The Importance of Gifs in Twitter: Why Should You Use Gifs More Often

David Kim
David Kim

AI Engineer

 
October 6, 2021 6 min read

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It was developed by CompuServe and officially introduced in June of 1987. They're great for adding motion to your content or website but can also be used as an attention-grabber when you post on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

GIFs have been around since the late 80s, but it took a long time for them to become popular. It wasn't until recently that GIFs entered the mainstream of web content. (The Story of GIF (2103) - Medium)

How are Gifs Beneficial?

GIFs are beneficial for content. GIFs are all around us. They are among the most popular forms of marketing on social media sites like Twitter and Tumblr. GIFs are one of the fastest-growing areas on social media. (GIFs: Your Brand's Social Media Superpower) They allow you to create short, animated images that are easily shared with your followers and friends. They're small and easy to share in text messages, Twitter, and Facebook Messenger.

  • Increase user engagement
  • Widely supported across multiple platforms
  • Allow for more creativity in design
  • Explain complex concepts and processes
  • Reduce the time to produce digital assets.

These benefits are realized as gifs are used in messaging apps, social media posts, and even TV to communicate things that words can't describe. They have also become integral to the web design process to bring visual appeal to static websites instead of images or videos.

Duration of GIF:

A GIF is essentially an animated image file usually short in length, although it does not have specific time constraints. A GIF will move continuously from one frame to another if the user decides to keep it open. The standard frame rate for GIFs is somewhere between 15 and 24 fps. This range is standard because it generally provides a smooth animation without making the file size too large. Going much higher can result in choppy playback or huge files, while lower rates can make the animation look jerky.

Why are GIFS popular?

They are very popular now because not only can you save them and share them, but they also come with an emotional reaction attached to them. People don't just watch them; they repeat them over and over again.

GIFs have been used to express emotion, as well as to demonstrate things in an easy-to-understand way. They're so visual and easy to understand; GIFs are a great way to communicate complex ideas.

  • Expressing Emotion and Grabbing Attention: They're used to share emotion and attract attention, making your content stand out.
  • Boosting Engagement: They reduce cognitive load and increase engagement, making it easier for people to process and connect with your message.
  • Inspiring and Innovative: They are inspiring and innovative, offering fresh ways to communicate.
  • Viral Potential: They go viral easily, spreading your message far and wide.
  • Concise Communication: They're an excellent way to deliver complex messages quickly and concisely.

Messages conveyed through GIFs can be more easily shared and remembered by young people inundated with daily information.

How to make GIFS using Online tools?

Several online tools can help you get started. The most important part of creating a successful GIF is finding relevant and interesting content for your audience. With the right GIFs, you can boost your Twitter engagement and increase blog traffic even in the age of videos and podcasts. For example, a well-placed GIF in a blog post can break up text and make it more visually appealing, encouraging readers to stay longer and potentially click through to other content. These online platforms act as your "software" for creating animated images, videos, and even memes quickly.

Are you looking to post a gif on Twitter? With the GIFs apps, you can find the perfect animated Gif that fits your message perfectly. While using GIFs, you don't need to worry about image size limits; they're generally more efficient than videos for short animations, but still have practical size considerations depending on the platform. These platforms make posting a gif simple by browsing through thousands of categories and tags or searching by keyword. Once you find what you want, drag & drop it, it's that easy. The tools below will help you create animated images, videos, and even memes quickly.

1: GIPHY

Giphy is your one-stop shop for all things GIF. It has the best collection of GIFs, the fastest and easiest GIF Maker, and now a mobile application that helps you to share and create GIFs in a snap! It's easy to find the perfect animated reaction for any moment, whether a reaction GIF or an original creation.

Giphy is a fantastic tool for finding and sharing the perfect GIF. It is the leading search engine for GIFs, and it's used by millions of people each day.

2: TENOR

Tenor has a lot of new features that make it feel fresh and modern. It has lots of options and is a competitor of Giphy. You can easily get GIFS on this website. Just select a category and then the GIF that best fits your needs.

3: REDDIT

Reddit is a veritable treasure of animated GIFs. A seemingly limitless supply of GIFs will keep your readers interested while also allowing you to post new content on social media.

4: GFYCAT

The unique combination of GIFs and embedded video has already earned Gfycat a spot on the list of top 100 sites in the world. This means they've managed to integrate video playback directly within the GIF format, offering a more seamless viewing experience than traditional GIFs, which can make it stand out. It is also among the most popular sites for people to search online for entertainment content.

5: IMGFLIP

Imgflip is a fun and easy way to create memes and animated GIFs using your photos and those of others. The site is great for creating shareable meme-style images, but the real power lies in the ability to customize them even further after you've created them. You can download your creations as PNG files or as animated GIFs.

How do I post my animated GIF to Twitter?

If you want to spice up your Twitter page and get more engagement, then try using GIFS. They're a fun and easy way to get people excited.

  1. Open the Twitter compose box.
  2. Click the GIF button to browse the GIF library.
  3. Once chosen, the GIF will be attached to your Tweet.
  4. Each Tweet can only have one GIF. This limitation is in place to keep the feed from becoming too cluttered with animation.
  5. Click the Tweet button to update your profile.

Conclusion:

Posting a GIF on Twitter takes just a few seconds and gives your followers an entertaining break from the constant stream of information that flows through their feeds. GIFs can help you to create a visually appealing tweet. They are not the most appropriate format for content requiring lots of text, but they work well with short text and images sections. There are several GIFs that you can use for your Tweets to make them more compelling and engaging, offering a quick and effective way to add personality and impact. Using GIFs in your Twitter content can help you improve the amount of engagement you get from your followers.

David Kim
David Kim

AI Engineer

 

Full-stack developer building AI-powered social media tools that generate platform-specific content at scale. Expert in machine learning and natural language processing.

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