In just four years, GIPHY has reached 200 million daily users, while serving more than one billion GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) every day. In announcing this milestone, the company is still trying to figure out how to monetize the platform as more people and businesses come aboard.
You probably already know what a GIF is, but GIPHY might be new to you. GIPHY can be described as the search engine of GIFs. The company says it is the easiest way to search, share, and discover GIFs on the Internet. So why is it necessary to index GIFs?
With more than a billion GIFs being served by GIPHY daily, everyone from individuals to small businesses and large enterprises are using GIFs to engage with their audience. Being able to identify each GIF and provide data on how it is being used is extremely valuable for companies.
The new count feature lets you see the number of times a GIF has been viewed regardless of how many times it loops. You will be able to view counts for every GIF from an official Artist or Partner with a cumulative count for the channel.
Benefits of Using GIFs
For a small business, GIFs have many upsides. They are cheaper than video, effective, easy to consume and can be better than static images, depending on the context. You can promote your brand easily across all platforms, especially mobile to quickly tell a story and engage with your audience.
If you use email for marketing, using a GIF increases click, conversion, open, and revenue rates.
The Future of GIPHY
Having raised close to $151 million in four rounds from just 13 Investors, GIPHY has a valuation of $600 million. Obviously these VCs see a big upside. As these investors look for returns, the company is said to be testing ad products, according to TechCrunch.
This will provide many new opportunities, not only for the major brands currently using the platform, but also small businesses.
GIPHY is free, so you can create and deliver a GIF using the platform to promote your business, and get ready for paid ads when they come around.
Image: GIPHY