The Internet is now more open and public. Thanks to social networks, people are now connecting more with their friends and business contacts.
Recently, social platforms are transforming themselves into visual platforms. Pinterest is gaining momentum and is considered one of the fastest growing social networks around. Facebook just launched the Timeline format for brands. And everyone likes to check out an infographic or two. It's apparent that the Social Web is now inclined to more activities that are more visual.
People are watching more on the Internet than on their TVs, so it's not surprising if they spend time on the Internet browsing for images that interest them. It's also not a secret that the rise of photo-sharing is credited to the increasing use of mobile devices which people use to access their social accounts. So why are social platforms more visual now?
While user-generated content in the form of comments and suggestions fuels the engagement in a brand's page, these types of content matter most to community managers and page admins who utilize such for sentiment analysis. One of the reasons why Facebook released the Timeline format was that it wants brands and marketers to think like publishers.
As a community manager for a couple of Facebook pages, I handle the content that comes out of our feed and it's easy to see which content attracts instant feedback - pictures. Not to sound cliché, but a picture really paints a thousand words and in the Social Web a picture really begets feedback. People have been using cameras and compiling photos through albums before, so Facebook, Pinterest, and other photo-sharing platforms are easily a hit. Infographics are also becoming a great tool to distribute substantial date without being boring. It's also a plus that infographics visualize a data or a process for people to understand a particular subject. It also makes it more comprehensive for people who aren't familiar with the infographic's subject.
Image via Coca-Cola
The use of visual social platforms is the next step in social marketing where it'll result into C2C or customer to customer interactions to increase brand awareness and PR for a brand. With the rise of more photo-sharing platforms, it won't be surprising if majority of user-generated content are comprised of pictures and videos rather than plain content.
Big brands like Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks are encouraging fans to post photos on their fan pages aside from the usual comments and suggestions about their products. They're not only feeding their fans with coffee and doughnuts, but with great visual content as well. Being is visual is key to user engagement, brands should always keep in mind that sharing photos is a human instinct. And that very reason will increase user engagement and entice more potential fans.