GIF stands for “graphics interchange format” – a looping format that is a cross between a still picture and animated video. Animated GIFs are everywhere on the web and often used in digital ad campaigns. Advertising agencies and marketers have been using GIFs on Tumblr, Twitter and Imgur for a while but Facebook is just now getting with the program.
Although Facebook has supported GIFs for personal posts since May, it is now test-marketing them for advertisers and Facebook Pages. It will also allow some brands to use them as promoted posts in users’ news feeds. Advertisers involved in the early phases of the test include Wendy’s and Kuat, a Coca-Cola Brazilian soft drink.
“GIFs can be a fun and compelling way to communicate,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. “We will evaluate whether it drives a great experience for people before rolling it out to more Pages.”