GIFs are a lot of fun, and they can help you become very creative with your social media marketing strategy. If you have never made a GIF before, don’t worry— there are several apps out there that can help you make some fun GIFs using your smartphone and easily share them on social media, like GifBoom and GIPHYCam. 

Making a GIF is simple: think of something that will resonate with your target audience and tell a story, record a short video clip, add some text to it (optional), and voilà!

When used for marketing purposes, GIFs are intended to tell a visual story in 2-6 seconds. They’re meant to be short, fun, and easy to consume. Think of the many ways you can show your customers what you have to offer in just a few seconds. The secret to creating successful GIFs is to craft something that will evoke positive emotions like happiness, excitement, nostalgia, romance, and satisfaction. The goal of the GIF is to make a connection with your audience, get viewers to click through to your profile and website, and ultimately convert them into brand advocates and  customers.

If you’re selling clothing, for example, try making a series of GIFs showing a variety of outfits for the season, or if you’re selling food, show the satisfaction of a family enjoying a meal. If you’re selling an experience like a harbor tour, consider something like a GIF showing the excitement of a child seeing wildlife for the first time aboard your boat. From behind the scenes looks at your employees at work to the end result of your product being enjoyed by a customer, the sky’s the limit when it comes to the many ways you can use GIFs in your social media marketing.

One word of caution—you probably have seen many GIFs using videos from the internet. Most of these GIFs are fun and lighthearted. If you decide to use someone else’s videos to create your GIFs, please be aware of copyright laws. You should also get an outside perspective to make sure your GIF is easily understood and relatable, because  sometimes something that may seem fun and innocent to you may become a PR nightmare for your company if taken the wrong way. My suggestion is to record your own video clips (or use photos) to create GIFs that highlight your brand.

As always, if you need help with your social media marketing, please give us a call. Your first 30-minute consultation is free of charge.