What is the value of a GIF?
GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format, that is, a compressed image exchange format.
GIF is not a video format. In general, it is a succession of images that are shown continuously, generating the sensation of movement. Consequently, it has no sound.
Did you know that a GIF can only contain 2 to 256 colors? This happens to eliminate unnecessary tones in the images, thus reducing their weight considerably.
What is a GIF used for?
Nowadays, GIFs have become very popular on social networks because they convey a casual and much more explicit message than a photograph or an emoji.
Generally, the GIF format is accepted in most social networks and content managers, therefore, they can be included as graphic elements in our online communication strategy. Use them in blogging, social networks or email marketing, to highlight banners, buttons, lead magnets or any other element you want to highlight.
On the other hand, GIF is compatible with Google Ads, therefore, many brands use this format in their display advertising campaigns. Its hypnotic effect and high potential to be viral, make it an option that many want to take advantage of.
Pepsi is just one of the brands that bet on GIFs in their digital marketing strategy. Likewise, famous people like Jennifer López also use these fast-consuming animations to promote their image and products.
Learning how to create and use GIFs is within everyone’s reach and it’s important to inform yourself about how to properly use them and what they’re possible benefits are.
Advantages of the GIF format compared to JPG and PNG
Regarding SEO, the main advantage of the GIF format is that it is particularly light in weight, which is very convenient for introducing visual content on our websites, without sacrificing loading speed, which is very beneficial for organic positioning.
On the other hand, the hypnotic effect of GIFs can increase the time spent on a web page or stimulate the user to click to decrease the bounce rate.
A GIF can also be made up of a single image. This is a very important point because many of us automatically use the JPG and PNG formats for images, ignoring that the GIF format can have notable advantages over them.
In general, you will be able to get a lower image weight with the GIF format, compared to traditional formats. If you download both images and compare their properties, you’ll notice that the image in GIF format, has a slightly lower weight than the image in PNG format. On pages with many images, the weight decrease would be noticeable.
The same would happen with logos, lead magnets, buttons, banners or any image with a limited color palette, that does not require great detail, it might be convenient to use the GIF format to obtain maximum compression.
The use of GIFs has some associated disadvantages, these are: Designing it takes more time and resources than a fixed image in JPG since the planning and validation of the story must be considered together with the execution of the image in different programs.
GIFs can be found in most social networks and they have the fundamental characteristic of transmitting information quickly, as well as emotions. Some other characteristics that GIFs provide are:
- Allows being played on any device and it’s a lightweight format
- They have a high ability to attract attention and allow quick and effortless understanding of what they are trying to convey.
- They generate awareness and engagement.
- The format has a great capacity for getting viral.
