Nothing grabs attention like an ezGIF. Learn how to make GIFs from scratch or make a GIF from a video for your next social media marketing campaign.
Have you wanted to add your own original GIFs to your digital marketing strategy but have yet to be quite sure how? This tutorial guide will walk you through the essentials of how to make a GIF using common (and mostly free) tools.
So why are GIFs so valuable, anyway? Imagine writing a social post or blog that’s just one big wall of text. Here’s how your readers feel…
A bored reader is one who clicks away. You put so much work into that content! Don’t lose your audience because it’s dull to look at.
Spice up your social media or content marketing campaign with GIFs—and better yet, use ones you made yourself. All you need is a clever idea and a little design know-how.
Consider this guide for your GIF bootcamp. Ready to learn how to make your own GIFs?
What’s a GIF?
In short, a GIF (short for “Graphics Interchange Format”) is an image file that supports animation. It stores multiple image files together and then delivers them sequentially.
The first GIF was created in 1987 by a software developer trying to create animated images with smaller file sizes. GIFs have existed longer than the internet–but they didn’t weasel their way into mainstream internet culture until the early 2000s.
GIFs have become so ingrained in our digital culture that they’ve become their own form of communication as a meme. As social media took off in the late 2000s, they became a weapon of choice for quick, eye-catching, relatable communication.
Sure, they’re fun to share with friends and co-workers to express your feelings about Fridays or meetings that should have been emails, but they’re also a prime opportunity to amplify your marketing content. Emotions play a significant role in influencing others, and GIFs are a way to visualize those emotions in a consumable, mobile-friendly digital format.
GIFs showcase products, promote offers, grab attention, and connect with audiences. They work because movement catches the eye and is shareable across multiple platforms.
The text is boring. (See the GIF above.) To reach more of your audience and stand out, you must embrace new content types to get your message across.
Why Should You Use GIFs for Social Marketing?
GIFs show instead of telling. How many paragraphs of text would it have taken for us to capture that “bored cat” GIF at the start of this guide?
Here’s one great example of a GIF at work: Fashion editors at The Huffington Post use one to show readers how to style a scarf. That’s hundreds of words saved by using just one moving image.
GIFs are also a great way to show off your sense of humor and humanize your brand to create meaningful connections with the audience. You can pull it off with something as simple as a dancing taco featured at the top of an email or a cat riding a bicycle in an ad campaign. Or, to think in a slightly more business-oriented way… how about a ezGIF of your product at work?
Video is a crucial part of any marketer’s strategy. So why not use bite-sized “videos” everywhere with GIFs? It’s a quick and effective way to create shareable memes and compelling digital stories for social media promotion.
Nearly every major social media platform, from Facebook to Twitter, allows users to create short video loops as content posts using GIF files. Content creators can customize every frame of a GIF to send just the message they want. Read on if you want to learn how to make a GIF for Instagram or other social platforms.
Leading brands are finding creative ways to incorporate GIFs in their marketing. Charlotte Tilbury uses them to demo eyeshadow shades, creating engaging and visually appealing content that resonates with their audience.
Conclusion:
In the age of short attention spans and scrolling feeds, GIFs emerge as the unsung heroes of communication and marketing. They’re succinct, engaging, and capable of delivering messages that resonate instantly. As the world continues to embrace visual storytelling, GIFs have become a staple in our digital lexicon. From tutorials to humor to brand identity, their versatility knows no bounds. So, whether you’re a content creator, marketer, or simply someone looking to convey a message with impact, consider the power of the ezgif. It’s not just a trend; it’s a dynamic language of its own, waiting for you to master.