let's get visual: using images to amplify your social media strategy
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Presented at Visit Pittsburgh's event, "Tweet, Like + Be Social" on May 31, 2013TRANSCRIPT
let’s get visualusing images to amplify your social strategy
Presented By Deanna Ferrari | May 31, 2013
about me
How much does a hipster weigh? An Instagram
"I'm 39, so every image of my childhood already looks like Instagram.” – Shawn Graham,
PodCamp Pittsburgh 2012
#dumbinstagramjokes
OK, enough of the bad jokes…let’s get this visual party started
first things first, visuals are powerful & stay with us
the same goes for images in marketing
and social media is no different
so, why use visuals in social?
Sources: http://corp.wishpond.com/blog/2013/01/10/infographic-the-impact-of-photos-on-facebook-engagement/ &http://blog.marketo.com/blog/2013/03/what-your-instagram-filter-says-about-you-infographic.html
Source: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2013/10779/four-steps-for-using-images-in-your-brands-social-strategy
setting your strategy
• Determine what networks you’ll use (the more visual, the better – think: Instagram)• Decide what you want to achieve (likes, shares, click-throughs to your e-comm site,
etc.)• Determine how you’ll collect images (Company images? Photos taken of
product/service on your phone? Photos created by a designer? Fan photos? All of the above?)
• Create images that are visually appealing and shareable • Create images both ahead of time and as they happen • Put together a content calendar so you’re organized and on-task• Implement, then analyze to see what’s engaging your fans and what’s not• Refine as needed, and keep posting based on your insights• Report key findings to see if you met your goals• Keep things FRESH!
creating vs. curating content
Generation Aggregation CurationBrand-created, original owned content (website images, taking a photo on your phone of your product, etc.)
Syndicating brand- and user-created content automatically (like an RSS feed).
More thoughtful aggregation (both brand- and user-created), with context and commentary behind it.
Example: Brand Instagram account and Facebook page
Example: RTing images on Twitter, a feed on your website that pulls in user images using a hashtag, etc.
Example: Pinterest board, Tumblr of pertinent images that represent your brand
Keeping images fresh is tough, so the best approach is to have a mix of brand-created content AND user-created content, a mix
of generating, aggregating, and curating. So, what’s the difference?
REMEMBER: Be sure to cite all content that is NOT created by you, linking back to the original source and giving credit. It’s best to work with your legal counsel when developing
your strategy to ensure your complying with company policies and procedures.
cross-promotion
Source: http://mashable.com/2013/03/04/twitter-instagram-infographic/
It’s OK to post images to more than one of your social media sites. Just don’t do it at the exact same time, all the time. And be mindful that you can no longer view
Instagram photos within the Twitter platform (womp, womp.) Quick tips:
quick case studies
lululemon Instagrams Its Brand ManifestoOverview: lululemon’s brand manifesto is not only displayed on their shopping
bags, but all over their social media channels. This is portrayed daily on Instagram, from photos of yoga in action, to challenges like #readysetgoals
Why it works for them: Fans are continually engaged – from hashtagged challenges, to beautiful imagery to witty pictures, each image is shareable and
conveys their message without saying a word, invoking a feeling.
Source: http://instagram.com/lululemon
Taco Bell Gets Snap-ChattingOverview: Taco Bell knew its fans were “obsessed” with the Beefy
Crunch Burrito so they made a Snapchat account for a special offer.
Why it works for them: Reaches the target audience of Taco Bell. This audience doesn’t have time for lengthy, forced messaging. Taco Bell emulates what its fans are doing on the platform, showcasing the product and treating fans like personal friends and not consumers.
Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/01/taco-bell-joins-snapchat/
Modcloth + Tumblr = A Match Made in Fashion Heaven
Overview: Instead of saying, “Look at us!” Modcloth says, “Look at you!” The brand incorporates a mix of fashion bloggers to show style inspiration, as well as utilizes the
“ModStylists” to answer fan questions about styling outfits.
Why it works for them: Modcloth knows its fans want to get inspired and do some research before making a purchase (as well as their demographic lives on Tumblr),
so it’s the perfect place to be. Source: http://modcloth.tumblr.com
Boo Dominates Facebook, Possibly The World
Overview: Boo is a dog. He is adorable. That’s really all you need to know.
Why it works for him (er, his owner): People like looking at cute animals. It’s why zoos are so popular on social media sites. Combine that face plus a witty description and you will get crazy engagement numbers (and book deals), too. 12,000 shares, anyone?
Source: https://www.facebook.com/Boo
Let’s Talk About BuzzfeedOverview: Buzzfeed provides a snapshot of "the viral web in real-time.” It
takes all that is good about the Internet, packaging it into visually-dominating articles. It works so well, that it just inked a deal with CNN to
create a YouTube channel with news and humor to reach that younger core audience.
Why it works for them: BuzzFeed knows its target audience: folks who are in front of a computer all day but aren't working the whole time--what they call the “Bored At Work network,” who are looking for “snack-sized entertainment.” Couple that with photos and boom -- engagement. They target their sweet spot -- 25-34 year-old “super-sharers.”
Source: http://www.fastcompany.com/3007481/how-buzzfeed-makes-everything-go-viral
Buzzfeed Wins The Internet
Brands + BuzzfeedOverview: Virgin and BuzzFeed joined forces to develop a social content strategy, allowing them to stand apart in the telcom market. When Instagram became available on Android, Virgin was quick to react, publishing the post “11 Things No One Wants To See You Instagram.”
Why it worked for them: The article engaged readers with timely, fun, and brand-relevant content. It reinforced Virgin’s position as a company in tune with pop
culture and mobile trends. Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/download/casestudies
Non-profits & Disaster Relief Get a Boost18 tornadoes struck northern Texas including the town of Granbury, causing vast damage, injuries and deaths. Instead of just asking for donations on social media, disaster relief workers tweeted and Instagrammed photos of the damage to make an impact that help and funds were needed badly. The images spoke for themselves.
What About Twitter?Twitter is a bit less visual up front, as you need to click “view photo” in the tweet stream. But it is still important to incorporate visuals. In fact, more
than one-third (36%) of all links shared on Twitter point to an image.
Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-images_b40570
Visual Tweets: The Good, The Bad & The Crazy
Measuring Your Visual Social StrategySo you integrated visuals into your social strategy, now what? You want to see the results.
In order to get the best analytics, you may need a mix of platforms, including a CMS. Here’s a quick breakdown of tools to see how well your photos are doing.
Free Paid Other Resources
Statigram (Instagram) Venueseen (Instagram) Digital Marketing Analytics (book) by Chuck Hemann & Ken Burbary
Pinterest Web Analytics Twitter Analytics (available for promoted tweets & accounts)
Social Media Metrics for Dummies (book) by Leslie Poston
Facebook Insights Salesforce Buddy Media Top 10 Social Media Ebooks of 2012 (Salesforce Blog)
Union Metrics (Tumblr)
SimplyMeasured
Takeaways• Know your audience and what networks they’re on
• Have an image-sharing strategy (are you going to generate, aggregate, curate, or all of the above?)• Measure, analyze and refine
• Don’t over-selfie• If all else fails, just copy what Boo & Buzzfeed do
