Love them or hate them, selfies are here to stay.
There have been many wonderful contributions cell phone technology has given the world. The ability to talk and message anyone just about anywhere. Access to the just about any piece of information or website via the World Wide Web. Being able to store our entire music libraries on a device that can fit in our pocket.
But to be fair there are also some really awful things that cell phones have introduced to our lives. Bluetooth headsets (ugly and obnoxious). Texting while driving (dangerous, even fatal sometimes). And less dangerous, but definitely more annoying...the selfie.
But are selfies getting a bad rap?
The perception is they're indulgent, unnecessary, and in the hands of a narcissist inescapable. (Heck they're even showing up at the Oscars.) But how about thinking of it another way. They offer us a way for us to show ourselves to the world flaws and all. To be seen. Isn't that what marketers and PR professionals do every day? Every piece of marketing we do, press release you send out, TV or radio commercial, banner ad, no matter how strategic or well-planned, is on a very basic level a selfie of your company. For a media strategy and a selfie to be good, they both require a few mandatory things:
- First, find your good side: What's your angle? What do you want people to know? Where does your product or service excel? What are the things that you do better than everyone else? What are the features you are most known for? Emphasize the value you offer. What do people like most about you. Are you the most affordable in your segment? Perhaps your quality is second to none. Figure that out and play it up for the camera.
- Good lighting: Perhaps your brand is plagued with a bad reputation or misconceptions. Use this opportunity to educate people about your product, many times misconceptions about a product or service come from a lack of truly understanding it. If your company or product has been receiving bad press or has a bad reception, find something good and highlight that to take the attention away from the negative. When there is no way to make the bad situation good, be willing to own up to it, apologize where you failed, and tell them what you plan to do to improve.
- Get Focused: Cut out the extraneous and get to the point. What do you want people to know about your brand? What can your product or service do for your customer base? Keep it simple.
- Start sharing: Once you've made it perfect its time to share it with the world. And that's where a good strategist or media buyer comes in. Media strategists will help you determine who is the most effective audience for your message and we create media plans that reach them within your allotted budget. We also negotiate and make the media buys so that you get maximum value and save money.
- Be Prepared for What Comes Next: Once you've shared, a few things can happen. Buzz is created and hopefully sales start to increase and your business grows. Once you decide to mass market you must be prepared for the demand. Inversely. there is a chance people won't agree or won't like it and you can face some scrutiny. Make sure you are ready to handle it whatever ends up happening.
YOUR TURN: Weigh in. What ways does your brand promote a selfie strategy for promoting your product or service?
