Facebook rolls out another feature update that now lets you add a gif image to your status update. The process is fairly simple; all you need to do is paste the web link of the gif in the status bar and watch it appear in all its animated glory. However while you scroll down your newsfeed you will notice the gif as a static image and animates only once you click on it. There seems to be another issue with this new gif friendly update, if you upload the gif directly to your Facebook profile the image is static. We are not sure if this functionality will be later added to the feature update, as for now gifs are back on Facebook.
Not many may know about this but in the early days, GIF images were supported by Facebook. This is back in the day when MySpace, Hi5, Orkut, etc were at the forefront of the social media race. Yes, like me you will find people who have had accounts on these much antiquated social platforms in many social media agencies.
So why is Facebook bringing back the gif to its users? The answer is quite obvious; the gif over the last few years has become the one dominant choice of personal expression online. As a digital marketing agency, we believe the gif can unlock a multitude of possibilities for brands, however at the moment Facebook has not rolled out gif support for Facebook pages. During the official release, Facebook did mention that they are exploring the possibility of supporting animated gifs for pages. So you never know, the near future may have your favorite brands engaging with you with the most awesome gifs ever.
Until that moment arrives, get ready because your news feed is soon going to get a lot more animated.
So go forth and get creative, but remember keep it classy.
