You’ve probably seen the integration of GIFs in most social media tools over the last 12 months. They bring a new level of personality to what is otherwise quite a difficult platform to show emotion. It’s a good thing.
People are really enjoying this medium, as GIFs have seen incredible growth over the past 12-18 months alone. Giphy as just one tool offering integrated GIFs can be seen on your facebook messenger, slack, and even Outlook now! Microsoft Outlook released a Gihy plugin this month to break down the corporate world communication. Adam Leibsohn, COO at Giphy, is excited about it to say the least.
t hasn’t been an easy ride for GIFs to take off in the social media realm though. In fact, Giphy initially hacked a Twitter card to get GIFs inside the platform. A good strategy, as this allowed then to be seen and enjoyed in a setting which would stir some buzz.
With this great power to further engage users as a brand comes the necessity to use them for your brand responsibly. If your brand strategy is not coming through in your communication involving GIFs then you need to restructure your approach. What experiences, colours and other brand elements do you want your users to see and feel? This is what should be done for all social media, digital marketing and any advertising for that matter, so why not for GIFs?
With a GIF, you’re in my phone, you’re in my text message… It’s a much more personal relationship with the content and what’s in it.
Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out giphy here.