Two Significant Trends in Social Media
- The Baby Photographer
- Social Media tips with Memory Gate
- Published on Wednesday, 13 March 2013 15:00
- Last Updated on 13 March 2013
- Michael Shilling
- 1 Comment
When planning your next social media campaign or even deciding what type of content is worth sharing it’s worth taking note of two important trends that have emerged in the last couple of years. Actually these trends are more evident then ever when you consider the changes that Facebook announced last week and the latest updates to Google+ profiles.
Visualisation of content
We’re talking about images and lots of them. This is obvious when you look at the rapid rise of Pinterest and Instagram and the evolution of larger images on Facebook and it’s user interface. Google+ have also embraced imagery like never before with its latest shake up of Google Images and the new larger Google+ profile images.
What this means for you and your business
Filling a site with the same old boring free usage imagery just isn’t going to cut it. If you don’t have a visual imagery budget then you should really think about getting one. Good stock images go a long way but you don’t have to spend thousands.
Being a photographer I would of course be the first to recommend hiring a professional for the creation of images that are the heart and soul of your visual identity. Product shots and profile images need to look good and it’s a worthwhile investment as you’ll be using them over and over again.
Other types of images in your business don’t need such a large investment as they can embrace the real side of your brand.
The cheapest way is to ask your clients to share their photos of your product in its real life settings but also take plenty of your own.
There are some really great cameras out there that have the functionality of a smart phone inasmuch as they connect with Facebook and Instagram but they have decent lenses and allow far more control over your picture taking.
If you have staff out in the field then these are a great investment. I would recommend some basic photography training as this can only make your images better.
Mobile use and sharing
Instagram is the leader of this trend and is one of the reasons that Facebook made a $1 billion purchase of a non profitable company with only 16 employees.
Desktop browsing is on the decline whereas mobile and tablet usage is unsurprisingly rising.
Websites like Facebook are leading the way towards mobile constancy in their design.
What this means for you and your business
The demand for instant images is not something to be ignored. Be first or go home as they say. It’s worth thinking about how you share your images and how they might be viewed on mobile devices.
Facebook’s new design means that the desktop view will mirror the Mobile and tablet view for the first time. This is an important change which emphasises the impact that mobile usage has had on the market.
How does your website look on a smartphone or tablet?
Can your browser buttons be used easily on a 7″ screen?
Does your site have dynamic resizing capacities?
Is your mobile bounce rate much higher than your desktop bounce rate and if so, is it down to design or content?
There’s a few questions to think about but if you have any questions for me then let please let me know. You can find me on Twitter @memorygate or at our new Google+ Community London Small Business Network
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