Email Monks

GIF, Video, or Cinemagraph?

Make the right choice for your Emails
RICH Media like GIFs, videos, and
cinemagraphs have created a stir in the
world of email marketing in the recent
times. These work as flavoring agents.
However, the look of emails varies
according to the purpose and industry.
While GIFs may be used for a particular
objective, another purpose may be fulfilled
with a cinemagraph, and a video could be a
good idea for still another occasion.

To make things in email marketing easy for

you, we are here to share with you the
secret behind choosing the right element
for your email. We shall consider different
real life illustrations to enlighten you
regarding the right usage of GIFs,
cinemagraphs, and videos.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 Promotional Emails

Promotional emails can work the best by using GIFs.

How else can you “show” what you offer!

Travel and hospitality industry can use GIFs to show the different destinations or
hotel amenities they offer.
•
Retail industry can showcase the various products they sell, through GIFs.
•
If you are an email marketer for an ecommerce site, it is a proven tactic to
use GIFs in email.
•
GIFs can work as “explainer videos” if you wish to demonstrate the use of
a product or service in IT industry.
•
Fashion industry can drive more click-through rates and conversions
through attractive GIFs giving all the product details.
•
Real estate industry can use videos to show the various amenities they offer
to the residents.
•
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

Non-profit organizations can include a video supporting their cause.

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 Multiple Offers

10% 15% 25%

To popularize Multiple Offers or Products in an email,

once again, GIF is the best bet.

Retail and ecommerce industry can add GIFs to their emails to call attention
to their multiple offers.
•
Travel companies can promote different offers based on various destinations
through GIFs rather than multiple images that take too much of scrolling.
•
Banks can publicize credit card options, account and loan plans, new
investment services, etc. through GIFs.
•
Automobile companies can send out the images of various models in the form
of a GIF instead of static individual images.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 Highlight an Offer in an Email

50
%

20%
330%
0% 30%

Suppose you wish to Draw Special Attention to a Particular Offer, a

cinemagraph works wonders. It allows a subtle movement in the
image with focus on just one element. The seamless looping
helps to get better engagement.

Telecommunications industry can include a cinemagraph to promote a show or

specific product model. Netflix is a great example for this. They made the show
“House of Cards” a hit by including cinemagraphs in their emails.
•
Retail industry can have a cinemagraph as the hero image to depict the kind of
products included in the email. For instance, if you are promoting beachwear in
the email, you can have a cinemagraph showing beach waves or ripples in the
water as sand and seashore merge. That’s the thing about cinemagraphs. If done
right, they can take the subscriber to another world and entice them to take the
desired action with visual appeal.
•
Instead of sending out static images in emails, travel industry can effectively
leverage email marketing by including cinemagraphs and make emails
all the more engaging.
•
Restaurants and breweries can add cinemagraphs to show their mouthwatering
dishes. Wouldn’t it be an eye candy to receive a barbecue skewer in action
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

when you open the email?

•
Premium utility of luxury brands is best shown through cinemagraphs.

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 Events and Product Launches

EW
N

20%

Event Invitations and Meeting Reminders for conferences

tradeshowspan out well by including videos in the email. You can
either have avideo of a past event or a short clip demonstrating the
new productor service to the visitors at the present event.
Product-based companies also leverage Explainer Videos in
emails to drive more sales. (Courtesy: Really Good Emails)

Companies can send out emails with a video for event announcements.
•
New product launches in telecommunications industry can be revealed through
emails with an interesting video demonstrating the same. Videos can showcase
attractive features, clarity and HD resolution of their products. They can
also arouse curiosity in the minds of the subscribers by showing a short
trailer of a television show.
•
You can include videos of exclusive interviews in email campaigns that intend to
share knowledge and spread awareness among the subscribers.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

5
 Newsletters

While promotional emails are sent to make an offer to the subscribers,

Newsletters are sent with the sole purpose of keeping the subscriber
engaged with the brand. According to your brand, you can either
use animated GIFs or videos in your newsletters.

Newsletters in education industry can include snippets of a course

through videos.
•
If you have a DIY-blog on your website, video supported by relevant content
is a good idea.
•
Media and news companies can also embed news coverage videos in
newsletter emails.
•
Retail and ecommerce industry can send out a weekly or monthly
promotional email with GIFs to display their
best selling products.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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Emails Displaying the Varieties Available
in a Single Product

It gets uninteresting to convey the Variety of Colors, Materials or Styles

available in a single product through plain text. GIFs can showcase
it much better and more effectively.

Fashion industry can showcase the different colors available in a single

product-footwear, jewelry, accessory, etc. through GIFs.
•
Retail industry can show the different color options in an outfit
through GIFs.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 Occasion Email Marketing

According to the industry you cater to, you can have GIFs or
cinemagraphs in your Holiday Emails. You can include only a wish that
stands out, without any promotional content in the email.

Whether you want to convey Christmas wishes or birthday

greetings to your subscribers, animation in email is one of
the best practices.

Retail and fashion industry can leverage email marketing strategy with the
help of GIFs or cinemagraphs during the festive season.
•
GIFs and cinemagraphs can also help food industry in creating a
successful holiday email marketing campaign.
•
Including GIFs and cinemagraphs is also a good idea for ecommerce
site owners.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 Email Client Compatibility

Outlook Web
Rich Media 7,10,13,16
Thunderbird Apple Mail Webmail Lotus Browser iPhone

GIFs No* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Cinemagraphs No* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Video No* No* Yes No* No* Yes No*

No* - For email clients that do not support the specific rich media, suitable
fallbacks are available so that there are no renderability issues.

© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 Understanding the usage of
Rich Media through Real Life Example

Below are some real life examples that will give you a better idea about
the usage of rich media, followed by a detailed matrix showing
when to use which rich media and where it’s recommended,
preferred or suggested.

Type of email Newsletter

Industry Ecommerce/Retail

Subscribers 22000

13800 subscribers – Webmail

(Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail)

Email Client used 5000 subscribers – Outlook

2500 subscribers - Apple Mail
700 subscribers - Thunderbird

In a scenario similar to this one, you can use GIFs or cinemagraphs

in your email to display the bestselling products of your
ecommerce store.

It will be rendered well in Webmail, Apple Mail and Thunderbird.

Outlook will show the first frame of the animation as a static
image. Any CTA and crucial information should be
included in that frame.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 2

Type of email Promotional Email

Industry Real Estate

Subscribers 4500

3000 subscribers – Webmail

Email Client used 1000 subscribers- Apple Mail
500 subscribers- Outlook

The ideal practice recommended to send out a promotional email in

real estate industry is a video. You can use video if you have maximum
Apple Mail subscribers in your list. In the aforementioned situation,
however, you can send out a GIF in email to display various amenities
that you offer.

If you decide to send video, you have to provide a suitable fallback that
is in sync with the message you wish to convey.

Type of email Single Offer Email

Industry Information Technology

Subscribers 50000

25000- Apple Mail

Email Client used 13000- Webmail
12000- Apple iPad

Apple Mail, iPad and Webmail support HTML and CSS animation really
well. Instead of sending out a drab plain text email, you can send out an
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

interesting GIF or cinemagraph that acts as an “explainer” visual. Try

out a unique animation that makes your subscribers look forward
to your next email.

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 4

Type of email Holiday Email Marketing

Industry Banking and Finance

Subscribers 75000

40000- Webmail
Email Client used 19000- Apple Mail
15500- Outlook
500- Thunderbird

Holiday email marketing can be best done through GIFs and

cinemagraphs. You can animate Easter bunnies or make your offers
pop out from the Easter eggs. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
For the 15500 Outlook subscribers, you should add a fallback
and make sure that the first animation frame makes sense.

Type of email Event Marketing

(Before the event)

Industry Non-profit organization

Subscribers 1500

1200- Apple Mail

Email Client used
300- Webmail

For a non-profit organization that is conducting a charity event for the

underprivileged, the best way to engage your subscribers is by
including a video reflecting your efforts to help the needy. You can
even have a video of the past event to show people who came forward
to make the event a success. For the webmail users, you can have a
proper fallback to ensure that the right message reaches
out to the subscribers.
© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

These are the best practices to employ rich media and build an effective email marketing strategy. However, it is utmost important
that you test what works for your brand. You never know what strikes a chord with your subscribers
and brings you more conversions.

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 OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

Best Use of Rich Media in Emails Considering Email Clients

GIF Cinemagraph Video

Webmail Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Promotional Emails

Thunderbird Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Apple Mail Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Lotus Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

Webmail Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Multiple Offer Emails

Thunderbird Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Apple Mail Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Lotus Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

Webmail Suggested Highly Recommended Not Suggested

Highlight Single Offer

Thunderbird Suggested Highly Recommended Less Preferred

Apple Mail Suggested Highly Recommended Less Preferred

Lotus Suggested Highly Recommended Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 GIF Cinemagraph Video
Events & Product Launches
Webmail Suggested Suggested Not Suggested

Thunderbird Suggested Suggested Highly Recommended

Apple Mail Suggested Suggested Highly Recommended

Lotus Suggested Suggested Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

Webmail Suggested Suggested Not Suggested

Thunderbird Suggested Suggested Highly Recommended

Newsletters

Apple Mail Suggested Suggested Highly Recommended

Lotus Suggested Suggested Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

Webmail Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Single Product Varieties

Thunderbird Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Apple Mail Highly Recommended Suggested Less Preferred

Lotus Highly Recommended Suggested Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

Holiday Email Marketing

Webmail Highly Recommended Highly Recommended Not Suggested

Thunderbird Highly Recommended Highly Recommended Suggested

Apple Mail Highly Recommended Highly Recommended Suggested

Lotus Highly Recommended Highly Recommended Not Suggested

Outlook Not Suggested Not Suggested Not Suggested

© Copyright EmailMonks 2017

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 About EmailMonks
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