How To Post A GIF On Instagram & The Best Ways To Make One

Although almost everyone is using GIFs nowadays for witty quips in private messages, comments, and posts, some people still don’t know what they are exactly. GIFs have become a trendy way for people to express themselves in a way that wasn’t ever possible before.

Sure, GIFs existed online, but it wasn’t until recent years that it became easy to share them in the day to day. Even Facebook was slow to implement a GIFs feature so of course the same goes for Instagram.

What Is A GIF, Anyway?

GIF stands for Graphical Interchange Format, invented by Steve Wilhite in 1987. He wanted to create an animated image format with the smallest possible size. White is a controversial figure for his pronunciation of the word GIF, insisting it has a J sound like the peanut butter.

via GIPHY

Simply put, GIFs are small-sized video clips that have no sound. They are played automatically and, without pressing any button, played on an infinite loop.

Before social media platforms implemented GIFs natively, they were mostly known by their early usage on Geocities, AngelFire and MySpace. In 2015, Facebook added support for GIPHY, a free-to-use search engine specifically for GIFs. Following Facebook’s lead, Twitter adopted the content format, and today, there have been more than 100 million GIFs posted on the platform.

Today, we see GIFs being supported as cool stickers that can be dropped on top of video content like on Instagram Reels or TikTok videos.

How To Post A GIF On Instagram

Unlike Twitter and Facebook, Instagram has no direct search engine for posting GIFs. However, you can manually add GIFs to your posts via GIPHY. Here are some simple steps to help you learn how to post a GIF on Instagram.

1. Go to the Google Play Store or Apple store and download the free GIPHY application.
2. Open the application and search for a GIF.
3. Look for a share button that looks like a paper plane between the heart icon and three dots.
4. Press the share button and select Instagram from the list of apps.
5. Allow GIPHY to open your Instagram app and access the gallery.
6. Post the GIF to your feed or story.
7. Slide your thumb over the GIF to add filters.
8. Add a catchy caption and click on the share button to make your GIF viral.  

You can also use GIPHY alternatives like ImgPlay, Giphy Cam, GIF maker, Songclip, and Momento to create GIFs from videos and photos. These apps are all available for both IOS and Android. You can also share these self-made GIFs on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Pro Tip: GIPHY allows users to upload their own GIFs to the platform, allowing use for custom GIFs in Instagram content.

Why You Should Use GIFs On Instagram

Creative Replies

Millions of users interact on Instagram everyday, and GIFs are an excellent way to respond to content. Social media growth is all about standing out from the rest, and if you do something different, people will start noticing you. 

Provide Visual Guides

GIFs are great for providing instructions to viewers. You can use them to explain step-by-step instructions or guides more easily. They add a unique twist to your content, making it much more consumable and entertaining.

Use Relatable Content To Go Viral

GIFS make your content visible and noticeable on Instagram. Among thousands upon thousands of creators with similar sentiment, you can stand out with your pictures and videos by using relatable GIFs.

Tease Future Content

If you want to release a new product or service, you can use GIFs to create a sneak peek and make your followers curious.

Showcase Comedic Posts

Besides being a source of information, GIFs can also be a source of entertainment too. You can create humorous posts and engage in fun conversations using GIFs on Instagram.

Creatively Represent Data

GIFs are a great tool to make boring text and stats more catchy for broad audiences. You can add colors and animations to make your data appealing.

How To Make A GIF

Here are some simple ways that can help you to make a GIF.

GIPHY

GIPHY is the largest source of GIFs. It allows you to create your own GIFs and share them with your friends across all social media platforms. GIPHY is also a great source of unique stickers for your visual content. It is easy to use, and you can find stickers and GIFs using the search bar. All you have to do is share them with one click on various platforms.

via GIPHY

WhatsApp

WhatsApp has its own built-in GIF maker. If you want to make GIF from WhatsApp, click a video from your phone while using WhatsApp messenger, and on the top right corner, tap on the GIF icon. This will turn your media into a GIF. 

iPhone Camera Roll

The iPhone camera roll allows you to take live photos and turn them into GIFs through the built-in photo editor app. To make a GIF, open a photo on the camera roll and scroll down to find suitable effects. Tap on the Loop option at the end to make a premium GIF. You can share this GIF to other social media apps or in private messages.

Google Photos

Making GIFs is relatively easy with Google photos. Just open the app and select the photos you want to add to your GIF. After selecting, tap on the + button at the top. Click on animation to create a GIF out of the selected photos. Google photos also allow you to share GIFs with other apps by tapping on the share icon.

Key Takeaways

Once you’ve found (or created) your favorite GIFs through the methods explained above, share them and watch the engagement roll in! Your content will become much livelier and more personal with them.

Remember these key points to make your Instagram profile stand out!

• GIPHY is the largest library of stickers and GIFs.
• You can make statistical data more presentable using GIFs.
• Include GIFs in your product launches to make them captivating.
• Make sure to add a humorous touch to your GIFs for a touch of fun.