The rise of the smartphone and its powerful camera has given rise to the visual web. Social media has also made the visual web possible as users can share their images and videos with their friends and followers on the same platforms. Companies and organizations have been quick to realize the commercial value of visual web in marketing if utilized well. This analysis explores how three organizations viz. Dollar Shave Club, Full Sail University, and Science World use Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook, respectively, to engage their audience.
Dollar Shave Club is an American company that delivers razors and other personal grooming products to clients via mail. The business model is innovative and targeted towards making it easier to get grooming products cost-effectively. The typical customer is a young person who wants to remain well-groomed and uses social media. That reason possibly explains the strong presence of the company on social media, including Instagram. The company uses images extensively to engage the audience in several ways. The company is a prolific poster on Instagram, and it has a sizeable presence, and it designs its images to catch the attention of users and engage them by provoking them to think along certain lines or just by being funny.
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The company displays its products to customers, letting do some mobile window-shopping. A good percentage of the images on the Instagram pages are company products. However, in addition to just displaying them, it educates customers on the use of products. Consumer education is essential, especially for new products. When the company launches a new product, it shows it on Instagram, sometimes even before the launch date to give customers a sneak preview of what is coming. Finally, most of the images are just cool memes related to grooming and hygiene to provoke customers to think more about their choices while at the same time giving them useful insights.
Full Sail is a private for-profit university located in Winter Park, Florida. Despite being an academic institution, it is well represented on social media and especially Pinterest, where it receives more than half a million monthly views. One of the ways the university uses the platform to engage the audience is through pinboards with related content. For instance, there is a “degree programs” board with relevant content, ranging from videos, audios, images, and other types of content. With the content, the university can inform aspiring students what is on offer in a visually pleasing and engaging manner. Another board is housing that showcases housing options for existing and ambitious students.
Full Sail uses other strategies such as creative names for board names. All the board names are easy to understand and communicate a specific meaning. Thus, a person can be sure of the kind of content to get once inside the board. The pins are also connected to other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to engage and attract more users. The university also connects most of the content to its website where visitors can learn more about the specifics of the image and the university in general, including the kind of education it has to offer.
Science World is an organization that seeks to change the world using science and technology and by encouraging young people to enroll for STEM courses. It is interested in issues that include equity, ecological sustainability, community collaboration, and the focus on the future. With such a lofty mission, the company uses social media to reach out to the world and in particular, young people on Facebook. It uses several strategies to engage users on the platform. First, the organization uses the platform to inform its 40, 000 followers about upcoming events.
The organization hosts many events for various groups such as teens, their parents, and other interested persons. The organization creates original content related to science and posts it on its website. Science World post links to the stories on Facebook to attract readers and engage them in a discussion. The organization documents activities of participants in various events, such as planting trees, speeches, hiking, and many more, and posts them on Facebook. The pleasing visual display is a powerful motivator to young people who loves such activities.
