GIF, which is an acronym for Graphical Interchange Format, was initially introduced in the year 1987 by Steve Wilhite and since then it has been embraced by the internet to an extent that GIFs are still popular and relevant to this very day. GIFS are fun and creative and they have the power to make you laugh in even the most chaotic of situations. Because of their popularity in mainstream and social media, GIFs were rated among the top 5 trends in the web world in 2020. GIFs can be used in a variety of ways and offer a lot of benefits when compared with the traditional modes of brand promotion.
Here, we will discuss the different ways in which you can use GIFs to promote your brand in 2021;
How Can You Use GIFs For Marketing Purposes
GIFs can be used in a variety of ways in brand promotion. For Instance, GIFs can help you;
To Promote a Product, Service, or Event
GIFs can be used to promote a particular product, service, or event and they will help you to show off a variety of details that will attract your audience more than a traditional picture would. GIFs also provide your audience an opportunity to learn more about your product or the services that you are offering in a short 4 to 6 second clip. This is why a lot of the top brands in the world today are using GIFs for brand promotion and marketing.
To Increase Overall Audience Retention
Nowadays, people have plenty of information to process online because a lot of brands are constantly promoting their products and services through various means. This constant bombardment can often be overwhelming for a consumer.
According to various studies, it has been noted that people find it easy to consume information if it is presented in a visual form. Consumers are likely to skim through the text or ignore it altogether in order to prevent information overload. This is why GIFs are an ideal tool for brand promotion and marketing in today’s world.
To Showcase Your Brand’s Personality
Brand personality is an important factor in today’s marketing landscape. It does not only show your customers that you are a brand that is focused on providing them an overall positive experience but also gives them a way to relate to your brand’s message.
When you add animated pictures to your brand’s social media marketing strategy, you are essentially creating a communication strategy that will help you engage your audience.
To Tell a Story About a Product or Process
As stated above, GIFs are easier to consume and digest as compared to other marketing material normally posted on social media. This is why GIFs provide an effective way for brands to tell a story. If you use GIFs properly, you can provoke an emotional response from your audience in less than ten or twenty seconds. A lot of times, it is much easier and simpler to explain various instructions or processes through visual representation as compared to written instructions.
To Interact With your Audience
User Generated Content or UGC is becoming widely popular and effective in today’s digital market. It provides you with an excellent and effective way to promote your brand with minimal time and effort. UGC also helps you in adding an element of trust between you and your target audience and makes them more invested in your products and the message you are conveying as a brand.
In the aforementioned text, we have discussed how influential and beneficial GIFs can be for your brand’s marketing and promotion. If you use GIFs properly, you can ensure that not only you promote your brand or service, but also retain your audience and make them hooked to your products and content. All of these factors make GIFs one of the best digital marketing and brand promotion strategies in 2021.