Facebook GIF Marketing: Yes, it’s Pronounced “JIF”

Whether you pronounce it “GIF”* or “JIF”, using GIFs in tandem with Facebook Video marketing can be incredibly effective. We have learnt from Facebook that videos under 15 seconds get the most video views, and so GIFs are the perfect option to grab attention. The movement of a GIF helps a post stand out to viewers on their timeline, especially with 85% of video views happening with the sound off.
“the average GIF contains sixty frames, then they’re capable of conveying 60,000 words – the same as the average novel.” – Giphy CEO, Alex Chung.
Whilst GIFs aren’t anything new, you only have to look at your own Facebook feed to see how they’ve been embraced as a way of communicating a range of emotions – from a reaction to the outcome of your favourite reality show, to your delight that a friend can come on holiday. Most GIFs tend to be taken off popular shows & movies – so why not get ahead of the curb and be the one creating that content from your movie. It shows your brand/product understands the internet and pays attention to trends.
Some examples:
Disney – The Jungle Book
Disney are incredibly good at engaging with their key demographics online. During the release of The Jungle Book they used a number of GIFs to show behind the scenes footage.
Paramount Pictures – Terminator Genisys
Paramount pictures teamed up with GIF artists to reimagine the Terminator for the promotion of Terminator Genisys. Not only are these effective, they are stylish and instantly shareable.
Marvel – Guardians of the Galaxy/Thor

(Credit: Disney/Marvel)

(Credit: Disney/Marvel)
Yes, they are technically Disney but we had to mention them as they’ve created a constant GIF style across multiple movies, as seen here with Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok. By using words as well as images, it taps into the virality of GIFs – You can imagine users using these GIFs to respond to a friends invite to a party or in the comments under a filmy member’s funny photo that they uploaded to Facebook.
Netflix

(Credit: Netflix)
Netflix and Ogilvy Paris showed us all how it’s done with their launch campaign in France. Whist not technically on Facebook, it has to be highlighted as it shows how to be reactive with GIFs and how if you put time to creating them, they can be used on a wide number of platforms at a fraction of the cost of video.
It is ok to use pre created GIFs on the odd tweet but if you are using it as part of a campaign, you should always make your own in order to avoid any copyright conflict. As you can see from above, if done right they can be another incredibly effective tool in your marketing arsenal across every platform.
GIFs have high ‘virality’ which can be utilised as part of a paid campaign or if crafted well can organically gain your movie traction. The examples highlight key ideas to think about when creating your own:
a) Showcase behind the scenes footage.
b) Use text and dialogue to create reaction GIFs.
c) Use your GIFs to react to real world events.
With over 100 Million GIFs shared on Twitter alone on 2015, it’s important that your campaigns get a piece of the action.
*You’re wrong

If you would like to know more CONTACT US