How to Insert a Gif Into an Email: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Before We Begin: Why Professionals Consider GIFs for Emails — and Why They Might Want to Reconsider

In the world of email marketing, professionals often seek ways to enhance their campaigns and grab the attention of their audience. GIFs seem like an obvious choice — they're visually engaging, easy to consume, and a fun way to deliver content in a digestible format. However, while the idea of adding a GIF to your email might seem appealing at first, it's important to take a step back and consider why this choice may not always be the best option.

The Initial Appeal of GIFs for Email

The reason why many marketers and businesses turn to GIFs in their emails is simple: they are dynamic. Unlike static images, GIFs have motion, which naturally draws the eye and holds the viewer's attention for longer. This can be especially useful in a crowded inbox, where standing out from the competition is crucial.

Moreover, GIFs can add a playful or creative touch to an email, helping brands connect with their audience on a more emotional level. This combination of visual appeal and engagement makes GIFs an attractive option for many marketers looking to boost click-through rates (CTR) and brand recognition.

Why You Should Think Twice Before Using GIFs

However, despite their initial appeal, GIFs in emails come with several challenges that professionals may overlook. Let’s explore why this popular choice might not be as effective as it seems:

1. Email Client Compatibility: Not all email clients fully support GIFs. While some clients, like Gmail and Apple Mail, display them seamlessly, others may not render them at all. This can lead to a broken or incomplete email experience for a portion of your audience, reducing the overall impact of your campaign.

2. Slow Load Times: GIFs tend to have large file sizes, especially if they contain a lot of frames or detailed imagery. This can result in slower load times, which not only frustrates recipients but can also lead to higher bounce rates or lower engagement. In an era where users expect instant gratification, a slow email experience is a major downside.

3. Limited Message Delivery: GIFs are best suited for conveying short, simple messages. If you're trying to communicate a more complex idea or offer, GIFs may not be the most effective medium. They can only convey so much information in a few seconds, and the looping nature of GIFs can make it harder for recipients to focus on a specific call-to-action (CTA).

4. Professionalism: While GIFs can be fun and engaging, they may not always align with the tone or image that your brand is trying to project. In industries where professionalism and clarity are key, using GIFs may come off as unprofessional or distracting. This can damage your brand's reputation and undermine the effectiveness of your message.

5. No Interactivity: Unlike video, which can provide an interactive experience, GIFs are passive. They don’t allow users to engage with the content or click through to a website or landing page. This limits the potential for conversion and interaction, which is often the ultimate goal of email marketing campaigns.

In conclusion, while adding a GIF to your email may seem like a fun and easy solution to increase engagement, it’s important to weigh the potential downsides. In many cases, a better alternative, like embedding a video, can offer a more dynamic, professional, and engaging experience that aligns better with your marketing goals.

 

Why Sending a Video in Email is a Better Option than an Animated GIF

If you've considered using GIFs in your email marketing campaigns, it's understandable why they might seem like an attractive choice. However, after exploring the limitations of GIFs, it’s clear that sending a video email is a far superior alternative. In fact, using video in your email campaigns offers several key advantages that GIFs simply cannot match.

The Power of Video Over GIFs

Video is a highly effective content format because it can visually convey more complex messages, evoke emotions, and capture attention in a way that GIFs cannot. While GIFs may work well for short bursts of humor or simple animations, video email offers an immersive experience with far greater potential for engagement.

1. Improved Engagement and Conversion: Videos have a significantly higher engagement rate than static images or GIFs. Research shows that emails with embedded videos can increase click-through rates by as much as 300%. Videos have the ability to tell a story, engage the viewer emotionally, and encourage action, making them a powerful tool for boosting conversions.

2. Better User Experience: One of the major issues with GIFs is that they can be slow to load, especially if they have a large file size. On the other hand, videos can be optimized for fast loading, allowing users to play video in email seamlessly. With the right technology, videos can start automatically as soon as the email is opened, providing a smooth, uninterrupted experience for your audience.

3. Adaptability Across Devices: Unlike GIFs, which may not render correctly on all devices and email clients, videos can be delivered in multiple formats, ensuring that they are displayed properly regardless of the recipient’s device or email platform. With platforms like Viewed, you no longer need to worry about compatibility issues. How to send a video via email becomes a breeze, as the platform automatically adjusts the video format for optimal playback, whether the recipient is on a mobile device, desktop, or tablet.

4. Enhanced Branding and Professionalism: While GIFs can be fun and engaging, they often fail to convey the level of professionalism that some brands may want to project. Videos, on the other hand, allow you to create high-quality, polished content that reflects your brand’s values. Video emails can showcase products, explain services, or share important updates in a way that feels more personal and professional.

5. Real-Time Adaptation with Viewed: One of the biggest challenges when sending video via email is ensuring that the video plays smoothly for every recipient, regardless of their email client or device. This is where Viewed truly shines. With Viewed, videos are hosted and delivered in real-time, automatically adjusting to each recipient's operating system, device, and email client. This ensures that your video will play seamlessly in any environment without the need for manual adjustments or additional technical expertise.

Simple Steps to Send a Video via Email with Viewed

Sending videos by email has never been easier, thanks to platforms like Viewed. Here’s a simple guide on how to take advantage of this powerful tool:

1. Create a free account at www.viewed.video.
2. Upload your video to the platform.
3. Copy the embed code provided by Viewed.
4. Paste the code into your email template.
5. Send your email marketing campaign using your usual email distribution system.

That’s it! Your video will automatically play in email as soon as the recipient opens it — no need for clicks or redirections to platforms like YouTube. This results in a more streamlined, professional, and effective way to engage your audience.

Why Viewed Is the Best Solution for Video Emails

The real strength of Viewed lies in its ability to deliver video content without worrying about the technicalities of email client compatibility or video hosting. The platform ensures that videos are optimized for each recipient, whether they are using a desktop, tablet, or mobile device. With real-time video delivery from Viewed’s servers, you can rest assured that your video will be delivered in the highest quality possible, every time.

How to add a GIF in the email?

If after reading this article, you don't know which content format is ideal for your campaign, don't worry, we recommend you to do an A/B test to check the results.

In the meantime, here is a step-by-step guide to add animated GIFs to your emails.

The truth is that most email sending platforms make it easy to add GIFs to the body of the email.