In today's digital age, email has become a common means of communication. It is essential for personal and professional purposes, and it has become an integral part of our daily lives.
As we communicate through email, it's essential to have a signature at the end of our emails to identify who the email is coming from and provide our contact information. But, why not add some personality and fun to your signature with a GIF signature?
In this article, we'll explore what a GIF signature is, why you should create one, how to make one, and whether adding a GIF signature affects your email delivery rate.
What is a GIF Signature?
A GIF signature is a creative and dynamic way to make your email communication more interesting and engaging. It involves adding an animated image or short video clip to the end of your emails, rather than the standard text signature that only includes your contact information.
A GIF signature can be anything you want it to be, depending on your personal or professional branding. For example, a company might create a GIF signature that features their logo or product, which can help to reinforce brand recognition and recall.
Alternatively, an individual might use a GIF signature that features an animated image of themselves or their hobby, which can help to showcase their personality and make the email more personal.
Why make a GIF Signature?
A GIF signature is a fun and creative way to add some personality to your emails, and it's an excellent opportunity to showcase your brand or add a personal touch.
For example, if you're a fitness instructor, you might use a GIF signature that features a short animation of someone doing a workout. Or, if you're a graphic designer, you might create a GIF signature that features a rotating image of your logo or a design element.
Or if you're an avid coffee drinker, you could feature a floating coffee, because...why not?
One of the benefits of using a GIF signature is that it can help you stand out in a crowded inbox.
While a text signature provides necessary contact information, it doesn't necessarily convey any personality or branding. A GIF signature, on the other hand, can help to establish a brand image and make your email more memorable, which in turn leads to more engagement, and more rapport with your customers.
How to make your own with Bonjoro's GIF Signature Maker
There are many ways to create a GIF signature, but the easiest and most effective way is to use Bonjoro's GIF Signature Maker. Here's how to create a GIF signature with Bonjoro:
1. Head over to Bonjoro's "GIF Signature Maker" landing page.
2. Start by clicking “Create your own”.
3. The next page will prompt you to record your video GIF for your signature. Click record to make your video.
4. You can then trim your GIF ready to be used in your animated email signature. Your GIF can be up to 10 seconds long.
N.B. Bonjoro's system takes care of the file size to ensure it's nice and small, and doesn't affect your email inboxing.
5. Add the details you want to appear in your signature - you can add your name, job role, company logo, and other links.
6. Pick your GIF Signature template. There are 5 pre-built designs to choose from, and 3 video shapes you can use, so there should be one to suit you and your company.
7. Once you’ve completed your design hit "Generate Signature", then just click ‘Copy signature” and paste your new video signature into your email settings. You can see instructions for how to do this via our handy help doc here.
That's it. You're done. It really couldn’t be easier!
How do I add my GIF signature into my Gmail signature?
It’s very quick. Just follow these steps:
- Create your video signature then click “Copy signature”
- Head to the settings tab inside your Gmail (link here)
- Scroll down to ‘Signature’, and click the “+Create New” button
- Name your new signature, something like “Video signature”
- Paste in your video signature
- Make sure to change your default signature (see image below)
- Scroll down and hit “Save Changes”, and you are done.
How do I add my GIF signature into my Outlook signature?
It’s easy, here’s the steps for you:
- Create your video signature then click “Copy signature”
- Click File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
- Click the “New” button
- In the New Signature dialog box, type a name for the signature.
- Paste in your video signature, then select Save > OK.
N.B. Make sure to set your new video signature as your default.
FAQ: Will adding a GIF to my email affect delivery?
GIF signatures are supported by most email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and more.
However there are some cases where GIFs and images in emails may affect delivery. Here's everything you need to know:
Corporate Firewalls:
Some corporate firewalls may block emails with images or attachments for security reasons. This is because images and attachments can contain malicious code or viruses that can compromise the security of the company's network or devices.
To prevent these threats, corporate firewalls may be configured to block emails with certain file types or attachments, including images, videos, GIFs, executable files, and compressed files. This can be done through various security measures, such as email filtering, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems.
Email image blocking:
A big part of the email delivery lottery is about email image blocking. This is when an email client like Outlook either blocks your email due to images, or merely blocks the images in that email from appearing. Of course, this applies to GIFs too.
There is a super useful and detailed article about this here, but the TLDR is this; the majority of email clients, with the exception of some Outlook versions and AOL, show images by default. The exceptions are shown in this table with a red X.
Stand out in a crowded inbox with Bonjoro
In conclusion, a GIF signature is a great way to add some personality and fun to your emails. With Bonjoro's GIF Signature Maker, it's easy to create a GIF signature that represents your brand or personality. So, go ahead and create a signature that stands out from the rest!
And don't forget to check out Bonjoro's full video platform to get access to their unique personalized video and video testimonials tools that are used by over 50,000 brands to delight and convert more customers.
