Do you want to jazz up your email? A GIF could do the job. GIFs are not only visually appealing, but they are also effective. According to research, emails with a GIF within have a 26% greater clickthrough rate than non-GIF counterparts.

Email-based marketing have also greatly increased income. According to MarketingSherpa, in one case study, Dell employed a GIF in an email campaign and experienced a 109% boost in sales.

If you want to add a GIF to your next campaign, we’ll look at six email marketing campaigns with killer GIFs for inspiration, as well as some techniques for adding GIFs to your email efficiently.

What exactly is a GIF?
Before we get into the awesome GIF advertisements, let’s establish what a GIF is.

A GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, is a moving image. Consider it a digital flipbook that connects many photos to give the illusion of movement. An example of a GIF in an email is as follows:

A strategy is required while working with GIFs. What exactly do you want the GIF to accomplish? Will it include products? How do you draw a subscriber’s attention to a certain section of an email? Take some time to consider what the GIF will do for you.

To alleviate some of the effort of GIF preparation, here are several email marketing campaigns with killer GIFs that you should definitely copy:

1. A Birchbox subscription has never looked so nice.
   Birchbox, a membership-based cosmetics provider, has announced a massive discount. A GIF is used by the firm to illustrate the boxes of beauty items that members get each month. The boxes gradually develop around the sale information, transforming the email into a work of art.
2. Van’s advertises their gift recommendations using animated GIFs.
   Van’s, famed for its skateboarding clothes and boots, designed a full-page GIF to launch their Christmas catalog. The animation, although unconventional, speaks to the Van’s brand and is a more engaging technique to entice consumers to purchase than a static picture and call to action.
3. Modcloth displays accessories
   Modcloth, an online clothes company, uses an inspiring GIF to demonstrate its clients how to embellish a garment. Customers view the same outfit with a sweater, jacket, sunglasses, and various shoes in seconds.

The GIF is the internet equivalent of a window display seen in a physical business. It provides them with the ideas they need to complete their style.

4. Fashion Magazine adds a GIF to their newsletter.
   Fashion magazines send out newsletters on a regular basis, sometimes daily depending on the preferences of their subscribers. So, how can a publisher keep the material fresh? With the occasional GIF, you guessed it.

Fashion Magazine’s newsletter layout is constant. A primary piece of content is placed on top, with four to six tiny pieces underneath it. Each block usually features a picture and a headline, although sometimes one of the blocks is a GIF. Consider the following example. The GIF is so captivating that subscribers are compelled to click on it to learn more.

It’s a wonderful approach to break up the monotony of the email while also providing readers with something unique.

5. Apartment Therapy serves as a source of design ideas.
   Apartment Therapy, an online publisher that promotes home design and décor, utilizes a GIF to demonstrate the impact art can have on their walls. The GIF alternates between showing an empty wall and the same wall with art on it.

The visual quality of this GIF allows the reader to immediately comprehend how art may influence the appearance of a space. Apartment Therapy, like many publications, sends out a lot of emails and carefully employs GIFs to offer viewers something out of the norm.

6. Harry’s uses an animated clock to underline the importance of time.
   Harry’s, a shaving equipment firm, issued this email with an animated clock to urge consumers to act quickly.

Forget about timers and flashing lights that read, “Time is Running Out.” Harry’s keeps things understated. Except for the clock, which attracts your attention to it and indicates the urgency of purchasing immediately, everything in the picture remains static.

Before you send your first GIF in an email, here are few things you should know.
Are you feeling motivated now? Before you begin designing email marketing campaigns using killer gifs, there are a few things you should be aware of before including these mini-movies into your email marketing strategy:

You do not need to be an animator.
Making a GIF does not need a degree in animation. There are various user-friendly tools available to assist you in easily creating a GIF. Consider EzGIF, GIFMaker.me, or Giphy.

After creating the GIF and saving it to your computer, you may include it into an email as you would a picture. It’s as easy as uploading it and inserting it into your email template.

Keep file size and load time in mind.
GIFs may rapidly grow to be big files, which is inconvenient for email. Large files result in sluggish load times, which can irritate your subscribers. Keep your GIF file size under 400 KB and your picture size under 480 pixels in width and height if you generate one.

Before sending it to others, send a test email to your phone and observe how fast it loads.

Change up your GIF use.
GIFs are versatile, as seen by the examples. They might be a minor component of your email or the entire focus of it. You make the call. To begin, you may attempt producing something simple to understand the technique and then progressing to more complicated looks later.

It is critical to choose the initial frame.
GIFs are not supported by all email clients. The subscriber will only see the first frame of the GIF rather than a moving image. For example, Outlook 2007, 2010, and 2013 will only display the first frame. Given this, the initial frame of your GIF is critical. Make sure the first frame may be used as an image on its own.

Send a test message
As with any email, you should send a test email to yourself before sending it to the whole public. Aside from assessing load times, ensure sure the GIF plays appropriately. Examine how it fits in with the remainder of your email as well. A GIF should enhance, not detract from, your email and its content.

Of course, if you find any mistakes, correct them before submitting.

Don’t go too far.
GIFs are great, but like everything else, they may be overused. Test just one GIF and observe how your consumers react. If it goes well, try again. However, use them sparingly so that consumers do not become tired of them.

Wrap Up
GIFs have evolved into an effective, attention-grabbing marketing tool for many firms. However, as with any marketing approach, there are recommended practices to follow before include a GIF in your next email. Fortunately, the email marketing campaign ideas and examples with killer gifs provide a perfect beginning point for creating and sending an email with a GIF within.

Everyone, have fun producing GIFs.