There are a lot of websites out there that use movies, CSS dynamic effects, and WebGL-powered animations, but what about email newsletters? In the majority of cases, they are built with HTML and CSS and resemble a little landing page; nevertheless, the reality is fundamentally different. When it comes to web pages, all of the technologies described above are useful, but when it comes to email newsletters, they are useless.

What should you do if you’re weary of receiving static email newsletters and want to spice things up a little? The answer might surprise you: Make use of animated GIFs.

Email Newsletters with Animated Gifs

GIFs appear to be the only viable technique to add some activity to email newsletters. It works in practically every email client because it is a standard image format like JPEG or PNG. If it doesn’t function, the email will still show the first frame to avoid confusion among subscribers.

Animated GIFs are used to:

  • Add an element of joy
  • Trigger curiosity
  • Add comedy
  • Visually reinforce a message
  • Make the newsletter appealing and friendly

The usage of GIFs is limited only by your creativity. GIFs are a terrific way to provide variety and enhance the user experience. They can improve the odds of achieving a higher click-through rate, according to recent studies.

When should you utilize GIFs?

First, double-check that you’ve defined your target audience appropriately. Examine the following:

  • Email clients are supported.
  • The audience’s age
  • The preferences of the audience
  • When you’re ready, tap into the power concealed behind each repeated animation.   

Make use of them to:

  • Instead of lists, use visual cues to demonstrate new features.
  • Customers will be more engaged if interactions are shown.
  • Make complicated things appear easy by illustrating tough concepts.
  • Promote your items in a non-obtrusive way.
  • Maintain your audience’s interest
  • Simply interact with your consumers.
  • GIFs are a viable option.

Obstacles that you may meet

The following are some of the drawbacks of utilizing GIFs:

  • Spam filters may reject it since it is an image format.
  • It won’t start playing until it’s entirely loaded, which might cause issues if customers have a sluggish internet connection.
  • GIFs are overused; limit yourself to one or two in your email because too many can easily detract from the overall experience.
  • It may be unsuitable for the target audience; use caution while using GIFs, since some people may find this style insulting.
  • Slow down the performance; static email newsletters are quicker and more efficient than animated ones.
  • Some folks may have trouble understanding GIFs due to abrupt shifts or colors.

How to overcome mentioned obstacles

Here is some advise to follow if you want your GIF to boost your campaign.

  • Know who you’re talking to. If you don’t think a GIF is acceptable, don’t use it.
  • First, do A/B testing. Your perception of the circumstance might be deceiving at times.
  • At a time, just use one or two GIFs. Excessive use is harmful.
  • Don’t go overboard. Select only the most important frames. Remember that GIFs aren’t the same as videos. The animation should last a few seconds rather than a minute or more.
  • It should be as light as feasible. You just need to deal with a few change layers here, not the entire scenario.
  • Keep it short and sweet. There is no time to waste; only provide the most important details.
  • Pay attention to the first frame. Because certain Outlook versions refuse to display GIFs and just show the first frame, make it instructive.
  • Utilize ALTs to their full potential. There will be subscribers who do not want to view photographs in their email because this is an image format. If an image display fails, ALT will save your life.
  • It’s neither too big nor too little. An email newsletter’s typical width is 600 pixels. The design is mobile-friendly and will shrink when viewed on a mobile device.
  • Don’t bother with a retina-ready version. In your user’s mailbox, it will crash and burn.
  • Make your own GIFs. If you are short on both time and money, you should use extreme caution while making a decision. There is no shortage of free GIFs.

How to add GIFs to your Email Newsletter

It’s simple to include a GIF in an email newsletter. If you’re not very tech-savvy, you’re probably utilizing a marketing platform or an online HTML email newsletter builder like Postcards. If that’s the case, utilize the convenient drag-and-drop interface to add GIFs by simply clicking the “Upload” or “Change image” buttons. You may alter the size, as well as add a backlink and an ALT tag, in the panel.

Tag is your buddy if you are comfortable with code. GIF is similar to other image formats such as JPEG and PNG in that it is a standard image format. Remember to include “alt” and style it to make it operate uniformly across numerous platforms.

 

Conclusion

In email marketing, GIFs may be a useful tool. They may provide variety to the design, improve the user experience, emphasize the content, boost CTR, and set your email newsletter apart from the competition. And, on top of that, they’re compatible with a variety of email clients. Of course, there are certain stumbling blocks, but they are all easily overcomeable.

Examples