The GIF that keeps on giving
- Alex - The Marketing Owl
- Jun 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 2, 2020
A GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a bitmap image format that plays on a repetitive constant playable loop and has been used by developers due to their capability of producing maximum entertainment at minimal file sizes. GIFs were born in the late 80's but were only registered as a word in the dictionary in 2012.
As a borderline millennial I have been a long term fan of the GIF! For me, it is a snippet of emotion, a tiny animated visual projecting a minuscule moment that your and your friend find mutually amusing.
What is a GIF and why do 'the kids' love using them and why should you care about them? Well firstly, I think they are a simple, fast and effective marketing asset (if used correctly)
And secondly, if your audience has a younger audience, you may want to consider your online voice and using a GIF is a great way to tool to use. Buzzfeed have basically built their entire content marketing empires with GIFs. Tumblr is also a big fan and believes that GIFs have 'permeated our culture'.
Therefore as a nostalgic piece of the Internets identity, we should respectfully support the GIF and its ability to entertain.
WHATS NEW? Facebook announced in May 2020 that it is buying Giphy and integrating it with Instagram. Therefore the relevancy of the GIF for marketeers has suddenly leaped back into their portfolio.
THE DON'TS Be aware that some of the most famous/popular and viral GIFs were made by internet trolls and some are offensive and are celebrities are very angry about them.
To this date, not one has actually been convicted of breaching copyrights from a GIF but to be safe, pay attention to the context you use the GIF in.
THE DO'S
Do use a GIF to respond to customer care/questions to provide a more human response.
DO use a GIF on your website - it has a super fast loading speed and takes up hardly any memory.
Make your own GIF, or get the Marketing Owl to make one for you! Simply put your request into the enquiry form and I will get back to you in due course.
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