Should selfies be part of your social media strategy?

    

  

The humble selfie, the act of photographing yourself, typically with a smartphone and uploaded to a social media website, has never been more in vogue.

Named as word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries in 2013, selfies hit the headlines earlier this month after Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres' became the most retweeted photograph ever.

However, over the last few days, you will undoubtedly have seen more selfies than ever appearing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

That’s because social media users have been posting 'no makeup' selfies, along with the hashtag #nomakeupselfie, provoking an 'impromptu fundraising campaign'.

Now, whether or not the trend is truly about raising awareness, or if it is indeed vanity thinly veiled as philanthropy, there can be no doubt that it has had a significant effect; cancer charities have seen a surge of donations as a direct result of the campaign.

But it’s not just charities who can benefit from selfies; many companies, large and small, can do so too.

We have previously discussed Dove’s social media experiments on the fatBuzz blog, and in 2013, they embraced the selfie as part of its #BeautyIs campaign. The video, which you can view below, aimed to explore how social media is shaping the way the we perceive beauty.

Perhaps one of the biggest selfie success stories was when South African retailer, Urban Hilton Weiner, gave visitors to their store a $10 coupon if they tweeted a selfie of themselves trying on some clothes and used the hashtag #urbanselfie.

Closer to home, Tennent’s Lager’s SelfTie campaign encouraged users to take pictures of themselves with their favourite red T and share it with Tennent’s for the chance to win a VIP trip to Wellpark Brewery or an iPad Mini.

One of our clients, Go Coco, regularly invites its fans to upload selfies using the hashtag #GoCocoSelfie or #GoCocoNuts, while we even got in on the act, sending our clients a Valentine's Day red nose (as opposed to a red rose...), before asking them to upload their selfie online using the hashtag #fatBuzzLovesYou.

So, how can selfies actually help your business? And should they be part of your social media strategy?

Well, encouraging fan engagement is, or at least it should be, one of the most important aspects of social media marketing.

And with Facebook’s reach decreasing almost daily, why not take this simple opportunity to raise awareness, and importantly, increase the reach of your brand, by encouraging your community to upload photos with your product?

By encouraging your community to promote your brand or organisation via the simple mechanism of uploading selfies, you will increase engagement, and maintain your fan base. But not only that, with the average adult Facebook user having 338 friends, embracing the selfie revolution could help you spread your message, and in turn your brand, even further.

What are your thoughts on selfies? Have you ever considered encouraging your community to upload them in order to raise awareness of your business? Let us know by commenting below, or by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter; even better, send us a selfie!

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Sgt. Social Media - Is social media becoming an effective tool in law enforcement?

At fatBuzz, not only do we like to keep tabs on the world of social media and all things digital, we also keep a close eye on the news.

Recently, we've noticed the digital world and news world are coming ever closer to each other, and at times, becoming intertwined.

In this blog post, Social Media Account Manager, Cameron, discusses how social media is becoming an effective tool in law enforcement.

Remember the ‘Peru Two’; the two girls who got caught trying to smuggle 25kg (£1.5 million) worth of cocaine out of Peru? If not, don’t worry, there’s a blog we wrote about them HERE.

In their statements, the girls tell how they were working in Ibiza and did not meet until they were 'kidnapped at gunpoint' and forced to go to Majorca, however photos uploaded to Instagram allegedly showed the two of them sunning themselves in Ibiza together.

This most likely had a large impact on the case and, who knows, may have just resulted in the two pleading guilty to the charges. However, the ‘Peru Two’ aren't the only ‘bad guys’ who have been incriminated through social media.

In recent news, Rihanna's activity on Twitter and Instagram led to three arrests by Thai police. Her images and tweets from her visit to Phuket led to two people being arrested for illegal wildlife touting, while the other was charged with obscenity and operating a venue without a permit.

Heck, even Snapchat is being used by officials in certain cases. When you send a ‘Snap’ it is held on a Google-cloud server until the snap is opened, and once opened, it ‘disappears’ off of the server.

Micah Schaffer, the Head of Trust and Safety for Snapchat said: “Since May 2013, about a dozen of the search warrants we've received have resulted in us producing unopened Snaps to law enforcement. That’s out of 350 million Snaps sent every day.”

So, why are authorities increasingly using social media as a means to capture criminals? Well, it’s pretty obvious, isn't it?

Facebook users upload 350 million photos each day, Twitter users post a combined 500 million tweets per day, while Instagram’s 150 million + users upload 55 million photos every day!

This plethora of content, allied with our generation’s inclination to document every aspect of their lives online, potentially offers authorities an incredible and seemingly endless database of information about even the most intricate details of people.

But is it any surprise? As you can see from this blog post, social media is now being used for different markets, industries and institutions.

Undoubtedly, whether it is marketing or law enforcement, the power of social media is on the rise.

Do you agree with Cameron's views? Do you think that social media is becoming an effective tool in law enforcement? Let us know by either commenting on the blog post, or by getting in touch on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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Five iPhone Apps To Consider

With Apple being on the media quite a lot just now, with new operating systems and new products, Social Media Account Manager, Graeme, thought he’d write about what he believes are the top five apps for your iPhone.

I was on my honeymoon when iOS7 was released, and due to having very limited access to wifi in Mexico, I had to wait until I was home to update my software.

Once I’d moved pictures and videos onto a laptop to free-up the necessary space iOS7 required, I was good to go.

Once the download and installment was complete, I was delighted; it’s almost like I’ve got a new phone.

Judging by what I’ve seen on the likes of Facebook and Twitter, I’m not alone in the pleasure iOS7 has brought apple customers.

And as the weeks have went on since the release of the new operating system, people have been drip-feeding tips and hints for ‘hidden’ functions on the system.

So, since the iPhone is the talk of the steamie just now, I thought I’d go through, what I believe, are the top five apps available for the phone.

Here are my top five apps for the iPhone:

1. Shazam

This music tagging app started out as a phone service (dial 2580 - which you can still do). Hear a song that you like while you’re out somewhere, but don’t know what it’s called or who it’s by? Just Shazam it!

When the song you want to tag is playing, simply open the app, touch the Shazam logo, and hold your phone to the speaker.

The app should tag it, tell you what it’s called and who it’s by. It even gives you the option to buy it from iTunes. Super app!

2. Twitter

By far my favourite social media platform, Twitter is great for learning celebrity gossip, arranging days/nights out with friends, and increasingly, I’ve found it a great source for news content.

With most journalists now having a Twitter account, you often find that they’ll tweet the news before official broadcasters report it.

Also, in the beginning, when I first started using the service, I found it a great way to find out who was who in the industry I wanted to work in; a great tool for making contacts in specific industries.

3. Instagram

If you're into photography in any way, this is thee app if you. A great way to capture moments, and share them with your online community, Instagram can be both fun and artistic.

Although primarily a mobile app, there's a desktop version where pictures can be viewed, although not taken.

A picture speaks a thousand words. People are more likely to look at a photograph than they are to read a bunch of text, so this platform can be used as a great we to update you community with what you’re doing.

And of course, there’s the ability to add filters, borders and share your creations onto various platforms, making it truly social. A great app.

4. Football SC (Sky Sports Score Centre)

I’m a man who loves his football, so this is a MUST for me. I won’t tell you which team I support, but with them not being on the TV that much these days (big clue there), this is sometimes the best way to keep abreast of how they’re doing.

But there’s more; the app give you access to real-time scores for many leagues in many countries, also providing league tables so you can see where your team’s latest result has left them in the table.

Essential for those who can't make it to the match!

5. BBC News

I like my news, so this is a must-have app for me. The BBC News app is pretty good, although not great. There’s quite a lot of choice on the app, but I’d like to see some more options available on it, like there is on the actual BBC News website.

Having said that, content is updated fairly regularly, and it comes packed with images and videos you can watch.

Moreover, there’s the ability to stream the BBC News channel, live, from inside the app, which is a nice touch.

Remember, these are only five apps, and there are are many more I wasn’t able to mention.

Some of you may also be surprised by some absences in my top five, the most notable being Facebook - it would definitely be in my top 10.

So, do you like my top five? Do you think my choices are nonsense? Is your top five better? What is it; I’d love to know? Email me your top five iPhone apps, listing why they’re in your top five, to graeme@fatbuzz.com. In addition, you can also find me on Twitter, @Geddes16, so you can let me know there too - and don't forget to follow me while you're at it!

You can also let us know on the fatBuzz Facebook and Twitter pages, so get 'liking' and 'following', and have your say.

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, @Geddes16.

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The Peru Two - A Social Media Downfall?

At fatBuzz, we like to keep an eye on what’s happening, not only in the world of social media, but also the world in general. And when the two combine, it’s something that really gets us talking.

Just this weekend, it was reported that alleged Ibiza 'drug mule' Melissa Reid is set to plead guilty after striking a deal that could see her walk free from prison in less than three years.

Reid, along with Michaella McCollum Connolly, was facing up to 25 years' imprisonment after being caught with £1.5 million worth of cocaine in their suitcases at Lima International Airport.

In this blog post, social media account manager, Graeme Geddes, looks at how big a part social media has played in the girls' downfall.

'Having read news reports and watched bulletins on the television of the 'Peru Two', I believe that central to the case being built by the police in Peru are a series of photographs.

'The girls, Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum Connolly, claim that they met for the first time in Peru, however images of the two together in bikinis would suggest they were, in fact, together in Ibiza.

'With it being winter in Peru just now, would the girls really have been wearing so little clothing?

'Not only that, yet more pictures have emerged. Among these photographs is one of a Nokia mobile phone with the caption 'Wongamaker' on Instagram.

'That particular photo went up before she left her home in Scotland to work on party island Ibiza, so how are the authorities discovering these images? Social media, of course.

'The Peruvian police have been able to simply and effortlessly trawl through a host of images taken by both Reid and McCollum Connolly, which have all be posted on the girls’ personal Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

'And going on what has been widely reported by the media thus far, it would appear these images are going to play an instrumental part in this case.

'Will this be the first time we have really witnessed social media form a huge part of a high profile court case?

'As more of us use social media, we are all beginning to log everything we do, even minor, inconspicuous (at the time) things.

'Not only that, we are increasingly adding locations to our Instagram pictures, our tweets, and our Facebook statuses.

'Everytime we post a picture, even if it is of our dinner, we’ve leaving a trail of virtual breadcrumbs; perhaps this is something we should all bear in mind and be more wary of?

'Unfortunately for the ‘Peru Two’, this is something they didn’t think of when they were out partying in Ibiza, and it could very well be their downfall if it can be proved their stories are false.

'This is a story that will undoubtedly keep evolving over the coming weeks and months, and one which we will continue to keep a close eye on.'

What are your thoughts on how social media could be logging your every move? And do you have concerns about the privacy offered on social network sites?

Just leave a comment below or get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter - we would love to hear your thoughts.

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Quick Buzz - Instagram vs. Vine

One thing we try to do here at fatBuzz, is keep our fingers on the pulse of all things social. This could come in the shape of a new app, Facebook updates, new features on Twitter, or tips from one of the team.

We’re sure most of you are familiar with photo sharing platform, Instagram; and we’re sure most if you also know about it’s update last month which allows users to capture and share video, as well as photos.

And those of you who are interested in capturing and sharing video through social media, we’re sure, will also have heard of Vine.

But, if there are some of you who aren’t aware of what we’re on about, let us quickly explain...

Instagram, the first to be released of the two, is owned by Facebook and was primarily a photo sharing platform. It’s a hugely popular platform which comes in the shape of an app, with 130 million active users.

At the beginning of 2013, Twitter launched an app called Vine. Unlike Instagram, Vine is a video sharing platform.

Vine allows it’s users to capture videos of up to six seconds in length, and can use stop motion technology to squeeze any amount of time into those six seconds.

When launched, Vine was a breath of fresh air, it was easy to use and great for sharing video content.

Then, along come Instagram with it’s big new feature, video. This put the two social media giants, Facebook and Twitter, head to head, but who would win?

There are some significant differences to the two platforms though; while Vine offers six seconds of recording time, Instagram’s video allows 15 seconds.

Also, like it’s photo function, Instagram allows it’s users to add filters over their videos and also pick thumbnails for the videos from any frame within the video; Vine offers neither of these functions.

So, we’ve had Graeme in the office trying both out to see which he thinks is better. To find out his decision, watch our Quick Buzz on this very topic, and once you’ve watched it, why not let him know what you think is better by emailing him at graeme@fatbuzz.com.

For more videos please visit fatBuzz.tv

Don’t forget, if you’re an Instagram user, you can follow us on @fatBuzzltd, and see what we all get up to.

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