15 Awesome Autumn GIF Ideas and How to Use Them for Better Marketing Results

Animated images are one of the most popular tools direct marketers use to draw subscribers' attention to campaigns. According to the survey, 58% of marketers add GIFs in e-letters, and 43% of respondents note the positive impact of animation on their campaign effectiveness.

For example, Dell used a GIF to demonstrate how its tablet easily transforms into a laptop. The email that featured the animated image as the main point of content achieved a 103% increase in conversion and a 109% increase in revenue compared to the company's regular e-campaigns. So, this technology is worthy of marketers' attention. 

In this article, we share the examples of interesting animations that caught our attention. And of course, we made a selection of the GIF ideas that might give you inspiration for creative emails or widgets.

Benefits of Using GIFs in Marketing Campaigns

Take a look at what animated images in marketing campaigns can do for you:

• improve customer engagement;
• encourage subscribers to interact with a message; 
• add entertainment to campaigns; 
• make plain text look more appealing to read; 
• convey emotions and a certain mood; 
• highlight important campaign elements.

There are also a few practical benefits of using them:

• compatibility with transparent backgrounds; 
• easy integration into emails and widgets;
• no need in external plugins for viewing; 
• support of the majority of email clients.

What truly sets animated GIFs apart is their ability to tell compelling stories. A well-crafted GIF can convey ideas far more effectively than words. It's also exceptionally space-efficient: a single image can dwarf a thousand words. This visual support is invaluable when you want to express emotion and set the tone for your message. For example, Nike has done a great job adding holiday vibes to their campaign with a well-designed animated image.

When The GIF Ideas May Not Be Useful 

Tailoring animated formats to your specific audience is essential. What works for one business may not work for another. For example, a toy company or a florist can use adorable and nature-inspired amazing GIFs, but a cancer drug company wouldn't typically choose festive GIF ideas for its messages. Like any other tool, animated pictures in direct marketing should be relevant and meaningful.

If you are inspired by variables GIF ideas and animated pics are in line with your campaign goals, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Size: Make sure your GIF doesn't exceed 2MB, as most email editors support this limit. Also, Gmail may cut off email that are larger than 102KB, affecting the appearance of the content. 

• Color: Keep in mind that GIFs are limited to 256 colors. This is usually enough to create high-quality images.

• No audio: GIFdoesn’t support sound.

• Simplicity is key: Complex or multi-shot animations are not supported.

• No post-processing: Once an animation is encoded in a GIF file, it cannot be edited.

Most of these considerations are technical. As long as you design your GIF with these requirements in mind, there's no reason you can't use it effectively.

15 Creative GIF Ideas for Ecommerce Marketing Campaigns

Applying GIFs is not limited to decorative purpose – they can also serve practical functions. Let's take a look at some of the ways different companies add them to their emails to achieve specific goals.

1. Draw attention to a promotion. Most often, marketers add animation to promotional banners to ensure subscribers don't miss important information.

2. Add a sense of urgency. You can add a clock to your email to make your subscribers feel like they're missing out. As a common practice, you can use the Countdown element. Or visualize the clock ticking with a GIF.

3. Create a festive atmosphere. Ecommerce companies typically add themed products to emails related to a holiday or significant event. For instance, you can create a main banner with these items and "bring them to life" by animating their certain elements.

4. Show the product in use. Some products take on new meaning when you demonstrate how to use them. For example, the children's game Ribbon Ninja isn't quite as clear if you just add a photo of the set. A GIF immediately demonstrates how to use the items and adds the most important thing — emotion.

5. Give ideas for using the product. Instead of long explanations of how to use the new product, the company visualized the options by adding simple icons. This shows that Cheddar Puff can be a movie night snack, a salad ingredient, a side dish, or a snack on the go.

6. Show the product in detail. Some things are best shown from multiple angles to catch the eye of a potential buyer. For example, suitcases can look the same on the outside but be different on the inside. A marketing GIF will help show this difference.

7. Visualize the terms of the promotion. Your offer can be more attractive if you clearly show the consumer what they get. For example, if they buy 3 bracelets, the third one is half price. And if they choose 4 bracelets, the fourth one will be a gift. Visualizing such a deal will help customers make a purchase decision.

8. Draw attention to new products. If your goal is to inform customers about the arrival of a new product, use an animated file that shows it in all its glory.

9. Focus on exclusivity. The subscriber may ignore a special item among the assortment of goods added to the email. To avoid placing it in a separate banner, add a GIF. That way, the subscriber won't miss the customizable socks, for example.

10. Help put together a set. Sellers of decor or apparel can help subscribers assemble a complete look. For example, the Decor Steals brand has an awesome animated GIF that shows how to decorate a porch for Halloween. It also shows what it will look like at night.

11. Show the product variety. Marketing GIFs help save space in the emails. Instead of including three product cards, make one animated image.

12. Draw attention to a video. Include a GIF with a link to your video on a blog, YouTube or other platform. This may draw attention and yield you clicks. 

13. Share the work moments. Makers can show the process of creating products, especially if it's as magical as making glass pumpkins.

14. Leverage a user-generated content. If your customers share photos or videos of themselves using your products, include them in the GIF format.

15. Make the footer unique. You can draw attention to important messages and your company's values by placing creative GIFs at the bottom of the email. It will not distract from the main content and will be noticed.

How to Add a GIF to Emails and Widgets in Yespo CDP

You can use a library of GIFs or create animated content yourself. You don't need a designer or extra money. There are numerous free online makers, like Giphy's GIF Maker, Instagiffer, and Filmora Meme Maker that allow you to create unique GIFs without any technical expertise.

Once you've chosen an animated picture, the next step is to embed it in your email. Procedures vary from platform to platform, but it's a simple process in the Yespo omnichannel CDP. You can either upload a GIF from your computer, add a previously saved unit (as shown below), or paste the HTML code into the appropriate section.

Consider adding a cool GIF to your call to action (CTA). An animated button can give even a simple email a lively and festive feel. Just remember to choose a file with a transparent background to maintain a professional and distortion-free look.

Adding an animated image to widgets is just as easy. In our editor, you can create different types of widgets, such as subscription forms, informers, and age gate.

Please note that the uploaded file size should not exceed 3 MB.

15 Autumn GIF Examples for Inspiration

Now, we present our selected collection. For inspiration, we have searched Giphy for the best autumn GIFs. We're excited to share them with you. Feel free to incorporate any of these animated images into your fall campaigns (assuming they're not copyrighted), or let them spark your creativity to create your own unique designs.

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The use of animated images has become an essential tool for engaging consumers. Many marketers are already using GIFs in their work and seeing the positive impact on their campaigns. These live images increase subscriber engagement, add entertainment to your campaigns, and more.

In this article, we've highlighted the GIF ideas that caught our eye, and we've also selected a few fall-themed animated GIF examples to inspire your creativity. Check also our article about Winter GIF ideas. So don't hesitate and start creating unforgettable email designs, widgets, and messages. Moreover, with the Yespo omnichannel CDP, you can do it by yourself without any technical work involved.

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