Visual social media - the new phenomenon
It feels like the birth of the sweeping social media phenomenon occurred just five seconds ago, with Pinterest’s viral growth to dizzying heights, Facebook’s takeover of Instagram and Twitter launching the new network, Vine.
The new medium is continuing to grow and evolve, spawning a new phenomenon of its own: visual social media.
Like moths to a flame, humans are innately drawn to visual elements including images, photographs and sensational design. As more of us are increasingly mobile and engaging with social media on smartphones, viewing an image is far less tedious than squinting to read a few lines of tiny text on a moving train.
Facebook now gives users the option to upload a photograph with every single status posted, while one can only draw the parallels between Pinterest’s high levels of traffic and the quality images it hosts – it is now the fourth largest traffic driver worldwide.
According to research, 44 per cent of users are more likely to engage with brands it they post pictures than any other media. In August last year, Instagram surpassed Twitter for daily active mobile users, growing its user base by 8.5 times in six months.
Businesses and brands have to take note of these stats in order to leverage the power of visual marketing, using images, photos, videos and other media in their online marketing in order to boost the chances of readers viewing their messages. In turn, this drives people to your website and connects with them, promoting a sense of brand loyalty.
Want to harness the power of visual social media? Here’s how:
1. Why tell if you can show? A picture tells a thousand words. Wherever possible, use visuals to share your message through pictures, images, infographics, videos, graphics or animations. Facebook’s timeline format gives marketers the opportunity to show off stunning visuals and feature them prominently on the page.
2. More than 80 per cent of pins on Pinterest are re-pins, not original content. Be the original 20 per cent and create your own work, whether it be through professional graphic design or photography.
3. Tell your own story. Instagram is a great platform for storytelling and sharing your brand with the world. The mundane is made beautiful through the social medium’s photo filters, so snap and share away.
4. Infographics are a great way to showcase facts and figures without turning your post into a snorefest. Highlight valuable, up-to-date information through creative, colour charts and cutting-edge design – this makes sure people are engaged with your brand and read what you have to say.
5. Last but not least: don’t forget to add words to your image. Make sure you caption and tag where you can, but make sure the text doesn’t overpower your visuals. Keep captions short, concise and to-the-point, while adding hashtags can often help you reach new audiences as well.
Don’t forget – this applies to your personal brand along with your business brand, so be careful of what you say, snap and post. And most importantly, have fun with visual social media and all it can offer you!
─ Eliza Sum
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comments ( 4 )
Maria Alda Prawitera
10 Apr 2013Excellent post, Eliza! When I read this, I kept thinking "You are what you post", and this applies to both individuals and businesses!
ReplyWe need to remember to be original, genuine, transparent in what you post. As Warren Buffet says: "It takes years to build a brand but only seconds to destroy it!!"
Manon
18 Feb 2013Social media has become very important and it is an interesting tool. Social media has a big impact in public relations. So companies have to adapt with the new trends.
ReplyArnaud M.
13 Feb 2013I think nowadays we definitely live in a more visual world. As you said we can now use a lot of social media and networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest...) to generate and receive visual content and more than ever brands must consider this fact. Even if people are more and more surrounded by images, these remain the most efficient. It's clear we are more attracted by visual than written content because pictures can directly catch our attention while written content can sometimes seem boring at first sight.
ReplyMore than ever I think brands must consider the use of visual content to strengthen their own image.
Also visual content could be a great tool to develop customer loyalty by showing them more "behind the scene" pictures of the company on Instagram,...
Emma
12 Feb 2013I definitely agree that visual material is more affective and influential then just written information especially when used together. With the internet so accessible thanks to smart phones, ipads/tablets and laptops we as consumers have come into a society where we expect everything to be instant, quick and to the point. We have better things to do with our time then read paragraphs of information about a new product or a new marketing campaign. This is why I think images create and capture attention because it stands out from just plane text on a page. People can gain as much information from an image as they do from a paragraph on text but I think the most important reasons to use images is that they capture the initial attention of a consumer and if its appealing the consumer will look for extra information and actually read the text posted.
ReplyThis is why as you said Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest have taken over the world. Its because its instant and easy. I know as I scroll down my news feed I will always take a quick glance at the photo and if it captures my attention ill read the text to get more information.
Also the use of images allows people to familiarise themselves with the product or the branding of an image instead of having to visualise it from descriptive text so the next time they see it in store they will have information to help with their decision making process.