It’s arguably one of the biggest trends to come out of the last 5 years and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Yes, we just can’t get enough of taking Selfies!
Many will argue that the whole Selfie phenomenon is a narcissistic, waste of data, for young adults with too much time on their hands. But that hasn’t stopped marketers across the globe using them to generate new customer interactions and experiences.
It’s a clever way to profit from an already popular trend.
Marketers have known this for a while. Selfie campaigns are already widespread among big organisations. One of the frontrunners, in my opinion, has to be GoPro. A business that has nailed Selfie marketing so well, they don’t even feature their products in them!
“Our entire company’s mission is to make it easy to self-document and share life’s experiences and look good doing it,” explained GoPro digital marketing manager Kevin Platshon.
“There’s more out there than just a POV shot,” said Platshon. “When our users turn the camera and look back at themselves — that’s really when our cameras and our company really started taking off.”
And he has a point; GoPro Selfies are uploaded around the world all day, every day!
Using selfies to boost your fitness business
Another form of Selfie that’s being uploaded constantly around the world is fitness Selfies.
With dedicated hashtags like #GymSelfie #HumpDay and many others, it’s clear to see that the phone-flipping phenomenon is a major marketing tool in the fitness industry and is something you to need to look at in your marketing strategies – and I’m going to tell you how…
#throwdownthursday grab your best training buddy & do @florbeckmann Quick Hit #ntc workout!
A photo posted by Marie Purvis (@mariepurvis) on
Show that you’re human.
I’ve always believed that great content is created for people first, search engines second. And best content comes from showcasing the human side of your business. It’s what people connect with.
You want them to build a relationship with your business and it’s much easier to do this with a person rather than an abstract concept.
Posting Selfies of you and the other people behind the scenes of your company is a great way to do this. Transparency builds trust and loyalty. Presenting the human side of your business projects positive attributes, allowing the audience to connect with more than just your logo.
Using this ethos will generate new business.
Be creative with your Selfies.
For the sceptical; you need to stop believing that Selfies are just for young people who have identity issues or just simply think they’re a Kardashian lovechild.
You need to look further than that. Selfies can help tell the story of you and your business.
Selfies shouldn’t and are definitely not limited to the cliché pout and pose. Be creative. Share special moments like getting new business branded clothing or a quick selfie when your following hits a certain milestone. Don’t just keep uploading the same old gym flex – it will become boring and mundane for your followers.
Every viral hashtag or selfie style had to start somewhere. If you’re creative enough, yours too could go global!
Use engaging hastags.
The main aim for businesses being on social media is to create brand awareness and ultimately generate new customers. For this to happen, you need to create engagement. A great way to do this, not just on your Selfies, is using hashtags.
Hashtags can steer your post in the right direction of your targeted audience. If you want to build a local following, hashtag your city’s name into your posts. Or if you’re at an Expo for the weekend, add the event hashtag to your selfie to build connections with others at the event.
Here are a number of popular fitness hashtags to help boost engagement:
#transformationtuesday
#mcm (Man Crush Monday)
#wcw (Woman Crush Wednesday)
#fitfam
#fitspo
#fitness
#gymtime
#treadmill
#gainz
#workout
#getStrong
#getfit
#justdoit
#youcandoit
#bodybuilding
#fitspiration
Have customers take Selfies.
Having your clients post selfies is a great marketing strategy. This not only provides credibility for your service/products, it’s also a great way of marketing to your target audience, as it’s more than likely your clients family and friends fall into that category.
Be sure to retweet and repost your customers selfies
This is the same idea as #1, however this one is ideal for local businesses. Hold a contest where the best ‘on location’ selfie wins! This one is great for generating a buzz for your local brick and mortar business.
Final Thought
Using Selfies in your marketing isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds. Despite all the negative attention, if done right, Selfies are a great marketing method to help build engagement and trust.
Just be careful that you don’t get addicted to them!
Have you been using Selfies in your marketing? Let me know your thoughts on this article below and I’ll be sure to reply!
