Author’s Note: This post on how to make an animated GIF (without Photoshop) was updated to include information on how to add GIFs to Facebook, Twitter, and popular content management systems.
The web is all about motion these days, so GIFs are ubiquitous. Adding motion to an image can help it tell a more complex story—and Adobe Photoshop makes creating a high-quality GIF easy. Your inspired creativity can make you a star on Giphy, Vimeo, Snapchat, or any venue you desire. Otherwise, to start creating your own GIF, tap the Create button in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If it is your first time using the app, you will need to approve two permission.
Who said GIFs are just for fun? They’re incredibly useful for businesses and marketers.
Aside from social media, companies are incorporating GIFs in paid advertising campaigns on social media platforms, in customer support articles on their website, on landing pages and microsites, and in email marketing campaigns.
Unlike static photos or videos, GIFs are quick and easy to make, and they require no additional software or plugins. Better yet, GIFs can significantly improve the user experience on your blog or website. And, unlike a video, GIFs generally have small file sizes, allowing them to load faster and with better quality.
They can also reduce user friction. Think about it: instead of clicking on an embedded video tutorial on how to use a feature, you can share a series of short GIFs that’ll educate a viewer in half the time.
*Here’s how to leverage Google Optimize (free) to test GIFs on your website
If you’re interested in incorporating GIFs into your marketing toolkit but don’t have any experience with Photoshop, I’ll show you how to use five free tools to create original GIFs.
Need help creating graphics that will convert visitors into customers? Contact us! Ladder can help you reach your sales goals with tech-powered marketing services.
Need help creating graphics that will convert visitors into customers? Contact us! Ladder can help you reach your sales goals with tech-powered marketing services.
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What happened to the old “Da Button Factory”?
Da Button Factory has been acquired by ClickMinded! The tool has been upgraded and will remain free. It’s now a call-to-action button generator for our digital marketing students learning how to write a blog post that converts.
Like Button Gif
We recommend you use the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari to use this tool. You might run into issues if you use Internet Explorer—if so, just download one of the recommended browsers.
How to add your button to a website, email, or social media post
There are several ways you might go about doing this.
Option #1: Download the button image file
This is the most straightforward way. Just pick your preferred file type and hit the download button.
Next, just upload your button image to your website, your email service provider, or use it in your social media images.
Option #2: Implement the button as HTML + CSS
Da Button Factory is also a free CSS button generator. This option requires a bit more knowledge of HTML and CSS, but it will result in a faster web page or email (since there’s no need to load an image).
To do this, create an HTML element like ‘div’ or ‘button’, write the CTA copy, and assign a class to it. In this example, we’ll call the class “my-cta-button”.
Next, copy the CSS code provided by the tool under the “Embed” option, and add it either to your CSS file or to the page using ‘style’ tags.
That’s it! You now have designed and implemented your own HTML button.
Create Button Gifs Funny
How to create high-converting CTAs
Here are some best practices you can follow to make sure your CTAs drive your users to take action.
- Use a button design that stands out. Make sure there’s enough contrast between the button text and its background, as well as between the button and background of the page.
- Tell your users exactly what they get by clicking on your CTA. Instead of using something generic like “Click here”, be descriptive with copy like “Buy now” or “Download”.
- Use the first person when writing your CTA copy. It’s better to use “View my account” instead of “View your account”.
- Keep your CTA copy short and to the point. Avoid creating unnecessarily wordy CTAs.
- Make your offer more attractive by including terms like “Now”, “Free”, or “Save”. For example, “Download NOW”, “Get FREE Ebook”, or “Save 10$”.
Your turn
Da Button Factory by ClickMinded is an online button maker that allows you to create beautiful, high-converting CTA buttons for websites, email campaigns, or social media posts, in no time and for free.
Start with the model displayed above, tweak the style to fit your needs, and implement the buttons you created to grow your business or website.