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All Visual, All The Time
June 2, 2015
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As we have watched the rise of apps like Instagram and Snapchat in the past year, you could easily come to the conclusion that social communication is now visual.
But there's nothing like great research confirming your hunch. And that came last week when Venture Capitalist, Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, revealed her company's annual "Internet Trends."
As you see below, the evolution of communication is being driven by Millennials.
While only 44% of them say they use their Smartphone camera/video function at least once a day -- look at what they are doing the most with the photos and videos:
They are posting to social, of course:
While a balance (text, link, photo, video…) of posts and tweets are important, we still see too many storied brands communicating with a very text heavy approach.
And by doing so -- you're not necessarily hurting your station but you're certainly not going to grow your "social brand."
The younger end of your audience has pretty much grown up with the Internet in their hand. They have been armed with smartphones perhaps more of their life than not.
They are generating their own content, creating their own Internet. And it's critical to pay attention to their habits.
When we emulate the trends -- it helps our brands fit into the fans' live feeds naturally, rather than looking forced and obvious.
Here's a perfect example of what it looks like to fit in naturally and visually in the fans' News Feed from Lou at WKQX/Chicago:
Stations and personalities must exceed expectations in order to stand out and resonate.
Visuals can oftentimes trigger emotion more profoundly than long-winded, text-heavy posts. And when the right image is used -- that's when your fan base goes to work for you -- organically. They share your content, increasing reach and awareness.
Visual communication offers your brand an opportunity to go beyond the ordinary and create meaningful fan experiences.
Allow your fans to connect to your brand through visual storytelling, and transfer that interplay to station interaction. The social space changes rapidly, and we have to be dynamic in order to keep up.
Every picture tells a story -- socially.
Reach out to me anytime on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
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