Quick Summary

GIFs aren’t just for casual chats—they’re a powerful way to add personality and engagement to your business texts. With Salesmsg, you can easily add GIFs to SMS broadcasts, workflows, and one-on-one messages to capture attention, convey emotion, or drive action. In this post, you’ll learn how to use GIFs to make your texts more memorable and effective across every stage of the customer journey.

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What is a GIF?

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. While technically a low-resolution image file type, it’s best known for animated loops—like reactions, celebrations, memes, or punchlines.

In everyday communication, GIFs act like emotional shorthand. They work across SMS, MMS, and even email, delivering short bursts of personality and context.

Why the hype?

Why are GIFs so popular and commonplace in everyday communication and business marketing?

GIFs usually involve small movements with text. Long-format videos can take a lot of time to create, while simple still images are easier to produce and use. However, those still images don't always have the same level of engagement as a video.

That’s why GIFs are so loved: they’re a combination of video and picture. They can convey a range of messages in a simple format. The movement adds a layer of interest, helping them stand out from static images.

Creating GIFs is also quick and easy! You don’t have to be tech-savvy to make one. An animated GIF is a simple thing—but it delivers a high expressive impact.

Why GIFs Matter:

• GIFs are easy to create and consume – No tech skills needed to find or add them.
• Perfect for short, expressive communication – Especially when space or time is limited.
• Widely supported across platforms and devices – iOS, Android, web, and more.

What can GIFs do for communication?

They might seem silly, but GIFs have a powerful amount of influence. Bringing emotions into a conversation or message in an accessible way can help with persuasive communication.

By making your customers feel what you're trying to convey, you can build trust, communicate key points, and create memorable messages. It’s similar to using emojis in marketing—a way to evoke emotion.

When you send GIFs, you’re quickly expressing emotions that people can connect with and relate to. GIFs show the emotion instead of just describing it.

The selected GIF can also communicate something about the sender or business. They can suggest that someone is hip, clever, witty, or playful. When you use a common cultural reference, you create relatability between your brand and your audience.

You can also use GIFs to directly connect with the demographic you want to reach. GIFs are naturally shareable, which makes them a great communication tool. To encourage sharing, create GIF-based messages that offer a clear, fun takeaway.

By adding a GIF to your texts, you’re creating fun ways to connect with customers.

Why add GIFs to SMS campaigns?

GIFs aren’t just a way to get a laugh—they’re a proven tactic for grabbing attention and increasing engagement. In the context of marketing, they work well for:

• Stand out – A well-placed GIF can get your customers to pay attention to your text messages.
• Bring personality to your brand – Whether playful or polished, a GIF adds tone and fun to your SMS messages.
• Drive action – Quick animations help highlight a call to action, product benefit, or announcement.
• Make follow-up texts memorable – A clever reaction GIF can turn a cold lead warm again.

Texting with GIFs lets you meet your customers where they are—on their phones—with something that’s fast, visual, and hard to ignore.

What are the best practices for GIFs?

GIFs can elevate a message—but timing and tone matter. Here’s how to use them:

• Don’t rely on them alone – Use GIFs to reinforce your message, not replace it.
• Keep it short – Quick loops with clear meaning work best.
• Stay on-brand – Use tone-appropriate GIFs that reflect your company’s vibe.
• Test and track – Use A/B testing or workflows to see what resonates.

Is this GIF primary or secondary communication?

When you want to add something extra to a message, a GIF can be the perfect thing. It’s a way to emphasize what you’re trying to say and what you're trying to communicate.

But be cautious about using GIFs as your primary form of communication. Sometimes, implied emotion through a GIF can come off the wrong way. To avoid misunderstandings, don’t let the GIF be the entire message. Use them as enhancements—not replacements.

Does this GIF expand your brand messaging?

Using GIFs in brand messaging is a powerful way to bring emotion to your brand’s mission or image.

As you start using them, it’s perfectly fine to experiment and see what your audience responds to. Try a variety of funny GIFs, static images, or even create your own. Testing different styles can help you understand and grow your audience.

When should you send GIFs?

When telling a story, adding a GIF can provide an extra visual element that makes it more memorable. GIFs show emotion rather than just describing it. They can:

• Add energy to infographics or graphics
• Show how a product works
• Add personality to an email or text message
• Help you interact more playfully on social media

There are countless ways to include GIFs in your brand and marketing messages. Try using them across multiple channels to see what works and what doesn’t.

How do you add GIFs to texts?

With Salesmsg, you can add GIFs to your SMS broadcasts, SMS workflow texts, or just two-way text messages with your leads and customers. It’s as easy as sending a regular text—just with more impact.

To add a GIF to a SMS broadcast:

1. Click the plus sign next to the text box in your conversation view.
2. Click “Upload File” to choose a GIF file from your computer—or click the little blue “View All” button to access all the GIF files in your personal Salesmsg Media Library.
3. You can also click “Recently Added” to view the last 100 media files you or your team uploaded.
4. Write your text message, then either send or schedule it. That’s it!

GIFs are sent as MMS messages. That means they cost 2 credits and support up to 1,600 characters, including the attached media. To ensure successful delivery, keep your GIFs under 500KB and avoid including too much accompanying text.

Want to use your own branded GIFs? No problem—you can upload them directly to your Salesmsg Media Library.

How to store GIFs in the media library?

Need quick access to your favorite GIFs? Use the Salesmsg Media Library to upload, organize, and manage them in one central place—ready to drop into texts or workflows whenever you need.

The Media Library makes it easy to:

• Upload your branded or third-party GIFs
  Save time by keeping all your go-to visuals in one spot. Upload GIFs (along with images, videos, or audio) in just a few clicks.
• Organize your media into folders
  Create folders by team, campaign, or use case—so marketing, sales, and support can each store and access what they need.
• Preview and reuse GIFs across inboxes
  Want to see how a GIF looks before sending it? The Media Library lets you preview assets and easily reuse them across messages, automations, and users.
• Search and filter with ease
  Use smart filters to find the right asset fast—by file type, size, uploader, or date added.
• Keep things clean with bulk actions
  Updating a campaign or retiring old creatives? Select multiple assets to delete or move in one action.

You can upload up to 50 files at once, with a max file size of 500MB per file—and yes, that includes GIFs. You’ll also see at-a-glance details like upload date, file size, and who uploaded it.

How can you access your Media Library?

To open your personal GIF library:

• Click the “View All” button next to any image upload field inside Salesmsg.
• Or, navigate directly to Settings → Media Library to manage your files from anywhere—no need to be in a conversation thread.

Pro tip: Storing your GIFs in the Media Library not only saves time—it also ensures your team stays on-brand and consistent, especially when using Salesmsg across departments.

Conclusion: Why start texting GIFs?

Sending a GIF is simple—and it works.

Whether you're trying to express emotions, enhance your marketing messages, or boost response rates, GIFs are a great way to stand out. Just open your messages app, tap on the GIF button (found in the emoji icon or app drawer icon depending on your device), search for a specific GIF or browse trending ones, and hit send.

GIFs are more than just fun—they’re versatile communication tools that can add personality to your brand, support your message, and connect with customers. They're ideal for use in SMS, MMS messaging, and even email. Use them to enhance a follow-up, illustrate a point, or make your message pop.

With Salesmsg, you can send GIFs directly in your business text messages, integrate them into automated workflows, and keep your brand messaging fresh and engaging.

Want to bring that creativity into your customer communication? Try Salesmsg free for 14 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send GIFs in a business text message?
Absolutely! You can send GIFs directly through platforms like Salesmsg that support MMS messaging. Just ensure the GIF aligns with your message and brand identity.

Do GIFs affect deliverability?
Yes. GIFs are sent as MMS, not standard SMS, so they may use more data and require a stable internet connection. Be mindful of file size for smoother delivery.

Can I use custom branded GIFs in texts?
Yes! You can create and upload branded GIFs using third-party apps like GIPHY, then send them in your campaigns to reinforce brand recognition.

Is it better to use GIFs or emojis in text messages?
Both have their place. GIFs offer richer expression and context, while emojis are simpler, faster, and take up less space. Choose based on what best fits your message and audience.

Are there limits on the size of a GIF in a text?
Yes. Most MMS platforms support GIFs under 500KB to 1MB. To ensure successful delivery, keep your animated GIFs short, clear, and loop-friendly.