With updates that come every two weeks, keeping product videos up to date can be overwhelming.
Not only are product videos time-consuming, but they can also get expensive fast. In one Hubspot study, they found that more than half of video production companies they spoke to quoted an explainer video between $2,500-$10,000.
If you would rather take things into your own hands to save money, then you have to integrate a lengthy production timeline into your launch plan.
There’s a better way. GIFs (short for Graphics Interchange Format) are an excellent alternative to product update videos that can save both time and money for your business while enhancing the user experience.
While GIFs were once the hallmark of internet memes and fun marketing graphics, they’ve now evolved into a usable form of media for complex instructional content that can help businesses explain how-tos in a more digestible, visual way.
In this article, we’re covering how using GIFs as an alternative to video to explain your product or train and support your end users can be a faster and more affordable way to keep up with product updates.
Products are Ever-Changing
In the world of Cloud Communications, products are constantly evolving to keep up with the times, stay relevant, and add new features and capabilities.
Some products include nearly constant updates, such as Cisco’s Webex app, which releases updates about every two weeks.
If you’re trying to develop a new product update video that often, you may find your timelines getting pushed back or your spend increasing to a level that can be difficult to keep up with.
That’s also a lot of time and energy spent on a video with a shelf life of only two weeks, which can be frustrating for the team members developing the videos.
GIFs provide a faster and more affordable alternative to time-consuming, expensive video production and development – especially when you know new updates are always just around the corner.
Benefits of Using GIFs
We know that GIFs are quicker and cheaper to create, but they also offer additional benefits to both the creators and the viewers.
Some of the most notable benefits of using GIFs in place of product update videos include:
- Save Time for Viewer – GIFs are, by nature, short clips. They are usually just a few seconds long, versus a video, which can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, taking up more time from their day when there’s a more succinct way to get the same information across.
- Universal Accessibility – Videos require a strong internet connection to avoid buffering and delays, but GIFS are a photo format, so there’s no additional loading time needed. They’re pretty universally accessible, so anyone can view it regardless of what device they’re accessing it on.
- The Power of Reiteration – When it comes to communicating a new feature or idea, repetition is key. GIFs repeat the same grouping of images on a loop, so anyone viewing it will see it several times. This will help drive your educational points home and make the information stick.
- Versatile – When GIFs first came about, they were primarily used for silly internet memes. But now, they offer variety to your marketing strategy in a very serious way. Now, they’re used to add life to infographics, show how-to guides in action, animate websites, or showcase ecommerce products online.
- Affordable and Fast – As we’ve mentioned, GIFs are both quicker and cheaper to create than videos are. Videos often require special video equipment and a team to develop the script, direct the shots, and edit the final video. These costs add up quickly. With GIFs, there’s none of that, and there’s also no need to pay for a video hosting service, saving you on overhead costs.
Creative, Effective Product Update GIFs from B-Lynk
If you’re interested in developing GIFs to replace your frequent product update videos, B-Lynk can help. We’ve got the design skills, UC expertise, and creative direction needed to create eye-catching, engaging, and effective product update GIFs whenever you need them.
GIFs can help you introduce a new product or even demo your product on a basic level. They can also illustrate how to set up a new feature, or other how-to steps. And when you include GIFs in your digital knowledge base, they can add a visual component to resources such as user guides or even sales team presentations.
Take your product education resources to the next level with easily accessible, quick, affordable, and endlessly versatile GIFs custom-developed for your products and end-users by the experts here at B-Lynk. Get in touch to learn more or get started today.