Victoria Taylor June 19, 2020 
Gifs have firmly placed themselves on our screens and as content marketing essentials for both B2C and B2B brands. We honestly can’t get enough GIFs. They perfectly convey what we feel, would like to express, and love in just a few frames.
Web Tech Survey found that around 22.7% of all websites have GIFs. They also found that Facebook ranked for the highest use of GIFs in the world, so we can ultimately assume that Instagram will follow suit joining the list of platforms dominated with GIFs as of 2020 and beyond.
GIF’s are the perfect combination of video and images, mobile-friendly, but cheaper than video, not to mention there’s an entire library of GIF you can tap into on Giphy and Tumblr.
After all, Instagram has incorporated GIFs as a long-standing Instagram Story feature. Don’t forget that striking visuals are key players when it comes to building a compelling brand presence on Instagram. Brands have caught on to the wave of connecting with customers through engaging, relatable, and viral content, such as videos, memes, and now GIF’s.
What smart marketers know is that GIFs can also help to increase sales and engagement. When used right or creating a GIF, you can tap into GIF culture’s power on Instagram, whether it’s in your feed or stories.
1. Use GIFs on Instagram as Call to Actions (CTAs)
Brands on Instagram are now using GIFs to highlight CTA’s (call to actions), and why not?
How many of us have scrolled through our feed and tapped past hundreds of stories.
Humans overall have short attention spans, and we forget the most basic of things without the help of pretty colors and GIF highlighting actions we need to take, like (Swipe up!).
Instagram now offers thousands of CTA’s you can add to stories to grab your viewer’s attention. Whether it’s a shop now tag, neon highlighted arrow, or new video button.
If you feel like diving deep into the business features Instagram Stories can provide check out Later’s The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Stories for Business.
2. Use GIF’s for Creatively Product Display on Instagram
GIFs aren’t only for stories, and you can create your own GIFs and use them to spice up your content, give followers a new experience, or take on your brand’s personality.
When it comes to Instagram content, it’s sometimes easy to see the same old content, and if you’re creating content, you can find yourself stuck in a rut. Instead, use GIFs in your Instagram feed to spice up your content and creatively display your products on Instagram.
GIFs are perfect for launching a new product or sales, so create something fancy that will stop your followers from scrolling past. For example, check out Oreo’s Limited Edition Tiramisu OREO cookie GIF!
The key to creating GIFs with your products is to capture lifestyle and fun content that connects easily with customers. Balancing creativity and sales helps you to make the most out of it. Keep the sales pitch and details in the captions and let the GIF do all the razzle-dazzle. The best GIFs have little to no words, instead, they’re focused on a product or action.
For example, Starbucks is a brand known to add a bit of GIF here and there showcasing new beverages. When they launched their new Iced Coconut Milk, they used a GIF to quickly display the two flavors available with their Ice Coconut Milk. Short, simple, and sweet (literally).
You can take things to the next level by combining GIFs and Memes (yes, that’s a thing, you just haven’t realized).
3. Increase Engagement on Instagram with GIF’s
Engagement and followers are the two main currencies on Instagram. You either have it, or you don’t. If you find that you need to boost engagement, then use GIFs to spark up a conversation with your audience.
The British Bake Off Uses GIF content to celebrate food holidays, quiz followers, and share the exciting news. Instead of using a static image, a GIF conveys far more information in a short amount of time than a regular video. In this example, they are asking followers to share their favorite cake day lyrics!
Here are some tips you can use to create engaging GIF content:
- Ask your followers what they would choose (this or that)?
- Ask questions to get feedback from your followers relating to your content, product, or services, or what they’d like to see on your Instagram page.
- Create a pop quiz on your website and use a GIF post to promote it.
- Create a GIF to highlight any online activities such as giveaways, going live, or uploading a new video.
4. Stay Relevant on Instagram with GIF Culture
Social media is a reflection of the trends, changes, and news that affects its followers. So it’s essential to stay up to date with what’s happening.
When Covid-19 hit the US, food service providers had to find a new way to meet their customers halfway. Food delivery skyrocketed like never before because it seemed the only way people could safely consume food from their favorite brands. Krispy followed suit when they used GIF on Instagram to announce their Drive-Thru, Pickup & Delivery options for their Krispy Kreme lovers.
You can use GIFs to showcase that your team knows what’s happening, and you’re providing solutions and helping them along the way. Tap into GIF culture so you can lighthearted and effectively connect with your customers during the fun and hard times.
5 Best Tools to Create GIFs for Instagram
With thousands of graphic tools and apps, you don’t need a graphic designer to create fun and exciting GIFs. Here are five of the best tools to create GIFs for Instagram:
Canva
Adobe Photoshop
GIF Maker
Giphy
Summary
Using GIFs on Instagram is just the tip of the iceberg; there’s a whole digital marketing world out there already using GIFs to capture and retain leads. GIFs are a worthy investment for any content marketing strategy.
If you’re not sure where to start with GIF, take a look at what other brands are doing or what popular GIFs are trending and make them your own. Here’s a quick recap of the four fun ways Instagram GIFS help to increase sales and engagement:
- Use GIFs on Instagram as Call to Actions (CTAs)
- Use GIFs for Creatively Product Display on Instagram
- Increase Engagement on Instagram with GIF’s
- Stay Relevant on Instagram with GIF Culture
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