Every now and again, I have a client ask me if it’s possible to animate their email. Since it’s a bad idea to try to use Flash or embedded video, we can’t use animations either, right? Wrong—you can! Animated GIF images can definitely be used in your email campaigns, and if done right, can work to improve your results.
First off, there’s one problem you should keep in mind: while most email clients will run your animation, there are ones that won’t… like Outlook 2007. Instead, Outlook will only display the first frame of the animation as a static image. So any call to action in your animation should be in the first frame, even if the frame displays for only a fraction of a second. If your first frame is blank, no one using Outlook 2007 will get your message.
Secondly, the file size of your image must be taken into consideration. Generally, it’s a good idea to keep the animation (and any other image in your email, for that matter) around 30kb. This means that your animation is probably limited to just a few simple frames or colors. The longer and more detailed your animation, the more time it will take the recipient to download. Worst case scenario, your recipient may look over your mailing and move on before the animation even runs. So while your animation of a velociraptor dancing at a rave party with your call to action on its T-shirt may be awesome, it certainly wouldn’t be practical for email.
Lastly, as an animated GIF is still an image, I wouldn’t suggest limiting any call-to-action to just that area. Some good alternatives would be to also include a call to action in text, or maybe to use the animation as a subtle way to direct the recipients’ attention to your main message. The possibilities of tactfully and successfully animating your email are endless, and testing your email is never a bad idea.
Have another email design topic you’d like to see covered? Feel free to let me know.
Celeste Odell | Graphic Design
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