Animation in email marketing can make you stand out from the crowd… when used correctly, of course. Here are four tips to remember when incorporating animation in your emails:

1. Keep It Simple

Less is more. If you can get your point across with three frames instead of six, always use the shorter sequence. Something as simple as a blinking pelican can be enough to grab your readers’ attention.

2. Complement not Complicate

Always have an end goal in mind when using animation. A good eye-catching GIF will complement your message and/or product, not complicate it. If it’s just for show, it’ll distract from your message rather than reinforce it. This email from Horchow below is a good example of this.

3. Tell A Story

The most compelling animated images I’ve seen are presented as short stories. Take the example below from Nicole Miller. The images take the viewer on a romantic night with a significant other.

4. Display Multiple Products

For an online merchant, displaying multiple products in an animation is a great way to engage readers. An animated picture is much more compelling than a fixed grid of merchandise. Wildfang Family does a great job of this in the email below.

Just remember to watch your size! One easily-fixed mistake many e-marketers make is making the file size too big. A good rule of thumb is to keep the entire email size, including animated images, under 50K. If you need to, choose simpler colors or visuals to make sure your email can be easily handled by inboxes and servers.

Have you ever seen an animated email that grabbed your attention? What about it drew you in? Comment below and tell me!