Aweber has a great article with tips and resources to add animated gif to your email. They also highlight a more  detailed write-up of how to make the GIF. Aweber is an e-newsletter provider we discussed in a previous post on options for picking an e-news provider .

Quick Steps

1. Record or capture video
2. Convert video file to GIF
3. Upload GIF to your website
4. Put GIF into your email just like any other image
5. Add remaining email content
6. Test and send your email!

A Few Things to Consider When Using This Tactic

1. This tactic can be useful not only for “normal” videos, but for any situation where animation might be helpful. A 360-degree rotating view of a product and a virtual tour or slideshow of a house for sale.
2. There will not be sound in the email with this method, so don’t forget to link the image to a page of your website where your subscribers can go watch the video with sound.
3. If someone has images turned off, they’re not going to see the animation. Encourage subscribers to turn on images. Also, provide a text link to an online version of the video.
4. Keep the video short and the file size small remember some of your subscribers may have slower Internet connections.You want your image to load quickly, right?

Tools That Can Help You Create Your Video

• Logitech webcams
  
• Camcorder
• Camtasia Studio – Screen Capture Software
• Jing – Screen Capture Service. Free.
• Photobucket - To create a slideshow
• Adobe Premiere – Video editing software
• Video editing software review
• Free Video editing software
• First Stream – Web-based solution that packs powerful features so you can broadcast live over the Internet, manage all incoming email and send video email, create video podcasts and blogs.

Tools That Can Help You Create Animated GIFs

• Pro Motion – the software Anna used to create her GIF. Software download for Windows. Cost: $78.
• VidGIF – software download for Windows. Cost: $29.95.
• GIF Ninja – web-based video to GIF converter. Free. (But remember that when you use an online converter, you’re uploading your video to someone else’s site. If you’re not comfortable with that, don’t do it.)
• VTubeTools – web-based video to GIF converter. Free.
• Leech Video – web-based video to GIF converter. Free.
• Shareware Connection – Software download video to GIF converter. Free

A wikihow discussing video to GIF conversion:

Convert A Video Into a Gif Animation

We would love to hear your feedback are you using this tactic or something else to get video in your email?