What is a GIF?

The pronunciation of “GIF” (or “JIF”) may be the biggest debate of our digital age, but one thing is for certain: animated GIFs have become an essential tool for expressing ourselves,boosting engagement, and creating hype online— both for individuals and brands alike. With millions of searches for GIFs every day, this image format certainly means big business. But how can you make these on-trend, bite-sized animations work for you?

It all starts with understanding what a GIF is, as well as why the format is so popular, how you can make your own GIFs, how to use GIFs, and more. Without this knowledge, many business owners fail to realize just how effective GIFs can be forboosting brand identityand how these animated images can successfully be used to their advantage.

We’ve created this in-depth guide to teach you everything you need to know about GIFs and how they can serve you. Let’s get started!

What is a GIF, and how to use them?

1. What is a GIF? definition and example

Firstly, let’s define the word GIF. Simply put, a GIF is a type of image file. Just like other image files, including JPEG, PNG, and BMP formats, a still image can be saved in GIF format. But here’s where a GIF differs from other image files: It can hold multiple images at once and can therefore be used to create moving images — much like a flipbook.

We refer to these moving images as animation, not video because GIFs don’t have the ability to produce sound. They simply feature a series of still images in quick succession, often on a loop, and cannot be paused, rewound, or fast-forwarded like a traditional video file.

The format supports up to 8 bits per pixel for each image, which means that they’re restricted to 256 colors chosen from the 24-bit RGB color space. Additionally, GIFs use a lossless compression algorithm, which allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data with no image data loss. GIF images also support transparency.

Originally, a GIF was referred to as a “Jif”, however over the years the term’s pronunciation as “gif”, as in “gift”, has become common. The Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam-Webster have both pronunciations listed, so no matter how you prefer to say it, you're technically correct.

GIFs are popular on blogs, social media, and instant messaging applications, and are particularly used as funny or emotive reactions. They have become so widely used, in fact, that the word “GIF” was named the2012 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year.

In the early days, most GIFs were simply moving icons, like flashing "Buy Now" buttons, but these quickly lost their popularity. With the rise of social media and instant messaging, however, GIFs made a comeback, as users realized they’re the perfect format for animated memes.

Here is an example of an animated GIF

2. What does GIF mean?

You’re probably wondering why a GIF is called a GIF, along with what it stands for. GIF is an acronym that means “Graphics Interchange Format.” Let’s delve into the individual meaning of these terms below.

Graphics: relates to the visual nature of GIFs, which are essentially image files. Due to the fact that a single GIF file can store several images at once, graphics is pluralized.

Interchange: refers to the original aim of the GIF, which was to quickly and easily exchange images between computers.

Format: refers to the way the information is encoded for storage in a computer file. A GIF is a type of highly compressed image format.

3. Why are GIFs so popular?

GIPHY, a global GIF search engine, boasts 500 million daily active users on its platform, making it more popular than both Twitter and Pinterest. Users on this platform alone send a whopping 7+ billion GIFs every day, so why exactly are GIF files so popular?

There are numerous reasons why GIFs have become such a widespread phenomenon across the internet. Let’s take a look at each of these below.

Expressions of emotions

People often use a single GIF to express a wide variety of emotions that can also reveal their moods, values, and interests. Unlike their ‘still’ counterparts, including Emojis and memes, GIFs can communicate with users on a deeper level, due to their animated nature. Take a crying Emoji, for example, which is relatively one-dimensional in nature. If a person wanted to express their sadness using a GIF, however, they have a wide range of animations — all depicting different crying scenes, styles, and situations — to choose from, thus expressing their emotions in a more comprehensive way.

For many, GIFs also allow them to convey the emotions they struggle to verbalize. Disorders such as autism, depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder can cause difficulties in allowing someone to express themselves accurately. GIFs are easy to use, plus their wide availability means the perfect GIF is available to suit every emotional response. By allowing a user to be better understood, GIFs, therefore, assist users in fostering personal connections with their peers in an online setting.

Humor

As humans, we crave the positive boost in mood that comes from having a good laugh. GIFs are essentially the digital version of telling a joke — all without having to type a single word. Their animated nature allows them to visually communicate a narrative, particularly using various comedic deliveries, including slapstick, satire, parody, screwball comedy, and more. As a result, they’re a great way for users to express their own humor or lighten the mood in relation to more serious online discussions.

Laughter has also been proven to help improve social and non-verbal communication and therefore plays a crucial role in strengthening relationships and group bonding. This is another reason for their growing popularity among friends, co-workers, and clients.

Cultural references

GIFs are also well-known for their ability to depict cultural concepts, which people identify with and share. This is because most GIFs are taken from the media we consume on a daily basis, such as TV shows, movies, music videos, news clips, and more.

Interestingly, studies show us that different countries prefer different GIFs, partly due to the different cultural references that are influential in each demographic. What this teaches us is that an individual’s personal interests and cultural background determine what they consume in their media diet, and these are then inevitably reflected in their choice of GIFs.

Science

We’ve all heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but science has the data to back this up. You see, 90% of information transmitted to the human brain is visual, while the brain also processes images 60,000 times faster than it does text. Essentially, humans always have been and always will be visual creatures.

当我们想到gif的关系研究rch, their popularity makes even more sense, as we are actually hard-wired to prefer the animated and visual nature of this format over others, such as text or audio alone. Simply put, the fast-moving nature of GIFs makes them more engaging than images, yet their shorter length makes them more comprehensible than video.

Ease of creation

All available web browsers have supported animated GIFs for a long time now, making them easily accessible to everyone across the globe.

Additionally, you don’t need special software or technical expertise to make a GIF. Using one of the many free GIF-making platforms available online, or even photo editing software you likely already own, creating your own unique GIF is simple. We’ll even walk you through the entire step-by-step process in the next chapter.

4. When should you use GIFs?

Understandably, GIFs are more appropriate to use in some situations, rather than others. So, when should or shouldn’t you use a GIF? We’ve outlined these different scenarios below.

Here are 13 effective and exciting ways that you can use GIFs:

1. To convey your brand’s personality

One effective way to build a deeper relationshipwith your brand’s audienceis by showcasing your personality through GIFs that engage them — whether it has them vigorously nodding their heads in agreement or laughing until they cry.

Doing so will also make your brand appear more human and authentic within your audience’s eyes, as you’re displaying behavior they themselves engage in on a daily basis with their own friends and family.

As we explored earlier, GIFs also have the ability to convey our beliefs, values, interests, and mood — all of which will add to your brand’s personality and the way it is perceived by your audience.

2. To showcase a product

Want to let your audience get up-close with your product and view it from all of its flattering angles? The quickest and easiest way to allow them to do this is through showcasing your product as a GIF. Seeing these images in motion will allow viewers to engage with the product on a deeper level too, plus you can use close-up photographs to showcase important product details that may be overlooked in static product images.

3. To explain a step-by-step process

The slideshow nature of a GIF also makes it perfect for showcasing a step-by-step process, such as a recipe, DIY tutorial, or anything else that people want to learn how to do. As we covered earlier, humans are visual learners and absorb visual information 60,000 times faster than text. Therefore, next time you’re typing out a series of instructions, consider creating a GIF to accompany your tutorial or take its place entirely.

4. To convey your gratitude

gif可以表达任何情感或情绪of, but from a brand’s perspective, their ability to express gratitude to your audience is perhaps the most important. This is because it is a lot easier to communicate gratitude through visual means, particularly when animated. Think about all of the physical mannerisms you might use to express how thankful you are to someone, and how these behaviors can be difficult to put into words.

Brands should include this as part oftheir marketing strategywhen acknowledging other audience members or brands who have shared their content with their own audience. Rather than a simple “thank you” or click of the ‘Like’ button, adding a related GIF with your message adds delight and allows your brand to stand out from others.

5. To create a mini-presentation

Next time you’re sharing a report, article, or another eye-opening narrative, why not accompany it with a mini GIF presentation? Or if you’re feeling extra creative, turn your information into a standalone GIF that still conveys the important news — just in a shortened, visual form. Doing so helps readers engage with your content more easily, plus sparks their curiosity to learn more.

6. To demonstrate change over time

GIFs are also perfect for collating a series of images together which showcase change over a period of time. This might include the construction of a building, the growth of a plant, the design changes of a website, or even how a product has evolved over weeks, months, or years. This allows a GIF to communicate a visual and animated narrative, thus making it more effective than text or still images alone.

7. To advertise something

We’ve all seen those flashing, moving banner ads onwebsites and blogs只是,但是你知道这些广告GIFs? The format’s ability to showcase a mini slideshow of images in quick succession makes it perfect for showcasing simple advertisements. If your brand has a print or TV advertisement that you want to repurpose and get more value out of, then consider turning it into a GIF.

8. To animate data

Data and statisticscan sometimes be hard to digest, particularly when in text format. A GIF can animate this important data and use visuals to give it context, therefore making the information more popular and shareworthy among audiences. The entertaining nature of GIFs also makes them — and as a result, your brand — more memorable. It also allows you to use a familiar format to educate and inspire.

9. To offer a sneak peek

GIFs can also provide the perfect, bite-sized teaser for your brand, whether you’re announcing a new product, exciting collaboration, or another big release. You can use your GIF to visually give away just enough information to spark your audience’s curiosity, without revealing elements you currently don’t want to share. It’s a win-win for your marketing strategy.

10. To showcase company culture

Showcasing your company culturethrough the fun nature of GIFs is another great idea for boosting your brand identity and revealing more about your company's personality, beliefs, and values. GIFs can also offer a behind-the-scenes look at your business, which makes you more personable and human. Bring your fans closer to you by revealing who you are, what you look like, what makes you laugh, and what you're up to each day in the office.

When your audience can relate to your brand on this level, they’re not only more likely to engage with your products or services, but it can also encourage top talent to want to work for your company.

11. To gamify your posts

Gamification usesgame design elementsto improve user engagement, including action and movement. Sharing GIFs on your social media channels can make the post seem more like a game than a form of advertising, and therefore is more effective at encouraging the viewer to join in or play along.

12. To reply in a fresh, on-trend manner

When you're replying to many similar messages on social media, it can be easy for a brand to run out of Emojis to use or words to say. GIFs, however, are being made on a daily basis. With millions to choose from, a brand has every response imaginable at its fingertips. They're a great way to reply to any comment, post, or Tweet in a way that shows your brand has its finger on the pulse of what's trending.

5. How to use GIFs

As you learned in the previous section, the process to make a GIF is straightforward and doesn’t require expensive software or extensive technical skills. But what if you want to search for ready-made GIFs to use?

To use a GIF, start by picking one that's appropriate for the situation, then send it. Searching for the perfect GIF is easy, plus it doesn't require you to download anything. Dedicated GIF websites, in-built social media searches, and even the keyboard on your phone will help you to search for and use GIFs. Here's how:

1. In-built social media search

Many social media platforms, including Facebook Messenger and Twitter, have an in-built GIF search function. These work directly with popular GIF search engines such as GIPHY or Imgur and allow users to type in a search term, then view GIFs relating specifically to that theme. In many cases, selecting and using a GIF is as simple as clicking on the chosen GIF.

2. Copy the link

If you’ve browsed popular GIF sites, such as Gifycat, GIPHY, or Imgur, then you may have also noticed that they provide tools to let you copy the GIF's link directly to your clipboard. Simply click the “copy link” button, then paste the link where you wish to use the GIF, such as in your blog editor, social media post, email, or more. On most platforms, the GIF will work automatically.

3. Google Keyboard

Did you know you can even use GIFs on the go within your text messages? Thanks to Google Keyboard, this is possible, as it offers Android, iPhone, and iPad users a built-in GIF function that allows them to use GIFs anywhere.

6. How to make a GIF

Now that you understand what a GIF is, its humble origins, and why GIFs are so popular, let’s turn our attention to how you can make your own.

There are a number of easy-to-use platforms you can use online to make a GIF. We’ll be focusing on the most popular of these, as well as outlining the simple steps you need to follow. Keep in mind that you can directlyhire a professional GIF animatoron Fiverr, or you can use a software such as Photoshop to create a GIF, however, this process is a lot more complicated and requires more advanced knowledge of photo editing software.

1. GIPHY’s GIF maker

We mentionedGIPHYpreviously as the leading GIF search engine, but the platform also has its own, in-built GIF maker that’s free to use. You can create a GIF using still images, video files, existing GIFs, YouTube videos, and more.

In the GIF maker, you can upload a series of photos to turn into a single GIF, enter a video URL from YouTube, Vimeo, or another GIPHY page, or drag and drop your chosen video file. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be taken to the next step in the process, which is to edit your GIF.

如果您正在使用一个视频,它会提示你to trim its duration. We recommend sticking to a length of 2-6 seconds, as this will ensure it is both engaging and small enough to share across social media or messaging platforms.

Click ‘continue to decorate’ to continue. In this section, you can add stickers, captions, or drawings to your GIF. Finally, upload the final GIF to GIPHY, and add tags to help other users find it. You can then share your GIF directly via social media, copy its link, download it, embed it, and more.

2. GIFS.com

GIFS.comis another online tool you can use to make your own GIF. It lets you turn your favorite videos (personal, business, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) into editable GIFs within just minutes. Unlike GIPHY, however, it isn’t completely free to use, as more advanced features will require a paid subscription.

Start by copying and pasting a link to a short video you’d like to turn into a GIF. Once uploaded, indicate your GIF’s start and end time, as well as length, using the timeline located at the bottom of the screen.

接下来,定制您的GIF标题,主题贴纸, effects, and more. Finally, name your GIF file, add tags so it is easily searchable, and use it in any way you see fit — whether that’s sharing its direct link, downloading the file, or embedding it on a blog.

3. Imgur’s Video to GIF

If you’re looking for a basic tool that will convert any YouTube video into a short GIF, thenImgur’s Video to GIF is it. It doesn’t have the additional features of the previous GIF makers in this chapter, yet it’s remarkably simple and quick to use.

Start by entering the URL of the video you’d like to turn into a GIF. A preview of the video will then appear, under which you will be asked to select a starting point and the chosen length of your GIF. Once you’re happy with both of these selections, all that’s left to do is click “Create GIF”. You can then share and download your new GIF file.

4. LICECap

We’ve talked about GIF makers that let you turn videos and image files into a GIF, but what about if you want to turn a screen capture into one? This is whereLICECapcomes in handy, as it’s a free-to-use animated screen capture tool. This software is particularly useful for those wanting to create helpful GIFs that showcase a step-by-step process.

Start by opening the desktop app, which will display an open window that you can adjust to fit the whole screen or only a portion of the screen you’d like to capture. Then, hit the record button, which you can find in the bottom right-hand corner of the app, and type in a file name for your project.

Undertake whichever actions you’d like to record on your screen. Keep in mind that you can also pause the recording at any stage if you need to.

Once you stop recording, LICECap automatically saves your screen recording as a GIF.

Other GIF makers:

Need some more resources to create your own GIF? The following are also popular GIF maker alternatives:

• Gifycat

• imgflip

• Make a GIF

• Canva GIF Maker

• Picasion

Find an expert GIF animator for hire

Reap the benefits of GIFs

As you’ve learned in this guide, GIFs have become a vital tool for expressing ourselves, boosting engagement, and creating hype online for both individuals and businesses alike. Now that you know all there is to know about GIFs, including what they are, how the file type was developed, how you can make your own, how you should use GIFs, and more, you’re well on the way to boosting your online presence — both for yourself and your brand.

The best thing about GIFs is how versatile they are, so don’t be afraid to get creative, have some fun, and see where the world of GIFs can take you.