- April 16, 2024
- Blog
Email engagement is one of the key concerns of businesses. On average, the email click-through rate is around 2.6%, and even that is considered quite good. However, it’s important for a brand or business to use various tactics to yield specific results.
That’s where tactics like using visual content come into play. It’s a known fact that online audiences prefer visual content over any written text. Experts say around 91% of online consumers prefer to see visual content than read written one.
That’s when content like GIFs comes into play and saves an email reader the hassle of perusing too much. But what exactly is a GIF? And, how does it impact the readability or retention rate of an email? And, how do you go about using it? Let’s answer that and more as we dive right into it.
What Is a GIF?
A GIF, short for Graphics Interchange Format, is a type of image file that supports both static and animated images. Unlike traditional images, GIFs can display a sequence of frames that creates a simple and looping animation.
They’ve become a popular form of online expression due to their ability to convey emotions, reactions, or brief narratives in a concise and engaging manner. Here is how a GIF image works:
- Image format supporting static and animated sequences;
- Contains multiple frames for dynamic visual storytelling;
- Displays brief animations in a seamless loop;
- Conveys emotions, reactions, or product features effectively;
- And enhances engagement by adding visual appeal to content.
Nowadays, these GIF images are used quite a bit to portray specific emotions. They could be tidbits from a movie, a music video, or any other visual content. This meme appeal has made them quite a common way to react to messages or, as mentioned before, display particular reactions.
Now, in email marketing, leveraging GIFs can significantly enhance engagement by adding a visually appealing element to emailing campaigns. You don’t have to go all out for the sake of being funny. However, using GIFs can help portray the point better.
While we’ll talk about the usage later, experts at EmailBulkSender.com say that a GIF image explaining the functionality of a product is much better than 5-10 long-written steps. That’s just one example and one of the main reasons why GIF is quite ideal for emails.
Why Focus on Email Engagement?
Before we talk about using GIFs in emails or its benefits, let’s talk about why your focus should be on improving email engagement. Experts say that emails for marketing purposes average around 46-50% in open rates.
That means for every 100 emails you send, only 46-50 emails will be opened by the target users. That’s why, prioritizing email engagement is essential for a successful marketing strategy. Because email engagement assesses the level of interaction and connection between a brand and its audience.
However, besides this, email engagement is open because:
- Email engagement measures brand-audience interaction and connection;
- Goes beyond open rates and assesses overall relation with the audience;
- Helps connect with audience while cultivating loyalty and customer retention;
- Crucial in the competitive digital market to ensure long-term customer relationships;
- And drives conversions by nurturing meaningful brand connections.
Moreover, effective email engagement establishes brand loyalty and contributes significantly to customer retention. Considering how emailing is one of the surefire ways to get in touch with a customer, it’s important to use GIFs properly to increase engagement.
While open rates and click-through rates are important, using visual content is one of the necessities that can help a brand establish its identity with customers. That’s why, it’s important to focus on creating a strategy that increases engagement with the use of GIFs in emails.
5 Benefits of Using GIFs in Email Marketing
Using GIFs in email marketing has quite a few benefits. These benefits range from better engagement to higher visual appeal. But, perhaps the most important benefit of using GIFs is staying in line with modern trends.
So, bearing that in mind, here are 5 key benefits according to EmailBulkSender.com of using GIFS in email marketing today:
Enhanced Visual Appeal
GIFs add a neat visual touch to emails and capture the attention with moving images. This visual appeal makes content more attractive and stands out among similar emails. This increases the likelihood of recipients engaging and reacting to the message.
Increased Engagement
The animated nature of GIFs naturally draws recipients’ eyes, encouraging them to interact with the content. This heightened engagement can lead to higher click-through rates while improving the overall effectiveness of email campaigns.
Improved Communication
GIFs enable concise communication by conveying messages or emotions effectively in a brief sequence. While they can also be used in a humorous way, using them for serious tones can also ensure that information is communicated clearly and memorably to the audience.
Higher Retention and Recall
The combination of visuals and movement in GIFs makes them memorable. This increased memorability contributes to higher retention rates, as recipients are more likely to remember the content of emails with such GIFs.
Trendy and Modern Appeal
Integrating GIFs into email marketing aligns with modern digital trends. The modern appeal of GIFs connects with audiences that are accustomed to interactive online experiences. Thus, it helps position brands as current and innovative with this communication strategy.
How To Use GIFs in Email Marketing: 4 Key Ways
Now let’s talk about some of the best ways you can use GIFs in email marketing. While it depends on your preference and creativity, here are some surefire ways of employing GIFs in an email:
Attention-Grabbing Visuals
Let’s say you’re making an animation to accompany your email, then it should be an attention-grabbing one. This visual appeal can enhance the overall impact of the message while making it more engaging and memorable. So, try focusing on:
- Using memorable or emotion-inducing colors;
- Keeping animations simple—try whiteboard or 2D;
- And use something that connects with the audience.
That is how you can connect with your audience by incorporating GIFs strategically. It will also improve the likelihood of recipients noticing and interacting with the content in a visually appealing manner.
Product Demonstrations
The second way to use GIFs is using them for product demonstrations. It allows brands to present their offerings visually while offering a brief yet engaging demo of their product’s features. This method captures attention effectively while conveying essential details in a quick way.
Now, you can use these GIFs to highlight key functionalities and provide your target recipients with a quick and compelling overview. This visual strategy not only enriches your email but also boosts understanding and interest among the targeted audience.
Creative Email Signatures
Employing GIFs in email signatures can add a touch of creativity to your emails. Creative email signatures with subtle GIF elements can easily improve the visual appeal of outgoing messages. Moreover, they can also make them more memorable and aesthetically pleasing.
So, how do you go about adding these? Here are a few suggestions by experts of EmailBulkSender.com:
- Keep it subtle;
- Ensure professionalism;
- Optimize for size;
- And align with brand aesthetics.
This approach not only makes email signatures more engaging but also aligns with contemporary trends.
Interactive Calls-to-Action
Integrating GIFs into email marketing for interactive calls-to-action can also prove to be vital. People tend to be attracted to visually appealing things in any sort of text.
And if the GIF image for the CTA is enticing enough, they might just click through. So, try using them in CTA to make them more appealing.
Conclusion
These are some of the best benefits, methods, and key elements of the role of GIFs in email marketing strategies. While an email is mostly reliant on text, adding visual elements like appealing GIFs can make it stand out and yield better results. So, try the aforementioned tips and yield the benefits of using GIFs in an email.
