No matter what day you pick, we’re sure your email inboxes are always bombarded with automated emails and newsletters aplenty!
However, amidst the many email templates in HTML that land in your inbox, how many do you read through? Or are they just marked read so there’s one less unread notification in your inbox?
But wait, this doesn’t mean you should think HTML templates email marketing is a lost cause altogether. After all, according to 80% of professionals, email marketing drives customer acquisition and retention — it’s not about shunning emails, it’s about how you craft your brand’s email campaigns!
GIFs to the rescue!
There is a trendy way to create a winning email marketing campaign that is creating a lot of buzz lately. If you look at examples of email marketing campaigns, you will notice that the use of an animated GIF in an email is making heads turn and for all the right reasons.
GIFs are working wonders in content marketing and email marketing
Why and how? Well, let’s find out!
The future looks promising for GIFs.
Picture this…
Two-thirds of millennial customers feel like GIFs express thoughts better than words. More recently, some of the most massive and influential tech companies are welcoming the use of animated GIF in an email with open arms because it seamlessly blends videos and photography.
Take a look at Instagram’s ‘Boomerang’, a feature that makes it easy to play short videos on a loop using subtle movements in static situations.
Even Apple users can take advantage of ‘Live Photos’, short stop-action movies recorded in the seconds before and after shooting a still image. These features make one thing certain — Platforms are making it simple for even non-professionals to make short animations and GIFs.
Why?
- Motion infuses another perspective to the story you wish to tell.
- You can always experiment in unique and exciting ways.
So naturally, it didn’t take long for brands to follow suit and use the power of the GIF wisely in their HTML templates email and email marketing campaigns.
If you’re waiting for some inspiration on how to use an animated GIF in an email design, we’ve got your back!
Check out how some popular brands use animated GIF in an email design in spellbinding ways to keep their audience hooked.
When Should you Engage people through GIFs?
Email templates in HTML can be added with GIFs in these ways to create the best impact. Here are some examples of email marketing campaigns you can feast your eyes on.
- When advertising for an exciting offer
- Headspace’s funny yet calming GIF puts the recipient in just the right mood to take advantage of an amazing offer!
- It falls under the examples of email marketing where an ideal blend of illustrations and animated photography create a GIF that brings a sense of calm, charm, and captures your attention.
- LuLuFam’s attractive yet fun-filled example email marketing tactic adds the right amount of razzle-dazzle by teasing a Balck Friday Sale.
- Simultaneously, it also highlights the most important bits urging subscribers to go shopping so they don’t miss out on deals and fantastic offers!
- SJ Innovation’s use of animated GIFs in an email sparks interest and forges a connection with its trusted readers as it shows a glimpse of the team members in the company.
- It simultaneously gives them an offer they can’t resist as it points them towards the CTA which is all the way to the bottom It emphasizes a company milestone and gives readers an offer, making them get the entire message through a single GIF.
- If you’re looking up examples of email marketing campaigns, take a look at this template used by Starbucks.
- While the template is straightforward, the GIF cleverly emphasizes the discount offer.
- It grabs the customer’s attention subtly which creates the most impact.
2) When drawing attention to the CTA
- Take advantage of a trending craze like Hawthorne, the cologne company, captures the essence of a hit series to spark intrigue into their product.
- This example email marketing tactic picks the interest of the fans of the show (Stranger Things) while the GIF compels you to click on the huge CTA button.
3) When launching a new/special collection
- When launching a new product, send out a teaser to keep your audience engrossed.
- While the message is clear and direct, “Good Things Come to Those Who Click”, the GIF is designed to make it fun and engrossing.
- The GIF hides and reveals a message that acts like a puzzle, a game.
- A little bit of sparkle and glitter on the CTA button directs users to easily do the needful.
- If you’re looking at examples of email marketing, the email template of Nike is a lot of fun as it catches your eye and sparks curiosity in the user.
- Striking visuals that transition seamlessly within seconds with a clear-cut CTA button, in the end, makes it a sleek and stylish example email marketing strategy.
- Promote a limited-time offer by taking inspiration from Canva as it shows its varied templates in the above GIF.
- It holds the attention of your audience and also throws light on how it can benefit its customers.
- Loft shows readers the promotion in an exciting way and makes them interact with the GIF to divulge how much of a discount they are getting.
- This example shows you the best of both worlds.
4) When carrying out promotions or scheduling event reminders
- Lab Partners score big when coming up with eye-catching animations for the win.
- It’s one of the best examples email marketing as it uses its boxes in the GIF in a fun way to reveal a discount!
- The alluring movement makes it a winter wonderland spectacle while the 50% off compels a lot of click-throughs.
- A neat, clean, and fuss-free look and feel sometimes works best and puts the point across unlike any other.
- Like the animated GIF in the email for David Careers which helps in the hiring process and subtly but surely encourages plenty of click-throughs.
- What makes this Kate Spade Saturday example email marketing template unique is the mix of interesting colors and textures.
- The GIF effect changes from one viewpoint to another showing you the product’s various functionalities.
- Displaying your product inside out helps customers build trust in your brand as they know how a product functions.
- Sometimes the simple ideas create the maximum impact.
- Like Converse used an energetic-looking GIF to launch its Monochrome Collection.
- The contrasting background color switch makes the entire GIF all the more exciting and attention-grabbing.
5) When showing the audience how to use your product
- Apple showed its subscribers how to manage their iTunes subscriptions in one of these examples of email marketing campaigns.
- It simplified how users can find the right settings on their devices.
- The use of animated gif in email resolved an issue faced by many and also gave out helpful tips.
- Similarly, Tasty Burger’s GIF, uses an animated GIF in an email to simplify a complex idea.
- It’s also a good idea to use animations when explaining directions or how-to videos.
- Subscribers can get a quick understanding of using an app/product within seconds.
6) When establishing a bond with your customers
- Sometimes it’s best to spend time forging a bond with your customers and EziBuy does it the right way.
- The holiday spirit, wrapped in a small note of gratitude goes a long way in establishing trust and forming a rapport with your subscribers.
- Nike uses GIFs to encourage and inspire their customers and adds to the overall experience.
- Forge a connection with your customers by infusing feelings of joy, happiness, and other positive, energetic emotions.
7) When offering product visualizations
- Using an animated GIF in an email helps in better visualization as you can show how products work.
- In this example email marketing tactic by Loot Crate, you see a few of the copies of the products they are selling.
Simple Tips to Remember when Using GIFS in HTML Email Templates
- Know why you’re adding the GIFs: When you add a GIF, they become the main attraction of your email templates in HTML. It’s most effective to add an animated GIF in an email when setting the overall mood of the email, introducing a product, or previewing video content.
- Make sure the right part is animated: Your HTML templates email does not have to be over-animated. If there is too much motion, it distracts the viewer.
- Embed files carefully: Spend a good amount of time making sure you are embedding GIFs in an email properly and also, be sure to check the file size. It’s important to test your emails cautiously. You can also get in touch with Crafted Email experts to help you do a thorough job!
- Create rather than copy: Example email marketing is proof that there are endless GIFs available, but that doesn’t mean you use them all. Your email pitch should have original content or your audience will lose faith in your brand.
- Blend GIFs with CTAs: If you look at examples of email marketing campaigns, make sure every engaging GIF is accompanied by a Call-To-Action button.
If you are looking for more information on using a GIF in your email templates in HTML, you can read our blog on Want to Know How to Use an Animated GIF in an Email? Here’s What You Need to Know! Using our custom email developer agency’s field-tested templates helps you reallocate your time to business-critical tasks. Email developers are knowledgeable experts who can create customised, personalised email templates from scratch.