Building your brand one snapshot at a time
Snap, tag and post — selfie-spots are quickly becoming a popular way for businesses to gain attention on social media. For customers like me, it’s all about capturing a moment and sharing it with friends. For companies, it’s all about brand awareness.
Marketers know the power of word-of-mouth advertising. According to Nielsen, 92 percent of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. I know I identify with that 92 percent.
Word-of-mouth quickly becoming view-of-screen
In my digital world, a friend doesn’t have to tell me face-to-face about a product or location; a simple picture on social media can be enough of a recommendation to make me want to buy a product, try a service, or dine at a restaurant.
That’s why selfie-spots are blowing up. These photo ops help businesses gain exposure simply by giving customers a unique spot to take photos, and an incentive to post those photos and tag the location.
When I see a friend post a fun or unique photo it sparks my interest. The Rougue, a speakeasy in Jacksonville’s Riverside, has found a way to stand out by placing a vinetage bathtub in its bar. Whenever I see a friend post a picture with the distinctive tub, I identify it with the bar.
During The Players Club Championship in May, brand awareness was in full-swing with the golf tournament pulling out all the self-spot tricks including giant cutouts of the players’ faces, and an Instagram sign for fans to pose with.
Any time is a good time for brand awareness
Although an event is a great time to take advantage of a selfie-spot, even grabbing a bite to eat can be photo-worthy. French-inspired restaurant Mimi’s Café, located at the St. Johns Town Center, has its very own selfie-spot in the waiting area of is restaurant.
The life-size cardboard cutout encourages guests to share their photos and tag the brand. This can help brands interact with customers digitally. A business shouldn’t stop at encouraging customers to interact online, it should join in too. I know I love to see a local eatery thank me for my patronage when I post a #foodie photo, and that positive reinforcement increases the chances I’ll post again.
Selfie-spots are a win, win relationship. I get to take a fun photo, and a company gets social media attention. This summer I’m looking forward to watching businesses get creative with their selfie-spots, because we all know only the best get posted!
