09 Aug Drive Photo Comments on Facebook with Smart Updates
It shouldn’t come as a shock to hear that photo posts on Facebook reign supreme. Whether it’s our limited attention spans, our strong connection to the visual, or the fact that photos are easy to digest, we “like” (pun intended!) photo posts more than any other kind of post.
Due to the photo frenzy that currently exists on Facebook (as well as a number of other highly pervasive social networking platforms, i.e. Instagram), it is within anyone’s best interest to facilitate a photo marketing campaign. Since fun and unique photos allow followers to believe they are “insiders,” they are more willing to engage with your brand.
So, how can your brand acquire photo commentary and engagement without directly ordering people to participate?
Here are a number of ways to elicit fan engagement and photo commentary, by posting smart updates on your brand’s Facebook feed:
*Request followers to post photos of themselves connecting with your business/service/product
Nothing gives a brand more credibility than the social evidence of followers engaging with your brand. Maybe your business supplies makeup, auto repairs, or even an intangible service. Whatever the case, your brand is unique and you market it as such. Thus, your followers certainly exercise brand loyalty for a reason. Ask them to show it! With the advent of smart phones, snapping a quick photo and uploading it to Facebook is a cinch. The more evidence you have, the more followers you’ll acquire!
One of the best and most pervasive forms of social photo commentary exists within the food industry. Food photography has seemingly become a viral result of the visual marketing frenzy. Restaurants, bakeries, and the like are banking off of this by requesting fans to send photos of their awesome meal or event at their establishment. Be creative and always encourage fans to SHARE their social evidence.
*Request followers to post photos which reinforce your brand’s PROOF of success
Aside from just simply having fun at a restaurant, maybe your business supplies a product that changes/alters/fixes something. A gym or fitness facility is a perfect example of this PROOF. People love to view before and after photos regarding anything, and fitness achievement is one of the best ways to captivate an audience.
Perhaps one of your clients has a personal story they’re willing to share with photo documentation. This proof of your brand’s success is not only one that people will enjoy to see, but further be compelled to comment on as well.
With regard to proof, the more emotionally-driven and drastic the results, the more likely you are to garner attention from the public for the good of your brand.
*Request fans to post photos from a special/important occasion
Special events are a great way to encourage photo comments, because photos are constantly being snapped at parties. Our own New York web design company hosted a Spring Gala for our clients a few months back. We took some wonderful photos of our expert web design team and loyal clients, which was the perfect opportunity to share that on our Facebook page.
In addition to sharing, we could ask our followers to share photos of their companies celebrating with clients and the like. This is a reliable way to gain a response, as well as acquire a more introspective look into your clients’ businesses.
*Request followers to post photos regarding their everyday lives, detached from your brand
Sometimes, followers appreciate generic status updates that don’t promote a brand. As a matter of fact, the social “rule” communicates that you’re actually supposed to spend the majority of your posts building your brand (70%), a substantial amount of posts promoting other companies (20%), and just a small portion that promotes your company specifically (10%). Thus, people respect brands that don’t bombard with self-promotion.
Think about asking your followers to share photos about everyday life. “How are you doing? What are you guys up to on this beautiful day? Share photos!” These are the kinds of light-hearted things that go a long way and provoke people to engage.
It was probably clear, prior to reading this blog, how effective and pervasive photos are on Facebook. Now, with photo commentary in response boxes, status updates are becoming much more intricate in order to elicit these visual gems. So, follow the above tips and watch your status updates get bombarded with photo commentary.
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