You may not consider using Baby Yoda or a sad Pokémon as part of your digital marketing strategy. Either way, an image in GIF format (also known as graphics interchange format ) is one of the fastest ways to visually share information or identify sentiments (or fun elements!) current in pop culture. According to Giphy, a company that provides its clients with GIFs for social media posts and messaging, the most viewed GIF in 2021 was Stanley’s stoic expression from The Office .
GIFs surely have value since Meta
Facebook’s parent company, bought Giphy in 2020, and despite challenges from antitrust authorities in the UK, Meta continues to China WhatsApp Number Data fight for the right to keep that company. Interestingly, Giphy never charged for the use of its apps and does not use an advertising model.
So what are GIFs? They are image files that support animated and static images, often reflecting feelings or actions. It is a strongly visual medium for sharing quick chunks of information (maximum 6 seconds) that repeat automatically and lack the use of sound.
If accessibility is an essential part of your company culture, consider using text attributes ( alt-text ) or captions with your GIFs. GIF files cannot encode their highly visual content via text, so that makes them a complex medium for people using an accessibility tool. Properly naming a GIF file and properly describing images in alt-text is a good alternative, as well as contributing to accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).
How are GIFs used in digital marketing?
As part of a strategy, social media marketing focuses on engagement and interaction. GIFs can be fun or practical, just as easily added to an Instagram story or incorporated into a web page. Since people view GIFs primarily on small screens, it’s important to ask yourself if it’s the Bold Data best format for the message you intend to convey. After all, what you need is for users to see, understand, and share your content.
