By Berta Campos, on 6 May 2016
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the last few months have been fast moving and busy for Twitter. And it seems the change never stops: according to what Twitter recently published on their blog, it is now possible to share GIFs directly in tweets and direct message thanks to their new button.
The new tool is very simple to use: whenever you write a tweet or direct message, you can click the GIF button to access an entire library of them. Whether you need a yawning kitten or an old lady dancing to express how your brand feels today, it all there just waiting for you! To help you out with your search for the perfect GIF, you can use keywords or browse through different categories.
If you manage a brand on Twitter you may think this new feature to be somewhat irrelevant, but I would like to encourage you to try it. To generate more engagement with your audience, its essential you speak the same language as them… and Tweeters absolutely love GIFs. Just last year over 100 million GIFs were shared on this social network.
To be able to offer this service, Twitter got in touch with GIPHY and Riffsy. Combining GIFS with the speed and instantaneity of Twitter to communicate about real-time events gives us endless possibilities. According to Alex Chung, founder and CEO of GIPHY, “GIPHY offers real time GIFs as they happen, helping encourage comments and live conversations on Twitter. GIPHY users are creating GIFs about the news, entertainment, sports and expression that can enrich tweets. We are delighted to be working with Twitter to make the sharing of GIFs even easier”. For David Macintosh, CEO and cofounder of Riffsy, GIFs can help users explain how they feel at each moment: “You can express yourself in many ways using GIFs, and the secret is to find one that portrays your emotions efficiently and quickly. We are very happy to explore this partnership with twitter and to watch its users discover and share their favorite GIFs on a daily basis”.
Without a doubt, this new options offer very interesting possibilities of engaging with your audience but, like any other tool, on it’s own, it not going to revolutionize your brand. So, to finish off I would like to share with you a few quick tips for your followers to really create an interest in your brand.
- Tweet regularly. If you’re not present on their timelines, your users will forget you. But careful not to over do and hit the other extreme, of them getting annoyed by you!
- Publish useful, fun content for your audience.
- Interact frequently with your followers and, most importantly, answer them when they approach you!
- Ask questions. Remember: you are not on Twitter to show off, but to talk with your audience. Ask for their opinions and listen to their answers.
- Create a sense of urgency. If what you’re looking to do is generate visits to your website and conversions, a trick that always works are time-limited offers.
