Social media: The power of imagery
One of
the most brilliant things about using social media as part of your communication
mix is that it gives you loads of opportunities to tell your stories in real
time through the power of imagery.
It’s now an established fact that people seldom read
more than bite-sized chunks of information as they attempt to absorb the latest
news through the myriad of media streams now available to them. So, I hear you say,
what’s new about grabbing someone’s attention through big headlines and images?
Nothing of course – in fact PR and communication
hasn’t actually changed as a concept
since I joined the industry thirty years ago – but it’s how you use your imagery that
can really make a difference.
Take
Twitter: What makes your followers read your tweet and pass it on? Relevance is
key, the first three words important, and if inserting a link to find out more,
making sure this works. But none of this seems to matter when you post an image
– suddenly 30 people click within
seconds to take a peek! Random spontaneous images work well on Twitter; curiosity is a natural human instinct easily activated when stories involve people, animals, or a measure of comedy.
Hubby and I decided that
neutral was no longer to be the colour on our bedroom walls. Through the power
of Twitter we discovered a supplier of my favourite paint was our local antique
shop. The daughters of the owner had joined the business and were in the
process of injecting some modernity into their communication mix and they were
delighted we found out on Twitter. When we were testing the paint on the walls
I posted the following phototweet – hubby
had a mad moment – and it’s a great
example of sharing something spontaneously and was viewed by 32 of our mutual
followers. 
The point of Twitter, as
opposed to Facebook or Google+, is to interact with everyone you come across if
you wish. And to succeed on Twitter – and by
this I mean engage with real people who are interested in you or what you do – you need
to be human. People love personalities to shine through the tweets (within
reason!) and if like David you manage the PR on behalf of a charity then this
is even more important as it can bring you loyalty and much needed support.
When David visited The Manchester Grammar School recently I covered his
visit on the School’s Twitter stream @MGSMagic
and included a couple of images as part of the story.
As you have probably gathered I’m a real
fan of Twitter when it’s used
properly. To quote a guy called Vern: “Twitter
on a mass scale – invites idiocy. Twitter on
a small scale of friends and people you wished you knew in person – works!” It’s
brilliant for keeping in touch with those you value and trust and a great way
to gain loyalty and support no matter what you do.
Sally-Anne
Rogers
Sally-Anne is the Director of Public Relations at The Manchester Grammar School and also runs a private consultancy practice. You can follow her on Twitter @Sally_AnneR and @firstimpressi0n or at say hello@sallyannerogers.com
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