Twitter steps it up with animated GIFs
Joining the ranks of other social networks like Pinterest and Google+, Twitter has now officially begun supporting animated GIFs in tweets, and we are totally pumped. Often, words can’t quite express what a quick animation can – need to tell someone it’s time for a high five? Share an animated GIF of a high five. Need to give someone a “go to hell” look? Send them a glaring person via animated GIF.
The social media giant announced the new feature today, but the GIFs will not auto-play in tweets, rather they require a click on the GIF to see the animation. Further, the support for animated GIFs works on the desktop site and Android and iPhone apps, but Blackberry and the like are out in the cold.
Users are already sharing animated GIFs on the social networking site, and Twitter’s goal would obviously to be keeping eyeballs on Twitter rather than losing them to outside sites where GIFs are being shared en masse.
That said, tweets embedded outside of Twitter do not appear to support animated GIFs quite yet (see the embedded version of this tweet below):
Starting today, you can share and view animated GIFs on https://t.co/wJD8Fp317i, Android and iPhone. https://t.co/XBrAbOm4Ya
— Twitter Support (@Support) June 18, 2014
How to get started
We’ve written over the years about how to make animated GIFs, how to feature them, and how to get creative in using them. Initially, the goal was to get you to think about your website and blog and to use beautiful or expressive GIFs rather than lame clipart GIFs of the 90s (seriously, don’t do that or we’ll ground you).
Check out some tips, tools, and tricks on animated GIFs where we give away our favorite secrets:
- How to find or make an animated GIF (scroll to the second half of this story for the meat you seek)
- 2 free and simple way to make animated GIFs
- Make your site (and now your Twitter stream) more memorable with subtle moving images
- Inexpensive app makes gorgeous cinemagraphs (animated GIFs) possible for all – a MUST read
Be original! Make GIFs of your team, your product, or your service. Be silly, or be luxurious, just be true to your brand and leverage the power of movement on Twitter right away.
