Erika Heald Marketing Consulting

Content marketing that drives business results

September 24, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Making Content More Personal with Custom Animated GIFs

by Leave a Comment

#ContentChat Making Content More Personal With Custom Animated GIFs

This week’s #ContentChat was incredibly animated—literally. We were joined by Jeffrey “JMatt” Matthias (@JMattMke) to discuss everything related to custom animated GIFs—from how to make them and why you should (or should not) use them.

Q1: What’s the difference between an animated GIF and a Boomerang?

Sir King of GIFs himself joined us today, noting that a Boomerang plays forward then backward, whereas a GIF loops content.

Q2: Why should we create custom GIFs? Can’t we just use the ones already available online?

Custom GIFs are an opportunity to strengthen your individual brand identity and showcase your personality.

And custom GIFs can help avoid legal pitfalls, but some platforms have free-to-use content.

Q3: What tools help with the creation of GIFs?

There are several apps to assist, or if you’re looking for ultra customization, Photoshop is the way to go.

Q4: What kind of custom GIFs can I make?

The sky’s the limit when it comes to GIFs, just ensure you stay on brand and don’t violate any copyright laws.

 

They can even lend to business use cases.

Q5: Now that I have my own GIFs, where should I use them?

Short answer: everywhere. Long answer: everywhere, but be sure to read the room and only use them when tone appropriate.

Q6: How can I make my GIFs searchable on @GIPHY – powered platforms?

GIPHY has accounts that you can use and they approve to make your GIFs searchable.

Q7: What’s your go-to GIF use?

There’s a wide range of favorites:

But you should always think twice about the ones you choose to use.

Q8: Is it OK to use animated GIFs in B2B or other business communications? Why or why not?

Stick to your brand guidelines and ensure GIFs are appropriate for your audience. Even if you don’t use GIFs currently, you can start to introduce them in a brand-relevant way.

And one question that could have destroyed the entire #ContentChat community:

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

Explore the Blog

#ContentChat ABM B2B blogging branding buyer personas career development CMworld conferences content audit content creation content distribution content marketing content marketing planning content marketing process content planning content strategy customer experience editorial calendars editorial management editorial style guide employee brand advocacy events influencer collaborations LinkedIn marketing conferences new hire onboarding personal branding podcasting professional development professional development for content marketers research SEO SMB social media social media engagement social media planning solopreneurs Spin Sucks startups thought leadership twitter UGC virtual events writing process

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

All content © copyright 2000-2023 Erika Heald. All rights reserved.
Read our Privacy Policy.