Love them or hate them, selfies are a growing trend. According to an article in the Daily Mail, over 24 billion selfies had been uploaded by Google in 2015.
Other statistics from Infogr.am indicate that over 1 million selfies are taken each day. And interestingly, the citizens of Australia, the United States and Canada are leading the way. Taking a selfie and posting it to social media isn't limited to celebrities and millennials. Everyone seems to be getting in on the craze. Even older, religious figures, such as Pope Francis, have struck a pose.
Taking a selfie and posting it online isn't just a way for individuals to connect with their friends. The selfie can help small businesses increase engagement with their current customers and draw attention to their brand.
Use Selfies to Connect with and Bond with Your Target Audience
Used correctly, selfies can help you create a brand known for the difference that it makes. A carefully chosen image has the power to invoke an emotional response in viewers, and forge bonds, increasing customer loyalty and transforming customers into followers and fans.
Do you want your customers to fall in love with your brand? Help them connect with you by providing them with a glimpse into the inner heart and soul of your company. Rather than lining everyone up for a group photo, choose candid shots of you and your crew at work, actually creating the products and services that solve their problems. Include playful images that show just how much fun work can be.
Build Loyalty by Letting Your Customers Get in on the Act!
Whether you're launching a new product, offering a special promotion, or, just want to showcase an existing product or service, you can increase engagement and build loyalty by letting your customers participate in your marketing efforts.
Invite your clients to send in their favourite selfies that show them using your product or service.
Share the entries, and announce the winners, on your social media channels. You can also increase the reach by offering your customers an additional discount when they share your contests, selfies and other posts on their personal social media accounts.
Things to Avoid When Taking Selfies - Just Say No to the Duckface
While there aren't any hard and fast rules when using selfies in your marketing campaigns, there are a few things to keep in mind to make certain that your images make the right impression with your customers.
In general, it's best to only use selfies that contain images that are clear and of high resolution. Avoid selfies that include subject matter that may portray you in a bad light or that might cause embarrassment to others.
The best selfies are appealing because they reveal something about our true nature and personality, and prompt an emotional response in viewers. For this reason, it's a good idea to avoid faddish poses as they easily become clichés. Good examples of this are the duckface and fishgape poses that quickly lost their novelty from overuse.
Taking selfies and posting them to social media is one Internet fad that seems to be here to stay. So, why not use this trend to your best advantage and use the power of these images to grow your business?