Are You Using Gifs The Right Way On Social Media by Kimberly Jean Fricke?

1. Are You Using Gifs The Right Way On Social Media? Do you hear everyone talking about the latest GIF that they saw online? However, you really are not sure exactly what they are talking about? With technology becoming such an integral part of our lives, new terms are popping up left and right, and the mighty GIF is one of them. The term GIF has been around for quite some time and unless you were really into computers, you would have had no need to know it. However, it is an essential term to know if you run a website or social media account for your business. GIFs are one of the primary ways people are making their point heard online. A GIF is also known as a Graphics Interchange Format and is simply a small picture that can be either static or animated. Many times these small pictures feature an image from pop culture or the news. These small images tend to convey a large message in one simple image. Many times, they do so very well. So the question becomes, are you going to begin using GIFs in your social media marketing? And is there really a need to do so? Let's tackle the second part of that question, as to if there is a need to. Without a doubt that is a resounding yes! With each passing year, it is getting harder and harder to keep the attention of readers on social media. They are looking for instant gratification and do not want to be bothered by long text or even long videos anymore. The shorter you are able to convey a thought or a message, the better. While you may feel as though your message is getting lost in such a simple message, it is possible to pack one mighty punch in a GIF. With the right image and message, it can be rather easy to go viral. Now you do not have to become a GIF publisher overnight and try to hit a home run everyday. In fact, you can search online for the right GIFs that are going to help the message you are trying to convey. There are literally millions of GIFs online and can easily be shared to your social media accounts. GIPHY is one of the larger online libraries for GIFs, and should be able to give you a great running start. You want to find a GIF that is going to resonate with your viewers and to make them take action on this GIF. One of the best ways to get practice with using GIFs the right way is a bit of friendly spying on the competition. Take a look at how their social media accounts are using GIFS. Are they popular? Are those posts getting a lot of engagement? If that is a yes, they are doing something right and you will want to emulate what they are doing. However, do not copy, make sure you stay true to your brand and message and make it better than the competition!