25 Sep The power of GIFs and how to use them to your advantage
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in Amp it up
GIFs have infiltrated our lives online, with the ability to access and share them becoming easier than ever. But what is a GIF, how can you make and use them, and why are they so important for adult content creators?
WHAT IS A GIF?
Even if you do not know what a GIF is, you have seen one before. A GIF file is an image file (like a PNG or a JPEG), but its secret lies in its ability to hold multiple images. Although they were never designed to work this way in the first place, if they are viewed in a certain way, they become animated. Think of them like a flipbook of pictures; once you place your thumb on the flipbook in a certain way, the images will appear to move. GIFs were an exciting part of the early internet, as they were supported by HTML code, so they did not require a Flash plug-in (for those of us who remember those days!), would work regardless of what browser you used and were easier to make than videos. Despite the format being outdated now, they have survived because they are a level up from an emoji; they express more complex jokes, reactions, and emotions. Modern GIFs have evolved as they can now have sound, are nicer to look at than their 8-bit predecessors, and they take up less space on your device.
WHY CREATE AND SHARE YOUR OWN GIFS
Clearly, GIFs are fun and easy to share, but why do adult content creators need to create and share their own GIFs?
Engaging with your fans and audience on social platforms is important not only to maintain and develop relationships but also to signal to the algorithms that you are active on the platform. Instead of replying to comments and posts with text or emojis, think of the impact of having your own batch of GIFs to use as responses. GIFs are excellent formats for reactions that are more engaging and richer than text alone.
Reaction GIFs and specific content niche GIFs are attention grabbing pieces of content that can be used on a range of sites, including NSFW and SFW sites. Having your stage name appear in the GIF also helps with branding and is another valuable piece of advertising real estate without being too obnoxious. While sites like RedGIFs are great for hosting your NSFW content, did you know that your SFW reaction GIFs can also be uploaded to mainstream GIF repositories for people to use on mainstream sites? The possibilities carry on from there!
HOW TO CREATE GOOD GIFS
Now that you know more about GIFs, what are the tips and tricks of making the most of this image format?
As I have discussed previously in a post on content repurposing, you can create GIFs from any video content you make and film specific video content to make GIFs from. Think about the GIFs you like; what is it about them that pulls you in and makes you watch (or use) them again and again? Short snippets of exciting action or specific responses (like “thank you”, “kisses”, “aww”, “blushing”) work best for GIFs.
Most video editing software will have an option for saving in a GIF format, but remember it takes a little practice to work out the size, frame rate and resolution so that your GIFs look good and are not too big a file. GIF files can get large if you are not careful, and big files are tricky to upload anywhere. There are also many online options and apps for converting video to GIFs, including RedGIFs, so if you are stuck, have a quick search to see what works best for you.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and has worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counseling for almost two decades.
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GIFs have infiltrated our lives online, with the ability to access and share them becoming easier than ever. But what is a GIF, how can you make and use them, and why are they so important for adult content creators?
WHAT IS A GIF?
Even if you do not know what a GIF is, you have seen one before. A GIF file is an image file (like a PNG or a JPEG), but its secret lies in its ability to hold multiple images. Although they were never designed to work this way in the first place, if they are viewed in a certain way, they become animated. Think of them like a flipbook of pictures; once you place your thumb on the flipbook in a certain way, the images will appear to move. GIFs were an exciting part of the early internet, as they were supported by HTML code, so they did not require a Flash plug-in (for those of us who remember those days!), would work regardless of what browser you used and were easier to make than videos. Despite the format being outdated now, they have survived because they are a level up from an emoji; they express more complex jokes, reactions, and emotions. Modern GIFs have evolved as they can now have sound, are nicer to look at than their 8-bit predecessors, and they take up less space on your device.
WHY CREATE AND SHARE YOUR OWN GIFS
Clearly, GIFs are fun and easy to share, but why do adult content creators need to create and share their own GIFs?
Engaging with your fans and audience on social platforms is important not only to maintain and develop relationships but also to signal to the algorithms that you are active on the platform. Instead of replying to comments and posts with text or emojis, think of the impact of having your own batch of GIFs to use as responses. GIFs are excellent formats for reactions that are more engaging and richer than text alone.
Reaction GIFs and specific content niche GIFs are attention grabbing pieces of content that can be used on a range of sites, including NSFW and SFW sites. Having your stage name appear in the GIF also helps with branding and is another valuable piece of advertising real estate without being too obnoxious. While sites like RedGIFs are great for hosting your NSFW content, did you know that your SFW reaction GIFs can also be uploaded to mainstream GIF repositories for people to use on mainstream sites? The possibilities carry on from there!
HOW TO CREATE GOOD GIFS
Now that you know more about GIFs, what are the tips and tricks of making the most of this image format?
As I have discussed previously in a post on content repurposing, you can create GIFs from any video content you make and film specific video content to make GIFs from. Think about the GIFs you like; what is it about them that pulls you in and makes you watch (or use) them again and again? Short snippets of exciting action or specific responses (like “thank you”, “kisses”, “aww”, “blushing”) work best for GIFs.
Most video editing software will have an option for saving in a GIF format, but remember it takes a little practice to work out the size, frame rate and resolution so that your GIFs look good and are not too big a file. GIF files can get large if you are not careful, and big files are tricky to upload anywhere. There are also many online options and apps for converting video to GIFs, including RedGIFs, so if you are stuck, have a quick search to see what works best for you.
Rem Sequence is an Australian adult content creator, blogger and internationally published alt model. She has a background in psychology, philosophy and political science and has worked in health and sex education, youth work and trauma counseling for almost two decades.