Gone are the days of boring Instagram Stories. Elevate your social game with branded GIF stickers! Adding these personalized, eye-catching elements will stop thumbs from skipping forward to the next story, and keep eyes locked on your content instead. Here’s how.
What Are GIF Stickers?
Plain and simple: they’re GIFs with transparent backgrounds that you can search for and directly attach to your Instagram Stories. From simple ones like animated lines and arrows, to witty phrases and well-known characters, the library is growing by the hour––and for good reason. They essentially stamp on a finishing touch to liven up and personalize your story.
How Brands Should Use Them
The best way for marketers to capitalize on this feature is by uploading your own custom GIFs to the library. Not only is this a great way to add personality to your brand’s own stories, but because users can search for and use them as well, it’s an easy (and FREE) way to boost brand awareness and increase engagement. GIF stickers can be used to encourage your followers to post user-generated content and show brand loyalty, to add an engaging visual element to a static Instagram Story, or even just to encourage users to perform an action like “swipe up” or tap forward.
Creating GIF Stickers
Consider what you want to achieve with your stickers, as well as which assets you already have. Does your brand have a unique icon or a catchy slogan? Do you have multi-colored versions of your logo that can be animated or stitched together? Have fun with it, but make sure to keep it simple and on brand. If you need assistance creating your GIFs, try an online resource like gifmaker.me or procreate.art.
Note: At least 20% of the image must be transparent with a GIF source file in order to qualify for sticker status. While there’s no maximum file size for uploads, it’s recommended to have dimensions with an even height and width.
Uploading GIF Stickers
Once you’ve created at least 5 GIF stickers, it’s time to upload them to the virtual library.
Step 1: Log in or create a GIPHY account.
Step 2: Apply for a Brand Channel by following these tips. Make sure your username, email, website and social profiles are all consistent with your brand name. Your account should be verified within 1 to 2 days (there’s no hard-and-fast timeline, but that’s typically been our experience). However, you can check your application status or request responsive support if you have any questions along the way.
Step 3: After submitting your application, you can begin uploading your GIFs. Add relevant search terms to each one, like your brand name, location or a quick description of the image. Remember, tags help users discover your stickers in the library. GIPHY will not approve stickers that contain irrelevant tags.
Step 4: Once your account is verified, you’ll be able to search for your GIFs using the tags you provided. And voilà! You can now spice up your Instagram Stories.