Presented at Visit Pittsburgh's event, "Tweet, Like + Be Social" on May 31, 2013

1. let’s get visual
using images to amplify your social strategy
Presented By Deanna Ferrari | May 31, 2013

2. about me

3. How much does a hipster weigh? An Instagram
"I'm 39, so every image of my childhood
already looks like Instagram.” – Shawn Graham,
PodCamp Pittsburgh 2012
#dumbinstagramjokes

4. OK, enough of the bad jokes…
let’s get this visual party started

5. first things first, visuals are powerful & stay with us

6. the same goes for images in marketing

7. and social media is no different

8. so, why use visuals in social?
Sources: http://corp.wishpond.com/blog/2013/01/10/infographic-the-impact-of-photos-on-facebook-engagement/ &
http://blog.marketo.com/blog/2013/03/what-your-instagram-filter-says-about-you-infographic.html

9. Source: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2013/10779/four-steps-for-using-images-in-your-brands-social-strategy

10. setting your strategy
• Determine what networks you’ll use (the more visual, the better – think:
Instagram)
• Decide what you want to achieve (likes, shares, click-throughs to your e-
comm site, etc.)
• Determine how you’ll collect images (Company images? Photos taken of
product/service on your phone? Photos created by a designer? Fan
photos? All of the above?)
• Create images that are visually appealing and shareable
• Create images both ahead of time and as they happen
• Put together a content calendar so you’re organized and on-task
• Implement, then analyze to see what’s engaging your fans and what’s not
• Refine as needed, and keep posting based on your insights
• Report key findings to see if you met your goals
• Keep things FRESH!

11. creating vs. curating content
Generation Aggregation Curation
Brand-created, original
owned content (website
images, taking a photo on
your phone of your product,
etc.)
Syndicating brand- and user-
created content
automatically (like an RSS
feed).
More thoughtful aggregation
(both brand- and user-
created), with context and
commentary behind it.
Example: Brand Instagram
account and Facebook page
Example: RTing images on
Twitter, a feed on your
website that pulls in user
images using a hashtag, etc.
Example: Pinterest board,
Tumblr of pertinent images
that represent your brand
Keeping images fresh is tough, so the best approach is to have a mix
of brand-created content AND user-created content, a mix of
generating, aggregating, and curating. So, what’s the difference?
REMEMBER: Be sure to cite all content that is NOT created by you, linking back to the
original source and giving credit. It’s best to work with your legal counsel when developing
your strategy to ensure your complying with company policies and procedures.

12. cross-promotion
Source: http://mashable.com/2013/03/04/twitter-instagram-infographic/
It’s OK to post images to more than one of your social media sites. Just don’t do it at
the exact same time, all the time. And be mindful that you can no longer view
Instagram photos within the Twitter platform (womp, womp.) Quick tips:

13. quick case studies

14. lululemon Instagrams Its Brand Manifesto
Overview: lululemon’s brand manifesto is not only displayed on their shopping
bags, but all over their social media channels. This is portrayed daily on
Instagram, from photos of yoga in action, to challenges like #readysetgoals
Why it works for them: Fans are continually engaged – from hashtagged
challenges, to beautiful imagery to witty pictures, each image is shareable and
conveys their message without saying a word, invoking a feeling.
Source: http://instagram.com/lululemon

15. Taco Bell Gets Snap-Chatting
Overview: Taco Bell knew its fans were “obsessed” with the Beefy
Crunch Burrito so they made a Snapchat account for a special offer.
Why it works for them: Reaches the target audience of Taco Bell. This
audience doesn’t have time for lengthy, forced messaging. Taco Bell
emulates what its fans are doing on the platform, showcasing the
product and treating fans like personal friends and not consumers.
Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/01/taco-bell-joins-snapchat/

16. Modcloth + Tumblr =
A Match Made in Fashion Heaven
Overview: Instead of saying, “Look at us!” Modcloth says, “Look at you!” The brand
incorporates a mix of fashion bloggers to show style inspiration, as well as utilizes the
“ModStylists” to answer fan questions about styling outfits.
Why it works for them: Modcloth knows its fans want to get inspired and do some
research before making a purchase (as well as their demographic lives on Tumblr),
so it’s the perfect place to be.
Source: http://modcloth.tumblr.com

17. Boo Dominates Facebook, Possibly The World
Overview: Boo is a dog. He is adorable. That’s really all you need to know.
Why it works for him (er, his owner): People like looking at cute animals.
It’s why zoos are so popular on social media sites. Combine that face plus a
witty description and you will get crazy engagement numbers (and book
deals), too. 12,000 shares, anyone?
Source: https://www.facebook.com/Boo

18. Let’s Talk About Buzzfeed
Overview: Buzzfeed provides a snapshot of "the viral web in real-time.” It
takes all that is good about the Internet, packaging it into visually-
dominating articles. It works so well, that it just inked a deal with CNN to
create a YouTube channel with news and humor to reach that younger
core audience.
Why it works for them: BuzzFeed knows its target audience: folks who are
in front of a computer all day but aren't working the whole time--what
they call the “Bored At Work network,” who are looking for “snack-sized
entertainment.” Couple that with photos and boom -- engagement. They
target their sweet spot -- 25-34 year-old “super-sharers.”
Source: http://www.fastcompany.com/3007481/how-buzzfeed-makes-everything-go-viral

19. Buzzfeed Wins The Internet

20. Brands + Buzzfeed
Overview: Virgin and BuzzFeed joined forces to develop a social content
strategy, allowing them to stand apart in the telcom market. When Instagram
became available on Android, Virgin was quick to react, publishing the post “11
Things No One Wants To See You Instagram.”
Why it worked for them: The article engaged readers with timely, fun, and brand-
relevant content. It reinforced Virgin’s position as a company in tune with pop
culture and mobile trends.
Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/download/casestudies

21. Non-profits & Disaster Relief Get a Boost
18 tornadoes struck northern Texas including the town of
Granbury, causing vast damage, injuries and deaths. Instead of just asking
for donations on social media, disaster relief workers tweeted and
Instagrammed photos of the damage to make an impact that help and
funds were needed badly. The images spoke for themselves.

22. What About Twitter?
Twitter is a bit less visual up front, as you need to click “view photo” in the
tweet stream. But it is still important to incorporate visuals. In fact, more
than one-third (36%) of all links shared on Twitter point to an image.
Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-images_b40570

23. Visual Tweets: The Good, The Bad & The Crazy

24. Measuring Your Visual Social Strategy
So you integrated visuals into your social strategy, now what? You want to see the
results. In order to get the best analytics, you may need a mix of platforms, including
a CMS. Here’s a quick breakdown of tools to see how well your photos are doing.
Free Paid Other Resources
Statigram (Instagram) Venueseen (Instagram) Digital Marketing Analytics
(book) by Chuck Hemann & Ken
Burbary
Pinterest Web Analytics Twitter Analytics (available for
promoted tweets & accounts)
Social Media Metrics for
Dummies (book) by Leslie
Poston
Facebook Insights Salesforce Buddy Media Top 10 Social Media Ebooks of
2012 (Salesforce Blog)
Union Metrics (Tumblr)
SimplyMeasured

25. Takeaways
• Know your audience and what networks they’re on
• Have an image-sharing strategy (are you going to generate,
aggregate, curate, or all of the above?)
• Measure, analyze and refine
• Don’t over-selfie
• If all else fails, just copy what Boo & Buzzfeed do

26. thank you!
questions?
deannaferrari@gmail.com| @dferrari on Twitter | about.me/dferrari