The Internet as a whole is shifting from written to visual content. Instagram, Vine, Snapchat and similar services are shaping the way we (or at least youngsters) use the internet. Also the new HTML5 and CSS3 techniques lead to a more visual web experience.
“90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.
Visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text”
Source: wishpond.com
But what happens with email? Will it adapt to the new trends?
It’s not likely to happen, since email is very segmented and even the leading email clients use very different technologies for interpreting the email code.
Embedded Video in Email?
Generally not advised since it is only supported in Apple Mail. If you want to have moving images in your email, the only reliable solution is to use animated GIFs instead.
HTML5 Video in Email?
It’s also not advised since it is only supported in Apple Mail and Outlook 2011, but anyways our friends at Litmus did it. It’s possible but requires a bit more effort than regular email coding in general.
Animated GIFs Rule Email!
According to Experian 74% of email marketers use animated GIFs in their email creatives. That’s a huge – maybe too optimistic – number, but it shows the trend clearly.
Email marketers want visual, fancy content in their email creatives and actually animated GIF’s are the only safe solution for that!
Have you tried animated GIFs in your email creatives? What kind of effect did they have on your conversion rates?
