But how can you use them in a fun, useful, different way than normal? Here are 15 ideas (plus a bonus) to experiment with right away. We see gifs in our inboxes more and more often, adding a touch of vitality and joy to email messages. But animated gifs aren't just decorative : they can serve a variety of purposes, like illustrating product features , telling stories about its origins, describing how software works, or creating the illusion of a parade. They basically serve to add that same movement to the emails we've become more and more accustomed to seeing on the web. Data suggests that by the end of 2017 video usage will Account for 74% of total online traffic: it's easy to see why animated gifs are a great alternative to email, where hosting real videos can be tricky. The beauty company mailing list of animated gifs is that they're easy to insert into emails — they work just like any other type of image. They require extra effort at the creation stage, but once ready, the file can be loaded into the email normally, as if it were a jpeg. Learn how to enter gifs into emails in this tutorial > in this article, we've collected 15 great inspirations (plus a bonus) showing how to use animated gifs in emails in a creative, original and - Why not - practical way. 1. Make storytelling around the product this is the mantra of marketing today: tell stories about the product , do storytelling, give it an extra dimension beyond a simple “showcase” with descriptions and prices. This is where animated gifs can come in handy to lend a hand. Toms uses them to show aspects that make up a seemingly simple moccasin, accomplishing multiple goals at the same time. First, the animated gif gives a new movement to the message , making an otherwise flat image more interesting. Secondly, the brand effectively highlights its vocation for craftsmanship , using shoemaker terminology and taking a kind of “behind the scenes” tour of the workshop. All thanks to a simple animated gif. Tom's 2. Show a software demo