checking for new correspondence.
draws attention to crucial email components (such as a call to action).
Email animation is another useful tool for gently drawing attention to specific parts of your message. Indeed, subtle is the operative word there. It would be overkill to have large, flashing arrows pointing to a CTA button.
An animated call to action (CTA) that moves, bounces, undulates, or changes color in response to mouseovers and clicks could be a better option.
able to raise the CTR
The next time you send an email marketing campaign, consider including animated elements if you’re not receiving the click-through rate you require.
According to a 2022 NetHunt analysis, videos can increase CTR by 65 percent. That statistic demonstrates the effectiveness of visual marketing even though it doesn’t match the CTR for GIFs.
GIF USE TIMING AND PLACE IN YOUR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
Given the variety of messages included in email marketing, when is it permissible to include GIFs? Here are some areas in your campaign that would benefit greatly from animations.
Reminders for purchases or subscriptions
There are numerous approaches you may take to effectively remind your audience to resubscribe to your service or product. GIFs work well for this purpose and are also excellent for purchase reminders.
You may make an animation of your offering and include it in the message. Alternatively, you can convey that you recognize that purchasing decisions take time by using a bespoke GIF showing a buyer considering their purchase.
Strong content that addresses a customer’s uncertainty at this stage of the sales funnel and gently guides them toward a decision should be used to go along with the animation. You might even provide a discount in order to encourage a purchase.
Invitations to events
You’re not aware of how many invitations your typical client gets. It could occur hundreds of times a year or much less. Approach email marketing with the mindset that you are up against fierce competition, and use tactics that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Emails inviting people to an event with a GIF attachment ought to increase click-through rates. Readers should RVSP if they click on the links in your email. You’ll know more about attendance, even if it’s bad.
You won’t be able to arrange your event when you’ve sent out 200 invitations and only received back from ten of them.
Announcements about services
Is there a service statement that your company needs to make? Do you want it to be noticed? Here, animations can be useful.
Naturally, everything relies on the type of communication you’re sending. GIFs can be used to announce a new product or service, as well as an expansion of your current offering.
For more important announcements, though, it’s best to forgo the animated components.
Save on emails
A discount email should already have a high open rate, but include an animation or two in the message to increase your chances of success by double or even treble.
Even customers who are unsure about making a purchase can become even more excited with the help of GIFs, making them eager to swipe their credit cards.
marketing emails
Email animations work well in promotional communications as well.
Making your email visually beautiful will ensure that your audience reads it all the way through and clicks on the necessary links—after all, you are using this opportunity to brag.
e-bullets
GIFs are something else you ought to think about include in your email marketing newsletters.
With the addition of distinctive components like animations and videos, you may further increase the high click-through rate (CTR) of these monthly or quarterly messages.
WORKING WITH GIFs TO CREATE EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
You’re prepared to begin creating GIFs. Now let’s get to work!
The steps for making animations are as follows.
Creating a Giphy GIF
One of the biggest networks for finding animations is Giphy, but you can do more with it than just look up GIFs. Animations are another thing you may make for your email marketing campaigns.
This is how.
Phase 1
Simply visit the Giphy GIF Maker, a program that allows you to create animations from still images or movies. Choose GIF as the first choice, then upload a file. The following file formats are accepted: JPG, WebM, MOV, MP4, GIF, and PNG.
Your video has to be under 100 megabytes and no more than 15 seconds.
Step Two
Add some customisation after that. To explore the Giphy sticker library, select Stickers. You can embellish your created GIF while it loops by adding as many stickers as you desire.
Step Three
It’s time to add captions now!
GIFs with captions are easier to share since they may be used to convey particular feelings or circumstances.
To add a caption, select the Captions Editor in the Giphy GIF Maker. The text can be moved and altered. If you decide to change your mind, you may also remove your caption.
Step Four
You can use Giphy’s Custom, Landscape, Portrait, and Original modes to crop your GIF. All have precise measurements, with the exception of Custom, which you select. If you don’t need to, you don’t have to crop your GIF.
Step Number Five
When you are satisfied with your entertaining new GIF, select Continue to Upload. Giphy will prompt you to include tags and the source URL. Additionally, you have privacy options where you may select between private and public GIFs.
Step Six
Giphy will create your GIF when you click the Create GIF button, which you can then share and save.
converting a video to a GIF
Would a video you shot create the ideal GIF for your upcoming email design?
With the simple Video to GIF feature on iPhones, you can choose a video clip and the app will instantly create a GIF for you. On an Android device, navigate to the Videos folder by opening the Gallery first. Select the video you wish to GIF-enable, then click Play Video.
To turn your video clip into an animation, use the GIF option. It’s helpful that Android allows you to adjust the GIF’s duration and pace.
Using Adobe Photoshop, create a GIF
Image manipulation is a well-known feature of Adobe Photoshop, albeit it extends beyond still photos. This indispensable program can also be used to create GIFs. However, this procedure is not simple, so use it only if you are an expert in Photoshop.
Phase 1
Gather the images that will make up your GIF. To make your life easier, group them into a single folder.
Step Two
After launching Photoshop, select File, Scripts, and then Load Files into Stack. Select a new folder. Each photograph in the folder will have layers created by Photoshop.
Step Three
After that, choose Window, Animation, or Timeline. This opens Photoshop’s Timeline or Animation panel, which is located closer to the bottom.
Step Four
Select Make Frames from Layer in Timeline, then Create Frame Animation.
Step Number Five
You can adjust the speed at which the frames play by using the Select All Frames option. Next, select Forever from the Repeat menu in the panel.
Step Six
Once you’re satisfied with your GIF, click Play on the Timeline window and choose File, Export, then Save for Web (Legacy).
Using Your Phone to Create a GIF
Your phone is capable of amazing things, like making GIFs. These are the actions that users of Android should take.
Phase 1
Launch the app Gallery. Pressing and holding down the key lets you select many photos at once.
Step Two
Examine the lower-right corner of your display. Three dots should be visible. After tapping them, select Create. This will cause an animation to start.
Step Three
To view your GIF, open the Gallery app.
If you’re among the millions of Apple users, here’s how to make a GIF on your iPhone.
Choice 1
Create a GIF from a picture or video on your iPhone by using the Shortcuts app. First, select Gallery from the Shortcut menu. A number of GIF-related options should be visible to you, such as Make GIF, Convert Photos to GIF, Burst to GIF, and Video to GIF.
To make a GIF out of videos and live photos, use the Make GIF option. To view the GIF on your Shortcuts menu, select Add Shortcut after that.
Give the shortcut permission to access your photo library, select a movie, and use the slider to crop it. Next, choose Save.
In the Shortcuts app, select Done.
Choice #2
Grab a Live Picture. This will keep animating. With the Live Photo mode, you just have 1.5 seconds to capture the moment, so pick your subject wisely, adjust the lighting and angle, and press the button.
Open your photo, click the Live Photos icon, then select Loop from the list to create a Live Photo loop.
On non-Apple devices, however, you are unable to send your Live Photo loop and have it play properly. Sucks!
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