Episode 79: To GIF or Not to GIF

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to another Imperfect Marketing Brief! I hope you're ready to answer a CRUCIAL question: to GIF or not to GIF.Now, let's take a step back. One of my goals for 2023 was to increase my email engagement by 10% by the end of Q2. I am excited to report that I have already achieved it and am moving into maintenance mode.So, how did I do it?GIFs!It sounds so silly and almost stupid, but GIFs have increased my engagement rate. I ran a test in January and tested a few things out with some A/B testing on emails and the emails with the GIFs got more clicks, replies, and opens than the ones without.Pretty impressive, right?So, should you be using GIFs in your emails?I would say for almost anyone in almost any business; you can use a GIF. You need to be careful, and I wouldn’t put it in a super serious email, but let people see your personality and get to know you.So, how do you insert a GIF in an email?It depends on your email service provider. Google is a great place to start, but if you use Constant Contact or ConvertKit, I can give you some advice.I recommend starting at giphy.com to find your amazing GIFs.First, Constant Contact. It’s SUPER easy. Just like you would add any image to an email but instead of uploading, use the tab at the top that says Image URL instead of Library. Then, insert the Share link you copy from giphy.com, press preview, and then insert. You are good to go!Second, if you are using Convert Kit, it’s also easy but takes one more step.Once you find the GIF  you want, go to download it. Sometimes you might need to right-click on it and hit "save image as." Save it as a .gif and nothing else or it won’t work.Then, upload the GIF like you would any other image. Easy peasy!What's your stance on to GIF or not to GIF? What do you think of them? Have you seen an increase in your engagement?Inquiring minds want to know! Let me know your experience at [email protected]:Speaking of email engagement... Brand new to the amazing world of email marketing? Start here!Check out my FREE downloadable on the 7 Steps to Reaching Your First 1000 Subscribers.Struggling to write eye-catching subject lines? I can help!Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Sign up for a VIP Day Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here