New Players and Old Games
Social media changes daily. It doesn’t always feel like a big change because we are accustomed to changing and moulding ourselves to it while it happens. Also the change isn’t always technical. A lot of times it is purely organic, the change happens just because it is us, users, who cause that change. Our life today isn’t just lived; it’s replicated over an array of social platforms, both big and small. From the giants like Facebook and twitter, to the up and comers like Pintrest and Instagram. Our priorities have altered, changed in a manner that makes us dependent on these networking platforms as a form of social gratification. Our newest care is our need to share; and the up and comers are the two newest players.
Being part of a digital marketing agency, you are exposed to a little more of the social sphere as compared to the audience. And that’s when you begin to figure out and predict the new trends in social media in order to ensure your clients a sound digital marketing strategy.
If a picture says a thousand words, what do you think millions of pictures can do? If you guessed that images were the latest social trend, you guessed right. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we have effectively moved our social space into a gallery of images.
Let’s start with Instagram. They started small, but they started at a time when we were looking for them, when we were looking an outlet to creatively express ourselves through images. According to me, the reason for its success and its claim to fame, the big buyout by Facebook is simple; it was not just its ease of use but also the fact that it was a network that could connect you to your friends and others on a network that didn’t have your parents on it; especially after your parents and family members enthusiastically hopped onto Facebook! As our folks got up and running on the social biggies, more and more of us younger audiences were looking for an alternative that gave us the little bit of privacy from parental scrutiny. That’s where Instagram scored and that’s why it works. Add to it the fact that it’s an app for your mobile, and you realize how perfect it is for use on the go. So what is Instagram? Instagram is in its simplest sense, a camera app with its own social network. It lets you add different finishes to the image before you choose to upload it online; with a additional option to post them to Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare, for those times when they are parent safe.
Pinterest, in my opinion, is just plain classy. From a digital marketing agency perspective, it’s an ideal way to promote clients’ products through images, in the form of boards. Pinterest has taken your simple image board online, and given you the ability to pin your images to this virtual board with ease. It’s not too complicated. You like something, you pin it. Pinterest lets you have the choice of multiple boards, each completely customizable to your taste. Pinterest lets you live your ideal life and own your dream possessions in the virtual world.
I can’t predict the future but I do know this, the social playground has changed. It may still be dominated by the biggies, but it won’t be long before the smaller players start to pave their way through. Images are the deal right now, but like I said before, we are the change. Social platforms just adhere to it; if not there is always an alternative player ready to take on our game. At one point of time I was convinced that we unknowingly shaped our social lives to fit the social network better. But now I feel the tables have turned. With so many options out there, it’s the social network that is compelled to change itself to fit our lives.
Are you on Pinterest or Instagram? Which one do you prefer and why? Does your digital marketing strategy for business include these smaller entrants to the game? Do share your views!
what do you think?