The Internet is full of websites showing videos, dynamic CSS effects, and WebGL animation animations, but what about email newsletters? They are created using HTML and CSS in most cases and look almost like a mini version of a landing page. The situation is fundamentally different. All the techniques listed above are suitable for websites but useless for email communications. Email readers do not support video to a large extent. It is strongly recommended to use CSS dynamic effects as a substitute for JavaScript control effects, but the user mail agent does not support it correctly. JavaScript is forbidden, so there is no WebGL.
What if you are tired of static email communications and want to add some vitality to the experience? The answer may be surprising: use GIFs.
GIFs are with us as always, and they have great potential and are becoming assets for email communications.
Animated GIFs in the email newsletter
GIFs seem to be the only effective way to add some video to the email newsletter. Since it is a standard image format, similar to JPEG or PNG, it is suitable for almost all email clients. The email client will still show the first frame when it doesn’t work, so subscribers will not be confused.
Animated GIF is used for:
- Adding an element of delight
- Generating interest
- Humor
- Visually support messaging
- Make newsletter popular and friendly
- Increasing diversity and enriching the user experience.
It is very easy to include it in a newsletter, especially when using an online HTML builder. However, you can’t blindly rely on GIFs on every occasion. If not, the subscription rate may decrease, or worse, the cancellation rate may increase.
When To Use GIFs
- First, make sure you define your target audience correctly. Check these:
- Email client support
- Audience age
- Audience preference
When you are ready, release the power hidden in each small animation loop. Use them to:
Use visual cues instead of lists to display new features
Display interactions to retain customers
Explain complicated ideas and make complex concepts look simple
Promote products in a non-intrusive way
Maintain interest
Relax customers
Pitfalls Using GIF in email communications
Like everything else, GIFs have limitations and flaws. You need to consider several issues.
Before sending email newsletters containing GIFs, make sure your subscribers can enjoy them. First, consider email client support, and the good news is that most email readers support GIFs.
Another thing to consider is height and weight. In a world where there are many spam filters, and people don’t want to wait more than 3 to 5 seconds to load a page, the size of the GIF plays a crucial role. If it reduces the performance of the newsletter, subscribers are likely to reject it.
How to overcome obstacles
If you want your GIF to benefit your newsletter, here are some suggestions to stick to:
- Know your audience.
- Run the A/B test.
- Use two GIFs at most.
- Don’t overdo it.
- Make it as simple as possible.
- Use custom GIF. With a free GIF, your audience has probably seen it a million times.
Steps to Create a GIF
It doesn’t take many resources to create a GIF for your next email newsletter, and there are lots of online tools to help you create one.
Step 1: Choose the one that suits you best.
Step 2: Focus on an idea. Choose only things that help convey the message and get to the point. Do not include CTA because if the image is blocked, it may be lost. Place the CTA nearby or use a link tag to link your GIF to the video or landing page.
Step 3: Optimize the results. Reduce the size, use colors, animate part of the scene, and test the quality of the image.
How to add GIFs to an email newsletter.
Adding a GIF to an email newsletter is easy. If you are not tech-savvy, you are most likely using a marketing platform or an online HTML email newsletter generator. If so, use the convenient drag and drop interface and click the “Upload” or “Change Image” button to add a GIF. In the panel, you can change the size and add backlinks and ALT.
Conclusion
GIFs can be a powerful tool for email marketing. They can add variety to the design, enrich the user experience, amplify information, increase click-through rates, and separate your email communications from other communications. With all of these, they can work well with many email readers. Of course, there are some pitfalls, but all of them can be easily overcome.
To learn more or if you have any questions regarding marketing, web design and development, contact Windy City Web Designs today.