Social media sites represent crowds of potential customers. Photo by Waldo Jaquith.
Ever since Facebook bought out the photo-sharing site, Instagram, there has been a furor on the ‘web about how the site might change. The noise users are making over the acquisition, both in favor and against, is a fair demonstration of its popularity. In short, Instagram and sites like it represent a gathering of people on the internet- and to you, they represent a gathering of potential customers.
Instagram’s potential is in the ability to promote your product through pictures. Whether you’re a designer showing off your ability, selling a physical product, or offering a service, Instagram is like a visual extension of Twitter. It allows you to tell a story through pictures, drawing your audience in and expanding your brand’s footprint on the ‘web. Instagram’s #hashtags make it easier to get your content noticed.
Hashtags make it easier to stand out from the crowd. Photo by Steven Depolo
Pinterest is another image-sharing site, but unlike Instagram, it allows people to grab images off the ‘web and share them with friends, automatically linking back to the source. Take the time to request an invite (Pinterest requires an invitation to join), and learn how Pinterest can be a marketing tool.
Think of Pinterest as an online bulletin board. Create outstanding content, and people will want to pin it.. Photo by Sonny Abesamis
Although Pinterest doesn’t allow sales boards, the potential for reaching and expanding your customer base is phenomenal. The demographic of Pinterest users is mostly women, ages 27-44. They tend to share products and services on their boards that they’re familiar with, brands they trust, so think of Pinterest as an extended Facebook-style network. Every time your content gets pinned, it has the potential to reach a whole new network.
Instagram lets you surf the networking crowds. Image by Mike Krzeszak.
Although neither site allows blatantly commercial accounts, it’s worthwhile to create personal accounts on each site on which you talk about and present your product. To make the most of these tools, don’t just spam images and promotions of your content. Join in the conversation, and get involved in your industry. You’ll forge new contacts and create new opportunities for your business to grow.
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Tom work for PsPrint and PsPrint Blog. When he’s not sitting behind a computer, Tom likes watching sci-fi movies and Japanese cartoons, hitting the golf course and playing with his four dogs. You can connect with Tom via Google+ or Twitter. |
