Just as Wal-Mart has become synonymous with discount shopping, many people see Facebook as the, well, face of social media. But even the “giants” themselves understand that absolutes are rare. As we fly past year five of complete online social saturation our options as unique individuals are broadening.
Marci has clearly found her “place” on Pinterest and I have settled into a comfortable relationship with Instagram. We both remain active in other online social scenes, but are finding deeper connection with these more focused social communities.
Brock highlighted Instagram last week with a broad stroke and introduced this visual social gem to many of our readers. As an active user I thought I would share some insight on how several of my multiple personalities use Instagram and why each of them think it’s great.
Socially Active –Whether I am at happy hour, on the beach or online, I enjoy socializing. The interaction I get from others is satisfying and inspiring. That said, 90% of my Facebook status updates are pictures. I am social and I am also visual!
Fresh Food Champion – Of the 90% of my FB statuses that are photos, 75% of those are food pics! And most who know me are aware that I choose FRESH over processed regularly.
Time-Starved Marketer – I know… yet another social network to manage. Are you crazy? One word: Integration. Instagram is now how I upload photos to Facebook status updates and tweets. I can choose to share a photo just with my followers in Instagram (a smaller, more personal community) or I can choose to also share on my other social accounts.
Trend Tracker – like Twitter, your photos on Instagram can be tagged with hashtags as way to categorize. When I upload a picture of food I usually tag with #fresh or #foodie and I also use this feature when I am searching for inspiration on a particular topic. Along with hashtags, Instagram has an optional geo-location feature that is powered by Four Square (integration to the max!)
Mom of Tween – I have a 12 year old who is naturally inclined to the online social sphere, but like many parents we have not allowed her to have a Facebook page. Whether Facebook is appropriate at 13 or not (that is where we set the age requirement and I wish we would’ve said 18!), I feel she needs to learn the ropes and responsibilities of being social online, no different than I needed to learn the responsibility of having my own phone line (dated myself! Yikes). That said, Mackey Payton’s first experience into the online social scene was Instagram. It’s a picture diary that’s interactive and one she is proud to share with her friends, family and Mom (for now!).
Delirious Dog Lover – enough said.
Thirsty Creative – from the simple filters and frames to the more advanced apps like Instaframe, our inner-creatives can shine! For someone who has a creative mind, but struggles to draw a stick figure that people can identify, Instagram gives me a platform to be inspired and to share!
For the record, I am not a stock holder in Facebook (the parent company who shelled out a billion bucks for Instagram). But, each of my personalities felt compelled to offer some insights into a social scene that you may find more comfortable than the mass offering of the “giants”.
Check back soon for a post that details how we see Instagram being optimized to feature the beauties we grow, pack, ship and sell!
Posted by: The Entertainer (Dan’l Mackey Almy)
