By Sean Tinney Could 28, 2024
We’re big followers of utilizing interactive content in email. Whether or not you’re attempting to enhance your marketing campaign, inform a narrative, or just add a little bit of aptitude to the inbox, interactive content material is the best way to go.
And one of many best methods to take action is by including animated GIFs to your emails.
On this article we’re going that can assist you create some extra pleasure in your emails by serving to you be taught:
What is an email GIF?
Ways to use GIFs in your emails
Best practices for using GIFs in emails
How to put a GIF in your email
How to add a GIF to an email using AWeber
How to make GIFs for your emails
Where to find GIFs for emails
What’s an e-mail GIF?
GIF is brief for Graphics Interchange Format. It’s a well-liked picture format that’s been round for the reason that 80’s. An e-mail GIF makes use of a sequence of photographs to create the phantasm of movement (type of like a flipbook) throughout the physique of an e-mail.
Instance of an e-mail GIF

Methods to make use of GIFs in your e-mail
GIFs add character to your emails. You possibly can spotlight a product in movement, present a demo, and even add a relatable response. There are lots of partaking and sensible functions for a GIF.
Let’s check out some ways in which manufacturers are utilizing GIFs of their advertising and marketing emails (and how one can steal these concepts to your subsequent marketing campaign):
1 – Illustrate a product
GIFs don’t should be all for present. They’re truly an effective way to inform a narrative in a easy, impactful manner.
This Canva e-mail exhibits how straightforward it’s to create a design utilizing their platform.
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Professional Tip: GIFs are nice for illustrating complicated concepts in a easy manner. Give subscribers a sneak peek of your newest product launch or to share a novel use case.
2 – Tutorial on methods to use a product
Try how we used a GIF to focus on how straightforward it’s so as to add a video to your touchdown web page:

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Reasonably than counting on heavy copy, this animated GIF exhibits the method in simply seconds.
3 – Create intrigue
Need an effective way to entice your readers? Take a cue from this Kate Spade marketing campaign:
The animation provides one other degree of intrigue to the e-mail, prompting subscribers to click on by means of to see what’s inside.
Professional Tip: Typically the best little bit of animation can have a huge impact. The subsequent time you’re wanting so as to add some oomph to your emails, attempt including a GIF to the combo.
4 – Add a way of urgency
GIFs could be a nice various for conventional countdown clocks to emphasise urgency in your messaging:
This instance from LOFT exhibits how a bit animation could make a daring assertion.
Professional Tip: Your e-mail doesn’t should imitate the Vegas strip at 2am. Including a bit little bit of motion is typically all you want.
5 – Merely delight
GIFs may be added so as to add enjoyable and pleasure to your emails, like this one from charity: water:
Their good use of a GIF showcases the character and folks behind the model.
However be aware of context when utilizing GIFs in your emails. Does it really feel applicable and strengthen the message you’re attempting to ship? Or does it take away from it? These are good inquiries to ask your self earlier than you hit ‘ship’.
Professional Tip: Use GIFs sparingly. In the event you’re utilizing them simply because, it will possibly get outdated.
6 – Spotlight a name to motion
Try how we use a GIF to focus on the Be taught How name to motion.
The important thing to utilizing GIF for the CTA is to not get carried away. If the GIF takes away from the principle message, it received’t matter how a lot consideration you placed on the CTA, your subscribers received’t learn it.

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7 – Inform a narrative
Peacock used a GIF to inform their subscribers a narrative of all the brand new exhibits their streaming service has to supply in October.


Greatest practices for utilizing GIFs in emails
Whereas GIFs are nice for grabbing your viewers’s consideration you don’t need to overdo it. To assist, we’ve put collectively an inventory of finest practices try to be following when placing GIFs in emails.
1 – One GIF per e-mail
One GIF is ideal for including an thrilling, attention-grabbing component to your e-mail. Multiple and your e-mail is getting too distracting.
2 – Improve the principle message
Your GIF ought to serve a function. Don’t embody a one which doesn’t relate to your content material and the motion you need your viewers to take.
3 – Add a hyperlink to your GIF
Individuals could attempt clicking on the GIF itself, so reap the benefits of this and direct them to a related touchdown web page.
4 – Preserve the GIF file measurement small
Purpose to maintain your GIF file measurement below 40KB. You don’t need your e-mail to be so massive that your viewers received’t even obtain it.
5 – Take a look at your e-mail
At all times check your emails. Most e-mail purchasers will show GIFs, however there are some exceptions. In these conditions, the GIFs will show as static photographs.
6 – Add alt picture textual content
In these conditions the place a GIF could not render be sure to add alt picture textual content so individuals perceive what the GIF was about. Be as descriptive as attainable.
How you can put a GIF in your e-mail
To insert a GIF in your e-mail:
Step 1: Compose your e-mail
Step 2: Click on on the insert picture button (that is typically represented as a paperclip)
Step 3: Find your GIF in your folder and click on insert so as to add to your e-mail
How you can add a GIF to an e-mail utilizing AWeber
Step 1: Obtain your GIF and reserve it to your pc. In the event you discover a GIF on-line, you possibly can merely proper click on the picture and choose “Save Picture”.
Step 2: In your AWeber account, drag the picture block into your e-mail builder.
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Step 3: Choose the Add Picture button so as to add your GIF to your e-mail. That’s it!
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How you can make GIFs to your emails
GIFs are simpler to create than a video, particularly in the event you’re attempting as an instance one thing quick and to the purpose. The ability degree bar is quite a bit shorter with a GIF.
You possibly can create GIFs in Photoshop, or you possibly can create them out of video footage you have already got utilizing a instrument like GIF Brewery, GIFMaker.me, or Instagiffer.
These kinds of instruments make creating GIFs straightforward, even with little to no technical information.
And don’t suppose that it’s important to be a designer or know methods to code to make use of GIFs in your emails. We love websites like Giphy or r/gif for his or her massive collection of ready-to-use GIFs.
The place to search out GIFs for emails
You may also create a GIF to your e-mail your self, or discover a premade GIF from a wide range of totally different on-line sources. Listed here are two of my high choices:
GIPHY
The identify says all of it. I really like GIPHY as a result of they’ve an enormous library of GIF to select from. Plus they permit you to create or add your on GIF.
AWeber
Our superb group of designers create some unbelievable GIFs geared in direction of grabbing an e-mail viewers’s consideration. Listed here are the hyperlinks to our seasonal e-mail advertising and marketing GIFs.
Get began…
Now that you know the way to make use of them successfully, GIFs may be an effective way to raise your e-mail content material. In the event you’re selling a services or products, they will actually emphasize a use case and function an academic instrument. (Or just delight your subscribers.)